It is important for patients to understand the necessary information for making health decisions, yet studies have shown that a large segment of the population lacks the health literacy to do so. Jessie Chin, School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and colleagues have investigated the relationship between health literacy and "actionable memory," or memory for
As the pandemic forced states across the nation to transform the way their residents voted in 2020, a new study by Daniel Hopkins and Marc Meredith of the University of Pennsylvania showed that an inexpensive postcard campaign conducted during Philadelphia's primary was able to boost mail-in voting.
Reading between the lines of tree rings to reconstruct exactly what happened in Alaska the year that the Laki volcano erupted half a world away in Iceland can help fine-tune future climate predictions. In June 1783, Laki spewed more sulfur into the atmosphere than any other Northern Hemisphere eruption in the last 1,000 years. The Inuit in North America tell stories about the year that summer nev
Bland äldre – 60 plus – med psykossjukdom och bipolär sjukdom är andelen döda i covid-19 nästan fyra gånger så stor, som hos psykiskt friska i samma ålder. – Vi ser en hög överdödlighet. Kanske borde gruppen prioriteras för vaccin, menar Martin Maripuu, psykiatriker och forskare vid Umeå universitet. Personer med allvarlig psykisk sjukdom löper kraftigt ökad risk att dö i covid-19. Det visar en s
Enveloped viruses have been detected in raw sewage and sludge, but scientists still don't fully understand the fate and infectivity of these viruses during water purification at treatment plants. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology have discovered that a standard water treatment technique, called iron (III) coagulation, and its electrically driven counterpart, iro
Environmentally conscious consumers try to 'buy local' when food shopping. Now, a study of food raised around Chicago has shown that buying local can't provide all necessary nutrients for area residents, though it could fulfill their needs if some nutrients were supplied as supplements. The researchers report in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology that urban agriculture made little difference
Hikers, soldiers and school children all know the burden of a heavy backpack. But now, researchers have developed a prototype that not only makes loads feel about 20% lighter, but also harvests energy from human movements to power small electronics. The new backpack, reported in ACS Nano, could be especially useful for athletes, explorers and disaster rescuers who work in remote areas without elec
New age group eligible from Thursday while focus remains on older at-risk people Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Israel's health ministry has said it will offer coronavirus vaccines to anyone over the age of 16, as part of a rapid campaign in which the majority of older and vulnerable people have already received shots. The ministry has told healthcare providers they
Den til dato største gennemgang af recepter i Danmark viser, at almen praksis står for 88 pct. af alle receptudskrivninger her i landet. Vil vi lave interventioner inden for brug af lægemidler, skal det derfor ske hos de praktiserende læger, siger forsker.
A recent study has found that to best help kids with autism maintain healthy rates of physical activity, interventions should be targeted during the ages of 9 to 13, as that's when kids show the biggest drop in active time.
A team of researchers has published a new paper detailing what 400 million years of evolutionary history reveal about the function of both fish and human bitter receptors.
As emerging mutations threaten the progress made against the pandemic, scientists and regulators are racing to figure out a process for updating shots.
Photo Illustrations by Brendan Pattengale | Maps by La Tigre Images above: Glaciers from the Vatnajökull ice cap, in Iceland Brendan Pattengale is a photographer who explores how color can convey emotions in an image. In his photo illustrations throughout this article, the colors of the original photos have been adjusted, but the images are otherwise unaltered. This article was published online o
Scientific Reports, Published online: 03 February 2021; doi:10.1038/s41598-021-82923-9 Author Correction: Bacterial communities associated with the surface of fresh sweet pepper ( Capsicum annuum ) and their potential as biocontrol
Environmentally conscious consumers try to "buy local" when food shopping. Now, a study of food raised around Chicago has shown that buying local can't provide all necessary nutrients for area residents, though it could fulfill their needs if some nutrients were supplied as supplements. The researchers report in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology that urban agriculture made little difference
Enveloped viruses have been detected in raw sewage and sludge, but scientists still don't fully understand the fate and infectivity of these viruses during water purification at treatment plants. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology have discovered that a standard water treatment technique, called iron (III) coagulation, and its electrically driven counterpart, iro
Nature, Published online: 02 February 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00301-x Russian vaccine has 91.6% efficacy in phase III trials, why researchers should learn to love the command line and how one university is protecting its town from the pandemic.
As the sea ice shrinks in the Arctic, the plankton community that produces food for the entire marine food chain is changing. New research shows that a potentially toxic species of plankton algae that lives both via photosynthesis and absorbing food may become an important player in the Arctic Ocean as the future sea ice becomes thinner.
Dogs have been faithful human companions ever since their domestication thousands of years ago. With improvements in veterinary medicine in recent decades, their life expectancy has increased. However, an unfortunate side effect of this longevity, much like in humans, has been an increase in the occurrence of chronic and degenerative conditions.
An international research team including members from the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute; AEI) in Hannover has shown that a rapidly rotating neutron star is at the core of a celestial object now known as PSR J2039−5617. They used novel data analysis methods and the enormous computing power of the citizen science project Einstein@Home to track down the neu
NUS scientists have demonstrated a general approach for characterizing the atomic structure and electronic and magnetic properties of two-dimensional (2-D) magnetic insulators using scanning-tunneling microscopy.
As the sea ice shrinks in the Arctic, the plankton community that produces food for the entire marine food chain is changing. New research shows that a potentially toxic species of plankton algae that lives both via photosynthesis and absorbing food may become an important player in the Arctic Ocean as the future sea ice becomes thinner.
Dogs have been faithful human companions ever since their domestication thousands of years ago. With improvements in veterinary medicine in recent decades, their life expectancy has increased. However, an unfortunate side effect of this longevity, much like in humans, has been an increase in the occurrence of chronic and degenerative conditions.
A can of Red Bull next to the computer mouse, a bag of potato chips next to the keyboard – that's how many people imagine nutrition in eSports. "The energy drink is indeed part of the diet for many," says Professor Ingo Froböse, head of the Institute of Movement Therapy and movement-oriented Prevention and Rehabilitation at the German Sport University Cologne, "but overall, eSports players actuall
New study finds more than half (56.4%) of cancer survivors in the United States reported having additional underlying medical conditions associated with severe COVID-19 illness.
Regnbågsfamiljer och allas rätt att älska är självklarheter i många barns föreställningsvärld. Förskolornas policydokument betonar att barn ska få kännedom om olika familjekonstellationer. Men barnens lekar präglas av en heterosexuell norm, visar en studie på förskolan. – Normkritik är både efterfrågat och ifrågasatt inom förskola och barnkultur. Det finns en efterfrågan på förskolor som arbetar
Nature, Published online: 03 February 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00260-3 Scientists are starting to work out how the gut microbiome can affect brain health. That might lead to better and easier treatments for brain diseases.
The story you might have heard goes like this: A group of regular-Joe traders on Reddit took down a hedge fund by bidding up the stock price of the sleepy video-game store GameStop. Their righteous revolution was briefly thwarted last week when Robinhood, the popular brokerage app, restricted trading because it was secretly in cahoots with the hedge funds . This was an outrage : It was as if, in
Our pet dogs could help extend human lives beyond their documented effects on people's wellbeing. Increasingly, studies are looking at how the domestic dog, Canis familiaris, is key to understanding cognition and processes involved in ageing—something that could improve both animal and human wellbeing.
Our pet dogs could help extend human lives beyond their documented effects on people's wellbeing. Increasingly, studies are looking at how the domestic dog, Canis familiaris, is key to understanding cognition and processes involved in ageing—something that could improve both animal and human wellbeing.
During the summer of 2019, a global team of experts put their heads together to define the key questions facing the UK government when it comes to biological security.
During the summer of 2019, a global team of experts put their heads together to define the key questions facing the UK government when it comes to biological security.
PLUS. Hypen om Remdesivir er forstummet, mens nye covid-19-behandlinger er på vej. Ingeniøren gør status over de mest lovende behandlinger og forskningen i nye medikamenter.
In December 2018, researchers at Google detected a group of hackers with their sights set on Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Even though new development was shut down two years earlier, it's such a common browser that if you can find a way to hack it, you've got a potential open door to billions of computers. The hackers were hunting for, and finding, previously unknown flaws, known as zero-day vu
A math professor named as a "highly cited researcher" by Clarivate Analytics has had his third paper retracted after issues with it were flagged last year. The mathematician, Abdon Atangana, is a professor at The University of the Free State, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, and China Medical University, Taiwan. Atangana's article, "Derivative with two fractional … Continue reading
You may have seen this meme going around: a futuristic, utopian rendering of a city with gleaming skyscrapers, jet-suited commuters, and hanging gardens. The caption : "West Virginia after we're done bribing Joe Manchin." January's Georgia runoff elections delivered Democrats the most tenuous possible control of the Senate, and gave Manchin, the most conservative member of the caucus, a functiona
Companies hope to have next generation of vaccines against emerging variants by next year GlaxoSmithKline and Germany's CureVac have reached a €150m (£132m) agreement to develop a next generation of Covid-19 vaccines targeting new emerging variants in the pandemic. The two companies said they plan to work jointly to develop a shot next year that can address "multiple emerging variants in one vacc
Nature, Published online: 03 February 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00175-z Researchers are using huge data sets to link changes in mental health to coronavirus-response measures.
Eating too much fat and sugar as a child can alter your microbiome for life, even if you later learn to eat healthier, a new UC Riverside study in mice suggests.
A study of factors associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has led to a number of novel findings linking nutrition to experiences of PTSD. Notable among them is the discovery that Canadians, between the ages of 45 and 85, were less likely to exhibit PTSD if they consumed an average of two to three fiber sources daily.
As the sea ice shrinks in the Arctic, the plankton community that produces food for the entire marine food chain is changing. New research shows that a potentially toxic species of plankton algae that lives both by doing photosynthesis and absorbing food may become an important player in the Arctic Ocean as the future sea ice becomes thinner and thinner.
Nature Communications, Published online: 03 February 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-20995-x In this manuscript, Finco et al demonstrate the use of a quantum magnetometer based on a single NV centre for all-optical imaging of antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin textures. By exploiting variations of the NV spin relaxation rate, they succeed in imaging AFM domain walls and skyrmions.
Nature Communications, Published online: 03 February 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-20914-0 The nature of the bulk hydrated electron has been a challenge for both experiment and theory. Here the authors use a machine-learning model trained on MP2 data to achieve an accurate determination of the structure, diffusion mechanisms, and vibrational spectroscopy of the solvated electron.
Nature Communications, Published online: 03 February 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21131-5 Despite recent progress in individual nanocluster synthesis, understanding the competing or coexisting effects between particles in solution remains challenging. Here, the authors present the synthesis of a bi-nanocluster system comprising two atomically precise nanoclusters, and map out the interdependent r
Nature Communications, Published online: 03 February 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-20980-4 After complete spinal cord injury, spinal segments below the lesion maintain inter-segmental communication via the intraspinal propriospinal network. Here, the authors show that neurons in these circuits can be chemogenetically modulated to improve locomotor function in mice after spinal cord injury.
Nature Communications, Published online: 03 February 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21019-4 Organic ferroelectrics are of potential use in state-of-the-art ferroelectric devices but mechanistic insight in generating ferroelectricity remains limited. Here, the authors demonstrate that a bowl-to-bowl inversion of a bowl shaped organic molecule generates ferroelectric dipole relaxation, extending the
Nature Communications, Published online: 03 February 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21066-x Macrophages may polarize into different states with distinct regulatory functions for inflammation. Here the authors perform high-throughput in vitro screening of a library of ~4000 compounds to identify those with specific effects on human macrophage polarization, while RNAseq helps uncover the targets and
Nature Communications, Published online: 03 February 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-20917-x Mass outflow is a common process in astrophysical objects. Here the authors investigate in which conditions an astrophysically-scaled laser-produced plasma flow can be collimated and evolves in the presence of a misaligned external magnetic field.
Nature Communications, Published online: 03 February 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21002-z Exactly how some animals use magnetic fields to navigate is a longstanding puzzle. A study using a new behavioural assay and transgenic butterflies finds the cryptochrome gene necessary for inclination-based magnetic sensing, and shows that both antennae and eyes, which express this gene, are magnetosensory
Advisory body suggests Oxford jab should be given only to younger people for time being Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Regulators in Belgium are the the latest in Europe to advise against the administration of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to older people due a lack of data about its efficacy. Frank Vandenbroucke, Belgium's health minister, said the country's super
Preparing for a pandemic like COVID-19 was virtually impossible. Northwell Health president and CEO Michael Dowling explains how, as the largest healthcare provider in New York, his team had to continuously organize, innovate, and readjust to dangerous and unpredictable conditions in a way that guaranteed safety for the staff and the best treatment for over 128,000 coronavirus patients. From maki
Air quality scientist Frank Mitloehner has some controversial views on climate change. The quintessential Mitloehner take: Worry less about the burgers and more about Big Oil. That stance puts him at odds with environmental researchers who argue that dietary changes are necessary to address climate change.
Deaths at a Sierra Leone sanctuary that stumped people for 15 years have now been linked to a bacterium that seems to cause similar ailments in humans.
Limited supplies and preference for daytime jabs mean PM's plan may not be delivered soon Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Boris Johnson's promise to set up a 24/7 Covid vaccination service is unlikely to be delivered in the near future, the health secretary has indicated. Matt Hancock said there was insufficient supply of jabs to extend the operation, which focuses o
PLUS. Hver anden ingeniør går efter muligheden for at blive dygtigere fagligt, når de ser nye arbejdsgivere an. De har fat i den lange ende, mener DPU-professor.
A panel of experts have outlined key biosecurity questions facing policymakers – "from brain-altering bioweapons to mass surveillance through DNA". Recently published, the exercise – conducted shortly before COVID-19 – follows a 'horizon scan' led by the same researchers on areas of bioengineering that "could prove even more impactful, for better or worse, than the current pandemic."
A brain-related visual impairment, which until recently was thought to be rare, may affect one in every 30 children according to new research investigating the prevalence of Cerebral Visual Impairment [CVI]. The University of Bristol-led findings published today [3 February] in Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology , aim to raise awareness of CVI among parents and teachers to help them identi
Jared Isaacman is not a professional astronaut, but by the end of the year the young billionaire will have shot around the Earth multiple times at the helm of a space mission made up entirely of tourists.
Teaching children in a way that encourages them to empathise with others measurably improves their creativity, and could potentially lead to several other beneficial learning outcomes, new research suggests.
When most people hear "food contamination," they think of bacteria present on unwashed fruits or vegetables, or undercooked meat. However, there are other ways for harmful contaminants to be present in food products.
Environmental pressures may have led humans to become more tolerant and friendly towards each other as the need to share food and raw materials became mutually beneficial, a new study suggests.
One of the properties that make a planet suitable for life is the presence of a weather system. Exoplanets are too far away to directly observe this, but astronomers can search for substances in the atmosphere that make a weather system possible. Researchers from SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research and the University of Groningen have now found evidence on exoplanet WASP-31b for chromium
Investigators have published a global review of mammal strikes with aircraft, noting that events have been increasing by up to 68% annually. More mammals were struck during the landing phase of an aircraft's rotation than any other phase, according to the article published in Mammal Review.
Investigators have published a global review of mammal strikes with aircraft, noting that events have been increasing by up to 68% annually. More mammals were struck during the landing phase of an aircraft's rotation than any other phase, according to the article published in Mammal Review.
https://www.ibiology.org/plant-biology/parasitic-plants Dr. Caitlin Conn describes the common life strategies of parasitic plants in this active learning video designed for undergraduate education. In this active learning lecture, the following learning objectives are addressed: 1) Explore parasitic plants within the broad context of parasitism 2) Identify common adaptations among parasitic plant
Antarctic bergs travelling north spark changes in ocean circulations and affect composition of our atmosphere How does an ice age start? We know that changes in the Earth's orbit around the sun alter the amount of solar energy reaching our planet, but it has long been a mystery as to how this triggers such a dramatic change in the climate. A study shows that Antarctic icebergs may be responsible
"legions d'honneurs, prix, promotion…. Le champ du cygne de ce système politico médical qui n'a plus le choix que de se soutenir mutuellement. Patience, en d'autre temps, on a donné des médailles aux derniers combatants. On connait la fin" – Capitaine Eric Chabriere.
The growing world population and the challenges posed by climate change make the control of these natural resources one of the most crucial issues for all humanity in the future. In this regard, genome sequence information is of fundamental importance for understanding natural diversity and evolution of living organisms as well as for the design of breeding strategies aimed to produce new varietie
A team of scientists in Japan has developed a novel method to induce stem cell generation from the blood samples of dogs. Through this technique, the scientists hope to advance regenerative therapies in veterinary medicine. This would mean that, in the near future, veterinarians might be able to reverse conditions in dogs that were previously thought incurable.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (Feb 3, 2021)–Postmenopausal women often complain of painful intercourse or a lack of desire caused by decreased estrogen levels, which affect vaginal elasticity and lubrication. Survivors of breast cancer typically experience worse symptoms as a result of cancer treatments, and concerns exist regarding hormone therapies. A new study suggests that fractional CO2 laser therapy may
Investigators have published a global review of mammal strikes with aircraft, noting that events have been increasing by up to 68% annually. More mammals were struck during the landing phase of an aircraft's rotation than any other phase, according to the article published in Mammal Review.
A new study published in Arthritis Care & Research has identified 10 readily available clinical factors that may predict which patients will persistently use high doses of opioids in the year following knee replacement surgery.
Previous studies have linked sleep deprivation and frailty with depression. A new study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society that examined their combined effect suggests that short sleep intensifies the impacts of frailty on depressive symptoms.
During the lockdown in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, pregnant women had higher symptoms of depression and anxiety. The finding comes from a study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica , which also revealed that women with higher body mass index and lower social support were most affected.
A recent analysis of published studies in Psycho-Oncology estimates that one-quarter of adults with breast cancer have cognitive impairment before starting therapy.
Mandatory calorie labelling of alcoholic drinks could possibly address both alcohol consumption and obesity. An analysis published in Obesity Reviews summaries the results of studies that have examined consumer knowledge of the calorie content of alcoholic drinks, public support for labelling of calorie content on such drinks, and the effect of labelling on consumption.
Environmental pressures may have led humans to become more tolerant and friendly towards each other as the need to share food and raw materials became mutually beneficial, a new study suggests.
Nature, Published online: 01 February 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00269-8 In the United States, ride-share services lure passengers away from public transit instead of luring drivers into giving up their private vehicles.
Folketingspolitikere skyder kritik mod danske kommuner, der mangler fokus på børns databeskyttelse. Flere kræver handling fra ministre, som afviser at udtale sig i sagen.
PLUS. Når købeloven senere på året skal revideres, bør reklamationsfristen udvides fra to til seks år på elektronik og hårde hvidevarer, opfordrer Forbrugerrådet Tænk. Det vil forlænge produkternes levetid. Producenter og forhandlere er lodret uenige.
Some promising biosensors and medical devices work well within pristine laboratory environments but may stop working once exposed to real-world conditions. A thick layer of foulants will quickly cover biosensors, and there is no good way to revive them once they quit working. Essentially, a biosensor is only as good as its antifouling properties. Researchers review a variety of approaches develope
Researchers have put forward a detailed plan of how faster and better defined quantum bits – qubits – can be created. The central elements are magnetic atoms from the class of so-called rare-earth metals, which would be selectively implanted into the crystal lattice of a material. Each of these atoms represents one qubit. The researchers have demonstrated how these qubits can be activated, entangl
Foods will sometimes get stuck to a heated surface, even if oil or a nonstick frying pan is used. Scientists have investigated the fluid properties of oil on a flat surface and their work shows convection may be to blame. When the pan is heated from below, a temperature gradient is established in the oil film, as well as a surface tension gradient. This gradient sets up a type of convection known
Some promising biosensors and medical devices work well within pristine laboratory environments but may stop working once exposed to real-world conditions. A thick layer of foulants will quickly cover biosensors, and there is no good way to revive them once they quit working. Essentially, a biosensor is only as good as its antifouling properties. Researchers review a variety of approaches develope
Residential gardens are a poor substitute for native bushland and increasing urbanization is a growing threat when it comes to bees, research has found. The research looked at bee visits to flowers, which form pollination networks across different native bushland and home garden habitats.
The complex mechanics determining how galaxies spin, grow, cluster and die have been revealed following the release of all the data gathered during a massive seven-year astronomy research project.
A new technology is aimed at modernizing the optical digital storage technology. This advancement allows for more data to be stored and for that data to be read at a quicker rate. Rather than using the traditional dots and dashes as commonly used in these technologies, the innovators encode information in the angular position of tiny antennas, allowing them to store more data per unit area.
Risk for a severe form of retinopathy of prematurity, which can cause blindness in extremely premature babies, was halved when the newborns were given a new supplement combining various fatty acids.
A warmer global climate can cause mutations to have more severe consequences for the health of organisms through their detrimental effect on protein function. This may have major repercussions on organisms' ability to adapt to, and survive in, the altered habitats of the future. This is shown in a new Uppsala University research study now published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Roya
A warmer global climate can cause mutations to have more severe consequences for the health of organisms through their detrimental effect on protein function. This may have major repercussions on organisms' ability to adapt to, and survive in, the altered habitats of the future. This is shown in a new Uppsala University research study now published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Roya
A warmer global climate can cause mutations to have more severe consequences for the health of organisms through their detrimental effect on protein function. This may have major repercussions on organisms' ability to adapt to, and survive in, the altered habitats of the future. This is shown in a new Uppsala University research study now published in the scientific journal Proceedings of the Roya
Researchers have identified key variants that help explain the differences between the viruses that cause COVID-19 and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
Biomedical scientists reports a drug — an estrogen receptor ligand called indazole chloride (IndCl) — has the potential to improve vision in patients with multiple sclerosis, or MS. The study was performed on mice induced with a model of MS and the first to investigate IndCl's effect on the pathology and function of the complete afferent visual pathway.
A soft, flexible sensor system created with electrically conductive yarns could help map problematic pressure points in the socket of an amputee's prosthetic limb, researchers report in a new study.
A new study challenges the 'Field of Dreams' hypothesis in restoration ecology, which predicts that restoring plant biodiversity will lead to recovery of animal biodiversity. The study of restored tallgrass prairie found the effects of management strategies (specifically controlled burns and bison reintroduction) on animal communities were six times stronger on average than the effects of plant bi
Researchers show that inhibitory interneurons, which prevent chemical messages from passing between different regions of the brain, make up 20% of the circuitry in the brain required for pain processing. The discovery represents a significant advance in researchers' understanding of how our bodies and brains respond to pain.
Researchers have developed and demonstrated for the first time a photonic digital to analog converter without leaving the optical domain. Such novel converters can advance next-generation data processing hardware with high relevance for data centers, 6G networks, artificial intelligence and more.
Topological insulators are one of the most puzzling quantum materials. Their edges are electron superhighways where electrons flow with no loss, while the bulk of the material blocks electron flow – properties that could be useful in quantum computing and information processing. Researchers used a process called high harmonic generation to separately probe electron behavior in both of those domain
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are tumors of the digestive tract that grow underneath the mucus layer covering our organs. Because they are deep inside the tissue, these 'submucosal tumors' are difficult to detect and diagnose, even with a biopsy. Now, researchers have developed a novel minimally invasive and accurate method using infrared imaging and machine learning to distinguish between norma
Engineers have designed an origami-inspired medical patch for minimally invasive sealing of internal injuries, which could also be used in robotic surgery for remote repair of damaged tissues and organs.
Giving up alcohol is something that many of us have considered at one point or another. The negative side-effects of the habit are well known. But unfortunately, non alcoholic alternatives usually leave a lot to be desired. But a company called Better Rhodes is changing all that. As the premier online marketplace for the best in specially curated non alcoholic beers and beverages, Better Rhodes o
Every Tuesday, our lead climate reporter brings you the big ideas, expert analysis, and vital guidance that will help you flourish on a changing planet. Sign up to get T he Weekly Planet , our guide to living through climate change, in your inbox . In January 2020, Boris Khentov attended a climate protest in Washington, D.C., led by Jane Fonda. (She was, at its climax, arrested.) Its theme was th
Traffic noise affected zebra finches' foraging habits and field crickets' mating Working from home during Covid-19 has brought noise pollution close to home, whether it's your partner making calls within earshot or grinding coffee during your Zoom interview. Now research suggests the animal kingdom is also disturbed by the noise of humans and our gadgets. As humans proliferate, we have penetrated
The retail giant agrees to repay almost $62 million in tips to drivers for its Flex delivery service; the company used the money to meet its promised hourly wages.
Using neutron experiments and computer simulations, researchers delved into how some of the proposed COVID-19 drug candidates behave at the molecular scale when exposed to water. The results could help experts understand the mechanisms by which drug molecules have the potential to mitigate the impact of viral infection.
Despite an overall reduction in cigarette use over the last 20 years, nearly 1 in 5 boys (17.9%) and more than 1 in 10 girls (11.5%) around the world used tobacco at least once in the past month between 2010-2018, according to a new study published today in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal.
A new study has found a significant association between the availability of hospital resources — particularly ICU beds — and patient mortality during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Researchers have given new insights into why people would choose to donate COVID-19 plasma after recovering from the virus, which will be used to support the recruitment of convalescent plasma donors to help treat current COVID-19 patients and support ongoing trials.
Using neutron experiments and computer simulations, researchers delved into how some of the proposed COVID-19 drug candidates behave at the molecular scale when exposed to water. The results could help experts understand the mechanisms by which drug molecules have the potential to mitigate the impact of viral infection.
Futuristic rocket explodes on landing after test in Texas Elon Musk developing Starship to carry people to Mars SpaceX's second full test flight of its futuristic, bullet-shaped Starship ended in another fiery crash landing on Tuesday. Elon Musk's company launched its latest Starship prototype from the south-eastern tip of Texas, two months after the previous test ended in an equally explosive be
A mRNA or viral vector vaccine has much less risk than coming across at COVID-19 infection. (Photo by Amina Filkins from Pexels/) Click here to see all of PopSci's COVID-19 coverage. Keeping up with the never-ending stream of information about the new COVID-19 vaccines can be stressful enough for anyone, but being pregnant can add an extra layer of stress. Just in the past few days, the WHO has f
A materials scientist in Japan was found guilty of plagiarism and fabrication of data in a May 2019 paper, resulting in a six-month suspension, according to her institution. Ye Zhang, of the Bioinspired Soft Matter Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), was the senior author of "Enzyme-mediated dual-targeted-assembly realizes … Continue reading
As more people take the FDA-approved coronavirus vaccines, one major question remains: Are those people protected from all COVID-19 infections, or are they merely protected from symptomatic cases and still capable of spreading the coronavirus to others? Unfortunately, we still don't have an answer. But MIT Technology Review reports that Pfizer and researchers at other institutions are rushing to
Yale researchers are developing a skin cancer treatment that involves injecting nanoparticles into the tumor, killing cancer cells with a two-pronged approach, as a potential alternative to surgery.
The lockdowns and reduced societal activity related to the COVID-19 pandemic affected emissions of pollutants in ways that slightly warmed the planet for several months last year, according to new research. The counterintuitive finding highlights the influence of airborne particles, or aerosols, that block incoming sunlight.
A 15-year experiment on Arctic shrubs in Greenland lends new understanding to an enduring ecological puzzle: How do species with similar needs and life histories occur together at large scales while excluding each other at small scales? Its findings also reveal trends related to carbon sequestration and climate change as the Arctic becomes both greener and browner.
Yale researchers are developing a skin cancer treatment that involves injecting nanoparticles into the tumor, killing cancer cells with a two-pronged approach, as a potential alternative to surgery.
A team led by a biomedical scientist at the University of California, Riverside, reports a drug — an estrogen receptor ligand called indazole chloride (IndCl) — has the potential to improve vision in patients with multiple sclerosis, or MS. The study, performed on mice induced with a model of MS and the first to investigate IndCl's effect on the pathology and function of the complete afferent vi
Scientists say the next decade is crucial for slowing climate change. To catch up, President Biden's environmental policies will have to move faster than any in history. (Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)
There are two main elements to observe when assessing sea level rise. One is the loss of the ice on land and the other is that the sea will expand as it gets warmer. Researchers have constructed a new method of quantifying just how fast the sea will react to warming. Former predictions of sea level have been too conservative, so the sea will likely rise more and faster than previously believed.
Extensive sea ice covered the world's oceans during the last ice age, which prevented oxygen from penetrating into the deep ocean waters, complicating the relationship between oxygen and carbon.
Autoimmune diseases, in which the body's own immune system attacks healthy tissue, can be life-threatening and can impact all organs. A research team has now found a possible cause for these self-destructive immune system attacks: a hyperactive RANK protein on the surface of B cells. The research opens the door to new therapeutic possibilities.
New research has found that optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging technology can be utilized to distinguish between legitimate and counterfeit travel documents.
A new study in the journal Risk Analysis found that people are more likely to blame a vehicle's automation system and its manufacturer than its human driver when a crash occurs.
An academic study by professors Toni Rodon (UPF) and Marc Guinjoan (UB) demonstrates that violence decreased participation at the places where it occurred, but increased participation in surrounding municipalities. Part of this increased participation is accounted for by people with a dual sense of national identity who had not planned to vote but did so as a sign of protest or civil disobedience.
Pronouns in everyday conversations may indicate an impending breakup months in advance—even before either partner realizes what's happening. Researchers analyzed more than 1 million posts by 6,800 Reddit users one year before and one year after they shared news about their breakups in the r/BreakUps subreddit. The researchers found that three months before the breakup, their language began to cha
To better understand the unique reproductive biology of tsetse flies, which are carriers of the parasites that cause a deadly infection known as African sleeping sickness, researchers explored the intact organs and tissues of tsetse flies using a powerful 3D X-ray imaging technique at Berkeley Lab.
To better understand the unique reproductive biology of tsetse flies, which are carriers of the parasites that cause a deadly infection known as African sleeping sickness, researchers explored the intact organs and tissues of tsetse flies using a powerful 3D X-ray imaging technique at Berkeley Lab.
Nature Communications, Published online: 02 February 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-020-20871-0 Many cities in the US self-report greenhouse gas emissions. Here, the authors find that US cities under-report their own greenhouse gas emissions, on average, by 18.3% because city inventories omit some fuels and source types and estimate transportation emissions differently.
Nature Communications, Published online: 02 February 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-20957-3 Figs and their wasp pollinators are a classic example of coevolution. By assembling and analysing genomes from across the Ficus clade, authors suggest that fig hybridization driven by pollinator host-switching in this obligate pollination system, is more common than previously thought.
Northwestern University researchers have developed a new approach to quantum device design that has produced the first gain-based long-wavelength infrared (LWIR) photodetector using band structure engineering based on a type-II superlattice material.
US and EU firms are importing large amounts of wood potentially linked to illegal deforestation after Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's administration controversially lifted sanctions against the country's biggest flooring exporter, a report said Tuesday.
Era Ender Jeff Bezos has become a household name as he's built Amazon up from a humble online marketplace to a civilization-scale empire. But now, he said in a letter to employees , he's stepping down. "As much as I still tap dance into the office, I'm excited about this transition," he wrote. "Being the CEO of Amazon is a deep responsibility, and it's consuming." Exec Function Filling Bezos' sho
In an upcoming issue of the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences, published by Elsevier, undergraduate researchers from the University of Alberta's Radiation Therapy Program in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry describe how LGBTQ2SPIA+ patients face unique cancer risks, including fear of discrimination, higher incidence of certain cancer sites, and lower screening rates, resulting
The new long-wavelength infrared photodetector from Professor Manijeh Razeghi could be used in night vision, optical communication, and thermal and medical imaging.
A prototype of a SpaceX rocket the company hopes will one day journey to Mars crashed in a fireball as it tried to land upright after a test flight Tuesday.
Extensive sea ice covered the world's oceans during the last ice age, which prevented oxygen from penetrating into the deep ocean waters, complicating the relationship between oxygen and carbon, a new study has found.
The lockdowns and reduced societal activity related to the COVID-19 pandemic affected emissions of pollutants in ways that slightly warmed the planet for several months last year, according to new research led by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).
NASA's Perseverance is the largest and most technologically advanced rover ever launched into space. On February 18, Perseverance is set to land on the Martian surface. NASA plans to livestream the event. The rover will spend about two years on Mars, where its chief mission is to search for signs of ancient life. NASA's Perseverance is 18 days from landing on Mars and starting its mission of sear
When different groups of people come into contact, what's the key to motivating advantaged racial groups to join historically disadvantaged racial minority groups to strive for racial equality and social justice? It's a complex conundrum studied for years by social scientists like Linda Tropp, professor of social psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
When wildfires roar through a forest and bulldozers dig into the earth to stop advancing flames, they may be churning more into the air than just clouds of dust and smoke, scientists say.
Recent global calamities—the pandemic, wildfires, floods—are spurring interdisciplinary scientists to nudge aside the fashionable First Law of Geography that dictates "everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things."
Wearing a face mask properly shows you care about your community. (Julian Wan/Unsplash/) Click here to see all of PopSci's COVID-19 coverage. Nearly a year into the pandemic, we've accumulated a lot of information from scientists about the most effective face masks for protecting ourselves and others from COVID-19. But it doesn't matter what kind of mask you're using if you're not wearing it prop
No matter the weather, these options have you covered. (Alex Iby via Unsplash/) While the expression "cold hands, warm heart" is considered a compliment, we prefer to have a warm heart and warm hands. With the best winter gloves, you can rest assured your hands will be comfortably warm and dry even in the coldest of situations. The best gloves will fit your hand properly while still allowing you
The lockdowns and reduced societal activity related to the COVID-19 pandemic affected emissions of pollutants in ways that slightly warmed the planet for several months last year, according to new research led by NCAR. The counterintuitive finding highlights the influence of airborne particles, or aerosols, that block incoming sunlight.
Amazon's search algorithm gives preferential treatment to books that promote false claims about vaccines, according to research by UW Information School Ph.D. student Prerna Juneja and Assistant Professor Tanu Mitra.
Extensive sea ice covered the world's oceans during the last ice age, which prevented oxygen from penetrating into the deep ocean waters, complicating the relationship between oxygen and carbon.
An effort led by Lin Li, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics at The University of Texas at El Paso, in collaboration with students and faculty from Howard University, has identified key variants that help explain the differences between the viruses that cause COVID-19 and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
STATISTICS Estimating the true prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 An apoptotic cell (green) infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (yellow). Image credit: Flickr/NIAID, licensed under CC BY 2.0. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to a global pandemic, but the true extent of the pandemic remains unknown. Many cases…
Big Day After nearly a week of drama involving the FAA , SpaceX finally managed to launch its Starship SN9 prototype today from its facility in Boca Chica, Texas. The mammoth rocket blasted off just before 3:30pm EST, rising to approximately 10 kilometers before rotating into its "belly flop" maneuver for its descent — and then, finally, coming down hard and blowing up in a humongous fireball. Fl
Researchers have created an aerogel that extracts water from air without any external power source. In the Earth's atmosphere, there is water that can fill almost half a trillion Olympic swimming pools. But it has long been overlooked as a source for drinking water. To extract water from this underutilized source, the researchers created a type of aerogel, a solid material that weighs almost noth
These four Science Snapshots cover topics including gut microbes, tsetse fly imaging in 3D, an energy use framework, and 1,200 new gravitational lensing candidates.
Psyche Out NASA's Psyche mission, an uncrewed expedition to an unusual asteroid of the same name, is entering the final stages of preparation. After years of testing and development for the scientific instruments that will analyze the metallic asteroid, NASA is ready to send individual components to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). There, engineers will begin to integrate and assemble the ful
We can all agree that having cats pop in and out of our Zooms is adorable, even when it makes getting work done difficult. But the reality is being at home more doesn't actually mean more time for Mr. Fluffles. As always, there are snuggles. But between all the new added responsibilities of working from home, your cat hasn't been getting quite as much attention as it would prefer. According to RS
New research by Mimi E. Lam at the University of Bergen explores the different "personality types" that have emerged in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Lam, recognizing various COVID-19 identities can refine forecasts of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and impact. Global Solutions Initiative, Population Matters, and AME explore how the world (and society) has changed due to COVID-19. Are
Topological insulators are one of the most puzzling quantum materials—a class of materials whose electrons cooperate in surprising ways to produce unexpected properties. The edges of a TI are electron superhighways where electrons flow with no loss, ignoring any impurities or other obstacles in their path, while the bulk of the material blocks electron flow.
New drivers ages 15-25 cause nearly 1/2 of the 1 million+ road deaths worldwide. A new study in Risk Analysis suggests that driver ed programs use of fear-based messaging doesn't reduce risky driving and may even lead young drivers to take more chances.
When different groups of people come into contact, what's the key to motivating advantaged racial groups to join historically disadvantaged racial minority groups to strive for racial equality and social justice? It's a complex conundrum studied for years by social scientists like Linda Tropp, professor of social psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Cases show same mutation in both original and Kent strains as South African incarnation Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Community Covid testing is to be expanded in two more cities to stem the spread of the South African variant of the coronavirus , as it emerged that the Kent variant was developing some of the same mutations. Related: What do we know about the two n
Combined genetic information and brain scans from more than 25,000 people suggest a common genetic and neurobiological basis for risky behavior. Better understanding what motivates risk-taking could help mitigate its costs to society. University of Zurich neuro-economists Gökhan Aydogan, Todd Hare, Christian Ruff, and others looked at the genetic characteristics that correlate with risk-taking be
A fascinating and crucial ability of biological tissue, such as muscle, is self-healing and self-strengthening in response to damage caused by external forces. Most human-made polymers, on the other hand, break irreversibly under enough mechanical stress, which makes them less useful for certain critical applications like manufacturing artificial organs. But what if we could design polymers that r
Yale researchers are developing a skin cancer treatment that involves injecting nanoparticles into the tumor, killing cancer cells with a two-pronged approach, as a potential alternative to surgery.
A team of neuroscientists has identified a potential means to address the loss of cognitive function due to Alzheimer's disease by targeting protein synthesis in mice. Their findings reveal that synthetic pharmaceuticals could rescue the activity of brain cells needed for memory formation.
A research team confirmed the potential of tactile devices by developing ceramic piezoelectric materials that are three times more deformable. For the fabrication of highly deformable nanomaterials, the research team built a zinc oxide hollow nanostructure using proximity field nanopatterning and atomic layered deposition.
Researchers have invented a device that operates at 40 times colder than deep space to directly control thousands of qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers.
Researchers have compared the self-reported emissions inventories published by 48 major US cities to estimates from a state-of-the-art emissions information system. Researchers found large differences and a systematic under-reporting of urban emissions by cities.
Raising kids can be tough, and sometimes you need all the help you can get. Biologists argue that some animals might be able to blackmail reluctant relatives into assisting with the rearing of young.
Decarbonizing has become a prioritized mission in many countries and the science community is working on the 'carbon capture' technologies. If the captured carbon dioxide could be converted into energy, then it would be killing two birds with one stone. A joint research team has developed a new photocatalyst which can produce methane gas (CH4) selectively and effectively from carbon dioxide using
Researchers have invented a device that operates at 40 times colder than deep space to directly control thousands of qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers.
Highlight Reel Boston Dynamics, the Hyundai-owned robotics firm famed for making highly functional, animal-inspired robots, just released yet another supercut video showcasing its doglike robot Spot. The video shows off Spot's dexterity with the robotic arm that extends upward out of its back . In the clip, the robot tidies up a room, twirls a jump rope — for another Spot to hop over, of course —
A peer-reviewed article in The Lancet shows the vaccine has an impressive 91.6 percent efficacy rate against the virus and is completely protective against severe cases of Covid-19.
Dry January needn't mean sticking to the kids' menu. (Thomas Payne/) This story originally featured on Saveur . As long as Dry January has existed , it has been mocked and criticized as a virtue-signaling gimmick that simply demonizes alcohol. While some criticisms of the tradition may be valid, the fact is that abstaining from or reducing alcohol intake, at any time, is an admirable endeavor—not
MIT engineers have designed an origami-inspired medical patch for minimally invasive sealing of internal injuries, which could also be used in robotic surgery for remote repair of damaged tissues and organs.
New Haven, Conn. –A new study by Yale researchers found a significant association between the availability of hospital resources — particularly ICU beds — and patient mortality during the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
People are adapting to speaking from behind, and understanding others who are wearing, a cloth face mask, University of California, Davis, researchers suggest in a new study.
Topological insulators are one of the most puzzling quantum materials. Their edges are electron superhighways where electrons flow with no loss, while the bulk of the material blocks electron flow – properties that could be useful in quantum computing and information processing. Researchers at SLAC and Stanford used a process called high harmonic generation to separately probe electron behavior in
The use of telehealth has skyrocketed since the start of the pandemic as insurers and the federal government agreed to pay for more remote care. A new study finds that most telehealth appointments at clinics that serve lower-income Americans have been audio-only visits, which may pose challenges in the future if payers consider dropping reimbursement for such services.
People living at the Bronze Age faced a series of challenges: climate, opening up of trade and population growth. How did they respond to changes in their diet? Researchers have carried out isotopic analyses on skeletons together with plant remains. They discovered that manure use had become widespread over time to improve crop harvests in response to demographic growth. They also found that there
In the Van Allen radiation belts, electrons can reach almost the speed of light. Researchers have revealed conditions for such strong accelerations. They had demonstrated in 2020: during solar storm plasma waves play a crucial role. However, it remained unclear why ultra-relativistic electron energies are not achieved in all solar storms. They now show: extreme depletions of the background plasma
Exposure to air pollution in childhood is linked to a decline in thinking skills in later life, a study suggests. A greater exposure to air pollution at the very start of life was associated with a detrimental effect on people's cognitive skills up to 60 years later, the research found.
A process that releases iron in response to stress may contribute to heart failure, and blocking this process could be a way of protecting the heart, suggests a new study.
Scientists have identified a potential new treatment approach for Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), a progressive genetic disorder that causes rapid and premature aging in children.
Researchers have discovered the individual traits of fungi, and how their hyphae – that is, the fungal threads that grow in soil – behave very differently as they navigate through the earth's microscopic labyrinths.
Hormone therapy can be very effective for so-called estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. But it only works for a little more than half of women who receive the treatment. In a small study, researchers found that women whose tumors did not respond to a one-day estrogen challenge did not benefit from hormone therapy. The findings could help doctors choose treatments most likely to help their pa
The heroic fundraiser has died days after contracting Covid. He taught us all about giving something back Every death in a pandemic is tragic, and every loss is mourned. But even in these days when so many families are grieving, there is something particularly cruel about the news of Captain Sir Tom Moore's death , shortly after contracting Covid. The 100-year-old former soldier, and his indomita
More than a third of people nationwide report they are either unlikely or at least hesitant to get a COVID-19 vaccine when it becomes available, a new study shows. News reports indicate COVID-19 vaccines are not getting out soon enough nor in adequate supplies to most regions, but the new findings suggest a larger underlying problem than shortages. The results, from public polling of more than 80
En beräkning som är så komplex att den tar tjugo år att genomföra på en kraftfull stationär dator, kan nu göras på en timme på en vanlig laptop. Fysiker har konstruerat en matematisk genväg för att otroligt snabbt beräkna atomkärnors egenskaper, utifrån kvantmekaniska modeller för den starka kraften mellan protoner och neutroner. Den nya metoden bygger på ett koncept som kallas emulering, där en
Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are tumors of the digestive tract that grow underneath the mucus layer covering our organs. Because they are deep inside the tissue, these "submucosal tumors" are difficult to detect and diagnose, even with a biopsy. Now, researchers from Japan have developed a novel minimally invasive and accurate method using infrared imaging and machine learning to distinguish be
Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) developed a polymer whose properties change markedly after being exposed to mechanical stress. In bulk form, the mechano-responsive polymer shows color changing, fluorescence, and self-strengthening abilities even under simple compression or extension. These fundamental findings are unprecedented in the field of mechanochemistry and could pa
The longer someone stays awake, the more likely they'll start getting tired as their brain needs sleep. But how the brain senses that need for sleep hasn't always been clear. Now, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have shown in fruit flies that certain groups of brain cells called astrocytes sense electrical activity in different regions of the brain and use these signals to facilitate the proces
The longer someone stays awake, the more likely they'll start getting tired as their brain needs sleep. But how the brain senses that need for sleep hasn't always been clear. Now, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers have shown in fruit flies that certain groups of brain cells called astrocytes sense electrical activity in different regions of the brain and use these signals to facilitate the proces
Genetic information is stored in DNA and transcribed as mRNA. The mRNA is usually translated into proteins. However, it has long been known that mRNA can also be reverse transcribed to DNA and integrated back into the genome. Such cases are referred to as retrogenes. In an article, a team from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön and the Zoological Institute of the Chinese Aca
Nature is a 'blind spot' in economics that can no longer be ignored by the accounting systems that dictate national finances and the decision-makers behind them.
Genetic information is stored in DNA and transcribed as mRNA. The mRNA is usually translated into proteins. However, it has long been known that mRNA can also be reverse transcribed to DNA and integrated back into the genome. Such cases are referred to as retrogenes. In an article, a team from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön and the Zoological Institute of the Chinese Aca
Cycling, e-biking or walking can help tackle the climate crisis—even if you swap the car for active transport just one day a week—according to a new study led by researchers from the University of Oxford's Transport Studies Unit.
Fisheries have reduced the abundances of large piscivores—such as gadids (cod, pollock, etc.) and tunas—in ecosystems around the world. Fisheries also target smaller species—such as herring, capelin, and sprat—that are important parts of the piscivores' diets. It has been suggested that harvesting of these so-called forage fish will harm piscivores….
TMEM39A encodes an evolutionarily conserved transmembrane protein and carries single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with increased risk of major human autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis. The exact cellular function of TMEM39A remains not well understood. Here, we report that TMEM-39, the sole Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) ortholog of TMEM39A, regulates lysosome distributi
Many enzymes involved in photosynthesis possess highly conserved cysteine residues that serve as redox switches in chloroplasts. These redox switches function to activate or deactivate enzymes during light-dark transitions and have the function of fine-tuning their activities according to the intensity of light. Accordingly, many studies on chloroplast redox regulation…
Voltage sensing with genetically expressed optical probes is highly desirable for large-scale recordings of neuronal activity and detection of localized voltage signals in single neurons. Most genetically encodable voltage indicators (GEVI) have drawbacks including slow response, low fluorescence, or excessive bleaching. Here we present a dark quencher GEVI approach (dqGEVI)…
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest forms of cancer and is highly refractory to current therapies. We had previously shown that PDAC can utilize its high levels of basal autophagy to support its metabolism and maintain tumor growth. Consistent with the importance of autophagy in PDAC, autophagy…
With more time being spent on caregiving responsibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, female scientists' productivity dropped. When female scientists conduct research, identity factors are better incorporated in research content. In order to mitigate damage to the research enterprise, funding agencies can play a role by putting in place gender equity…
Hormones control the major biological functions of stress response, growth, metabolism, and reproduction. In animals, these hormones show pronounced seasonality, with different set-points for different seasons. In humans, the seasonality of these hormones remains unclear, due to a lack of datasets large enough to discern common patterns and cover all…
This study examines the role that racial residential segregation has played in shaping the spread of COVID-19 in the United States as of September 30, 2020. The analysis focuses on the effects of racial residential segregation on mortality and infection rates for the overall population and on racial and ethnic…
Unlike other cell types, developing B cells undergo multiple rounds of somatic recombination and hypermutation to evolve high-affinity antibodies. Reflecting the high frequency of DNA double-strand breaks, adaptive immune protection by B cells comes with an increased risk of malignant transformation. B lymphoid transcription factors (e.g., IKZF1 and PAX5) serve…
Cell–cell adhesions are often subjected to mechanical strains of different rates and magnitudes in normal tissue function. However, the rate-dependent mechanical behavior of individual cell–cell adhesions has not been fully characterized due to the lack of proper experimental techniques and therefore remains elusive. This is particularly true under large strain…
Interactions between proteins lie at the heart of numerous biological processes and are essential for the proper functioning of the cell. Although the importance of hydrophobic residues in driving protein interactions is universally accepted, a characterization of protein hydrophobicity, which informs its interactions, has remained elusive. The challenge lies in…
Knowledge of the temperature dependence of the isobaric specific heat (Cp) upon deep supercooling can give insights regarding the anomalous properties of water. If a maximum in Cp exists at a specific temperature, as in the isothermal compressibility, it would further validate the liquid–liquid critical point model that can explain…
Spin–momentum locking, a manifestation of topological properties that governs the behavior of surface states, was studied intensively in condensed-matter physics and optics, resulting in the discovery of topological insulators and related effects and their photonic counterparts. In addition to spin, optical waves may have complex structure of vector fields associated…
We previously reported a model of progressive retinal degeneration resulting from the knockout of the retina-specific riboflavin binding protein, retbindin (Rtbdn−/−). We also demonstrated a reduction in neural retinal flavins as a result of the elimination of RTBDN. Given the role of flavins in metabolism, herein we investigated the underlying…
To explain the political clout of different social groups, traditional accounts typically focus on the group's size, resources, or commonality and intensity of its members' interests. We contend that a group's penumbra—the set of individuals who are personally familiar with people in that group—is another important explanatory factor that merits…
Vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) is one of the most effective and durable therapies for morbid obesity and its related complications. Although bile acids (BAs) have been implicated as downstream mediators of VSG, the specific mechanisms through which BA changes contribute to the metabolic effects of VSG remain poorly understood. Here,…
Chronic stress is one of the most critical factors in the onset of depressive disorders; hence, environmental factors such as psychosocial stress are commonly used to induce depressive-like traits in animal models of depression. Ventral CA1 (vCA1) in hippocampus and basal lateral amygdala (BLA) are critical sites during chronic stress-induced…
Citrus Huanglongbing (HLB), caused by a vector-transmitted phloem-limited bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), is the most devastating citrus disease worldwide. Currently, there are no effective strategies to prevent infection or to cure HLB-positive trees. Here, using comparative analysis between HLB-sensitive citrus cultivars and HLB-tolerant citrus hybrids and relatives, we ident
Nitrogen limitation imposes a major transition in the lifestyle of nondiazotrophic cyanobacteria that is controlled by a complex interplay of regulatory factors involving the pervasive signal processor PII. Immediately upon nitrogen limitation, newly fixed carbon is redirected toward glycogen synthesis. How the metabolic switch for diverting fixed carbon toward the…
In the recent article by le Roux et al. (1), the authors elegantly interlink several aspects of savanna ecology, one of which is a theoretically predicted positive relationship between herbivore body size and fecal N:P ratio. Their South African dataset supports this relationship, but our data from four other countries—including…
A hallmark of cancer, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), is a massive stromal and inflammatory reaction. Many efforts have been made to identify the anti- or protumoral role of cytokines and immune subpopulations within the stroma. Here, we investigated the role of interleukin-17A (IL17A) and its effect on tumor fibroblasts…
Grapheme-color synesthetes experience color when seeing achromatic symbols. We examined whether similar neural mechanisms underlie color perception and synesthetic colors using magnetoencephalography. Classification models trained on neural activity from viewing colored stimuli could distinguish synesthetic color evoked by achromatic symbols after a delay of ∼100 ms. Our results provide an…
Sitters and Olde Venterink (1) question the generality of the positive relationship that we show between herbivore body size and fecal N:P stoichiometry (2). Their data show different and at times opposite patterns. They highlight dietary composition and metabolic requirement as two additional size-related mechanisms determining fecal nutrient ratios and…
Environmental conditions are an important factor driving pathogens' evolution. Here, we explore the effects of drought stress in plant virus evolution. We evolved turnip mosaic potyvirus in well-watered and drought conditions in Arabidopsis thaliana accessions that differ in their response to virus infection. Virus adaptation occurred in all accessions independently…
Generic scaling laws, such as Kolmogorov's 5/3 law, are milestone achievements of turbulence research in classical fluids. For quantum fluids such as atomic Bose–Einstein condensates, superfluid helium, and superfluid neutron stars, turbulence can also exist in the presence of a chaotic tangle of evolving quantized vortex lines. However, due to…
Codon usage bias is a fundamental feature of all genomes and plays an important role in determining gene expression levels. The codon usage was thought to influence gene expression mainly due to its impact on translation. Recently, however, codon usage was shown to affect transcription of fungal and mammalian genes,…
Politicians who lie are more likely to be reelected. That is what Janezic and Gallego (1) conclude. They asked 816 Spanish mayors to toss a coin, with only heads resulting in a desired personalized report of the study results. Mayors reported heads more often (68%) than expected by chance (50%),…
Alu retroelements propagate via retrotransposition by hijacking long interspersed nuclear element-1 (L1) reverse transcriptase (RT) and endonuclease activities. Reverse transcription of Alu RNA into complementary DNA (cDNA) is presumed to occur exclusively in the nucleus at the genomic integration site. Whether Alu cDNA is synthesized independently of genomic integration is…
Female mosquitoes feed sequentially on carbohydrates (nectar) and proteins (blood) during each gonadotrophic cycle to become reproductively competent and effective disease vectors. Accordingly, metabolism is synchronized to support this reproductive cyclicity. However, regulatory pathways linking metabolism to reproductive cycles are not fully understood. Two key hormones, juvenile hormone (JH) an
Noninvasive optical imaging with deep tissue penetration depth and high spatiotemporal resolution is important to longitudinally studying the biology at the single-cell level in live mammals, but has been challenging due to light scattering. Here, we developed near-infrared II (NIR-II) (1,000 to 1,700 nm) structured-illumination light-sheet microscopy (NIR-II SIM) with…
In their letter, Verschuere et al. (1) criticize that our paper (2) uses a frequentist approach, which relies on P values, and reanalyze our data using a Bayesian approach. Substantively, their main critique rests on the argument that in a frequentist approach, if one were to change the cutoffs used…
The gaseous phytohormone ethylene mediates numerous aspects of plant growth and development as well as stress responses. The F-box proteins EIN3-binding F-box protein 1 (EBF1) and EBF2 are key components that ubiquitinate and degrade the master transcription factors ethylene insensitive 3 (EIN3) and EIN3-like 1 (EIL1) in the ethylene response…
In this study, absorption, fluorescence, synchronous fluorescence, and Raman spectra of nonirradiated and ultraviolet (UV)-irradiated thymine solutions were recorded in order to detect thymine dimer formation. The thymine dimer formation, as a function of irradiation dose, was determined by Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the formation of a mutagenic (6-4) photoproduct…
BIOCHEMISTRY Correction for "Structural mechanism of helicase loading onto replication origin DNA by ORC-Cdc6," by Zuanning Yuan, Sarah Schneider, Thomas Dodd, Alberto Riera, Lin Bai, Chunli Yan, Indiana Magdalou, Ivaylo Ivanov, Bruce Stillman, Huilin Li, and Christian Speck, which was first published July 15, 2020; 10.1073/pnas.2006231117 (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci….
CELL BIOLOGY Correction to Supporting Information for "Single-cell resolution analysis of the human pancreatic ductal progenitor cell niche," by Mirza Muhammad Fahd Qadir, Silvia Álvarez-Cubela, Dagmar Klein, Jasmijn van Dijk, Rocío Muñiz-Anquela, Yaisa B. Moreno-Hernández, Giacomo Lanzoni, Saad Sadiq, Belén Navarro-Rubio, Michael T. García, Ángela Díaz, Kevin Johnson, David Sant,…
Citrus fruits and orange juice are beloved components of daily diets, owing to their delicious taste, high levels of vitamin C, folate, and flavanones hesperidin and naringin, and many health benefits (1). Just as we are facing the COVID-19 pandemic, citrus is facing a devastating pandemic of its own, known…
NEUROSCIENCE Correction to Supporting Information for "Experimental and statistical reevaluation provides no evidence for Drosophila courtship song rhythms," by David L. Stern, Jan Clemens, Philip Coen, Adam J. Calhoun, John B. Hogenesch, Ben J. Arthur, and Mala Murthy, which was first published August 29, 2017; 10.1073/pnas.1707471114 (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci….
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY Correction for "Regulation of axon repulsion by MAX-1 SUMOylation and AP-3," by Shih-Yu Chen, Chun-Ta Ho, Wei-Wen Liu, Mark Lucanic, Hsiu-Ming Shih, Pei-Hsin Huang, and Hwai-Jong Cheng, which was first published August 13, 2018; 10.1073/pnas.1804373115 (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 115, E8236–E8245). The authors note that the following…
Identifying molecular mediators of neural circuit development and/or function that contribute to circuit dysfunction when aberrantly reengaged in neurological disorders is of high importance. The role of the TWEAK/Fn14 pathway, which was recently reported to be a microglial/neuronal axis mediating synaptic refinement in experience-dependent visual development, has not been explored…
Exacerbated immune responses and loss of self-tolerance lead to the development of autoimmunity and immunopathology. Novel therapies to target autoreactive T cells are still needed. Here, we report that Th2-polarized T cells lacking the transcription factor T-bet harbor strong immunomodulatory potential and suppress antigen-specific CD8+ T cells via IL-10. Tbx21−/−…
Gene expression is reconfigured rapidly during the cell cycle to execute the cellular functions specific to each phase. Studies conducted with synchronized plant cell suspension cultures have identified hundreds of genes with periodic expression patterns across the phases of the cell cycle, but these results may differ from expression occurring…
Biological diversity depends on multiple, cooccurring ecological interactions. However, most studies focus on one interaction type at a time, leaving community ecologists unsure of how positive and negative associations among species combine to influence biodiversity patterns. Using surveys of plant populations in alpine communities worldwide, we explore patterns of positive…
Hedgehog signaling is fundamental in animal embryogenesis, and its dysregulation causes cancer and birth defects. The pathway is triggered when the Hedgehog ligand inhibits the Patched1 membrane receptor, relieving repression that Patched1 exerts on the GPCR-like protein Smoothened. While it is clear how loss-of-function Patched1 mutations cause hyperactive Hedgehog signaling…
RNA polymerase II (Pol II) generally pauses at certain positions along gene bodies, thereby interrupting the transcription elongation process, which is often coupled with various important biological functions, such as precursor mRNA splicing and gene expression regulation. Characterizing the transcriptional elongation dynamics can thus help us understand many essential biological…
Chemotaxis, the guided motion of cells by chemical gradients, plays a crucial role in many biological processes. In the social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, chemotaxis is critical for the formation of cell aggregates during starvation. The cells in these aggregates generate a pulse of the chemoattractant, cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cAMP), every…
It is well established that plasmids play an important role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes; however, little is known about the role of the underlying interactions between different plasmid categories and other mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in shaping the promiscuous spread of AMR genes. Here, we developed…
Human mitochondria contain their own genome, mitochondrial DNA, that is expressed in the mitochondrial matrix. This genome encodes 13 vital polypeptides that are components of the multisubunit complexes that couple oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). The inner mitochondrial membrane that houses these complexes comprises the inner boundary membrane that runs parallel to…
The choroid plexus (CP) is an extensively vascularized neuroepithelial tissue that projects into the brain ventricles. The restriction of transepithelial transport across the CP establishes the blood–cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) barrier that is fundamental to the homeostatic regulation of the central nervous system microenvironment. However, the molecular mechanisms that control this…
Many organs have internal structures with spatially differentiated and sometimes temporally synchronized groups of cells. The mechanisms leading to such differentiation and coordination are not well understood. Here we design a diffusion-limited microfluidic system to mimic a multicellular organ structure with peripheral blood flow and test whether a group of…
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), the central circadian pacemaker in mammals, is a network structure composed of multiple types of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons and glial cells. However, the roles of GABA-mediated signaling in the SCN network remain controversial. Here, we report noticeable impairment of the circadian rhythm in mice with…
We studied correlated firing between motor thalamic and cortical cells in monkeys performing a delayed-response reaching task. Simultaneous recording of thalamocortical activity revealed that around movement onset, thalamic cells were positively correlated with cell activity in the primary motor cortex but negatively correlated with the activity of the premotor cortex….
Perceptual stability is facilitated by a decrease in visual sensitivity during rapid eye movements, called saccadic suppression. While a large body of evidence demonstrates that saccadic programming is plastic, little is known about whether the perceptual consequences of saccades can be modified. Here, we demonstrate that saccadic suppression is attenuated…
Gene retroposition is known to contribute to patterns of gene evolution and adaptations. However, possible negative effects of gene retroposition remain largely unexplored since most previous studies have focused on between-species comparisons where negatively selected copies are mostly not observed, as they are quickly lost from populations. Here, we show…
The spatial coverage and temporal resolution of the Early Paleozoic paleoclimate record are limited, primarily due to the paucity of well-preserved skeletal material commonly used for oxygen-isotope paleothermometry. Bulk-rock δ18O datasets can provide broader coverage and higher resolution, but are prone to burial alteration. We assess the diagenetic character of…
Bacteria are inherently social organisms whose actions should ideally be studied within an interactive ecological context. We show that the exchange and modification of natural products enables two unrelated bacteria to defend themselves against a common predator. Amoebal predation is a major cause of death in soil bacteria and thus…
Gene duplication is ubiquitous and a major driver of phenotypic diversity across the tree of life, but its immediate consequences are not fully understood. Deleterious effects would decrease the probability of retention of duplicates and prevent their contribution to long-term evolution. One possible detrimental effect of duplication is the perturbation…
KRAS interacts with the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane (PM) using a hybrid anchor that comprises a lysine-rich polybasic domain (PBD) and a C-terminal farnesyl chain. Electrostatic interactions have been envisaged as the primary determinant of interactions between KRAS and membranes. Here, we integrated molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and…
An extra copy of chromosome 21 causes Down syndrome, the most common genetic disease in humans. The mechanisms contributing to aneuploidy-related pathologies in this syndrome, independent of the identity of the triplicated genes, are not well defined. To characterize aneuploidy-driven phenotypes in trisomy 21 cells, we performed global transcriptome, proteome,…
A major challenge in predicting species' distributional responses to climate change involves resolving interactions between abiotic and biotic factors in structuring ecological communities. This challenge reflects the classical conceptualization of species' regional distributions as simultaneously constrained by climatic conditions, while by necessity emerging from local biotic interactions. A ubi
What are the legacies of war exposure on civic engagement? Recent evidence suggests that domestic war may have short-term effects on participation in social organizations. Yet, it is unclear whether these effects will be present in internationalized conflicts and persist over long periods of time. Further, the pathways of persistence…
Through the secretion of "public goods" molecules, microbes cooperatively exploit their habitat. This is known as a major driver of the functioning of microbial communities, including in human disease. Understanding why microbial species cooperate is therefore crucial to achieve successful microbial community management, such as microbiome manipulation. A leading explanation…
Serotonylation of glutamine 5 on histone H3 (H3Q5ser) was recently identified as a permissive posttranslational modification that coexists with adjacent lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3). While the resulting dual modification, H3K4me3Q5ser, is enriched at regions of active gene expression in serotonergic neurons, the molecular outcome underlying H3K4me3–H3Q5ser crosstalk remains largely unexplored
Primary bile acids (BAs) are a collection of host-synthesized metabolites that shape physiology and metabolism. BAs transit the gastrointestinal tract and are subjected to a variety of chemical transformations encoded by indigenous bacteria. The resulting microbiota-derived BA pool is a mediator of host–microbiota interactions. Bacterial bile salt hydrolases (BSHs) cleave…
Rare, nondietary very-long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFAs) are uniquely found in the retina and a few other vertebrate tissues. These special fatty acids play a clinically significant role in retinal degeneration and development, but their physiological and interventional research has been hampered because pure VLC-PUFAs are scarce. We hypothesize that…
Mitochondrial protein import requires outer membrane receptors that evolved independently in different lineages. Here we used quantitative proteomics and in vitro binding assays to investigate the substrate preferences of ATOM46 and ATOM69, the two mitochondrial import receptors of Trypanosoma brucei. The results show that ATOM46 prefers presequence-containing, hydrophilic proteins that…
The accessibility of global biodiversity information has surged in the past two decades, notably through widespread funding initiatives for museum specimen digitization and emergence of large-scale public participation in community science. Effective use of these data requires the integration of disconnected datasets, but the scientific impacts of consolidated biodiversity data…
Outdoor ozone transported indoors initiates oxidative chemistry, forming volatile organic products. The influence of ozone chemistry on indoor air composition has not been directly quantified in normally occupied residences. Here, we explore indoor ozone chemistry in a house in California with two adult inhabitants. We utilize space- and time-resolved measurements…
Near-shore marine sediments deposited during the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum at Wilson Lake, NJ, contain abundant conventional and giant magnetofossils. We find that giant, needle-shaped magnetofossils from Wilson Lake produce distinct magnetic signatures in low-noise, high-resolution first-order reversal curve (FORC) measurements. These magnetic measurements on bulk sediment samples identify
The construction of energetically autonomous artificial protocells is one of the most ambitious goals in bottom-up synthetic biology. Here, we show an efficient manner to build adenosine 5′-triphosphate (ATP) synthesizing hybrid multicompartment protocells. Bacterial chromatophores from Rhodobacter sphaeroides accomplish the photophosphorylation of adenosine 5′-diphosphate (ADP) to ATP, functionin
Changes to feeding structures are a fundamental component of the vertebrate transition from water to land. Classically, this event has been characterized as a shift from an aquatic, suction-based mode of prey capture involving cranial kinesis to a biting-based feeding system utilizing a rigid skull capable of capturing prey on…
Using archived social media data, the language signatures of people going through breakups were mapped. Text analyses were conducted on 1,027,541 posts from 6,803 Reddit users who had posted about their breakups. The posts include users' Reddit history in the 2 y surrounding their breakups across the various domains of…
Keratinocyte-derived carcinomas, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), comprise the most common malignancies. Surgical excision is the therapeutic standard but is not always clinically feasible, and currently available alternatives are limited to superficial tumors. To address the need for a nonsurgical treatment for nodular skin cancers like SCC, we developed a…
The RNA polymerase inhibitor favipiravir is currently in clinical trials as a treatment for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), despite limited information about the molecular basis for its activity. Here we report the structure of favipiravir ribonucleoside triphosphate (favipiravir-RTP) in complex with the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA…
MEDICAL SCIENCES Correction for "Mitochondrial Nuclear Retrograde Regulator 1 (MNRR1) rescues the cellular phenotype of MELAS by inducing homeostatic mechanisms," by Siddhesh Aras, Neeraja Purandare, Stephanie Gladyck, Mallika Somayajulu-Nitu, Kezhong Zhang, Douglas C. Wallace, and Lawrence I. Grossman, which was first published November 30, 2020; 10.1073/pnas.2005877117 (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci….
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a carnivorous plant that encloses its prey using modified leaves as a trap. During this process, electrical signals known as action potentials trigger the closure of the leaf lobes. An interdisciplinary team of scientists has now shown that these electrical signals generate measurable magnetic fields.
Researchers developing renewable plastics and exploring new processes for plastics upcycling and recycling technologies will now be able to easily baseline their efforts to current manufacturing practices to understand if their efforts will save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Bulletproof The Russian state-owned military developer Rostec says that its next generation of combat armor will be able to withstand a direct shot from a .50 caliber bullet. The armor, which will be the fourth generation of Rostec's Sotnik, or Centurion, battle armor, is expected to become the most futuristic set of infantry gear out there, Task & Purpose reports , though it's not clear when it
In the last few days, the question of why more drug companies haven't been enlisted for vaccine production has come up. It's mostly due to this tweet: The problem is, as far as I can see, this is simply wrong. There are not "dozens of other pharma companies" who "stand ready" to produce these mRNA vaccines. To me, this betrays a lack of knowledge about what these vaccines are and how they're prod
Mark Schleiss, MD, pediatric infectious disease physician with the University of Minnesota Medical School and M Health Fairview, led a study that used improved techniques to show that the dried blood spot taken at birth can, in fact, find CMV infection in the newborn with almost 90% accuracy. The study was recently published in JAMA Pediatrics.
New George Mason University study is first to examine unmet basic menstrual health needs, (often called 'period poverty') and associations with depression among college students. More than 14% of participants reported lack of access to menstrual products in the past year, and 10% reported period poverty every month. Women who experienced period poverty were more likely to report symptoms suggestiv
Burnout among medical students has significant implications for student health and delivery of care, and future physicians in sexual minority groups report higher rates of burnout than their heterosexual peers.
The findings of a new study examining the behaviors of alligator and caiman hatchlings have enhanced our understanding of how we can conserve, and increase, the population of endangered crocodilian species.
Anyone who has lived with a dog will know their capacity for learning the meaning of words, even ones you don't want them to know. How many times have you had to spell the words "walk" or "dinner" in the hope of avoiding an explosion of excitement?
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered the individual traits of fungi, and how their hyphae—that is, the fungal threads that grow in soil—behave very differently as they navigate through the earth's microscopic labyrinths.
Raising kids can be tough, and sometimes you need all the help you can get. Biologists at the University of Bristol argue that some animals might be able to blackmail reluctant relatives into assisting with the rearing of young. The study is published today [2 February] in The American Naturalist.
If you build it, they might not come. That's the key finding of a new study on habitat restoration practices that challenges a commonly accepted principle in ecology.
The many different sensations our bodies experience are accompanied by deeply complex exchanges of information within the brain, and the feeling of pain is no exception. So far, research has shown how pain intensity can be directly related to specific patterns of oscillation in brain activity, which are altered by the activation and deactivation of the 'interneurons' connecting different regions o
The findings of a new study examining the behaviors of alligator and caiman hatchlings have enhanced our understanding of how we can conserve, and increase, the population of endangered crocodilian species.
Anyone who has lived with a dog will know their capacity for learning the meaning of words, even ones you don't want them to know. How many times have you had to spell the words "walk" or "dinner" in the hope of avoiding an explosion of excitement?
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered the individual traits of fungi, and how their hyphae—that is, the fungal threads that grow in soil—behave very differently as they navigate through the earth's microscopic labyrinths.
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a carnivorous plant that encloses its prey using modified leaves as a trap. During this process, electrical signals known as action potentials trigger the closure of the leaf lobes. An interdisciplinary team of scientists has now shown that these electrical signals generate measurable magnetic fields. Using atomic magnetometers, it proved possible to record
Raising kids can be tough, and sometimes you need all the help you can get. Biologists at the University of Bristol argue that some animals might be able to blackmail reluctant relatives into assisting with the rearing of young. The study is published today [2 February] in The American Naturalist.
If you build it, they might not come. That's the key finding of a new study on habitat restoration practices that challenges a commonly accepted principle in ecology.
Researchers at the George Washington University and University of California, Los Angeles, have developed and demonstrated for the first time a photonic digital to analog converter without leaving the optical domain. Such novel converters can advance next-generation data processing hardware with high relevance for data centers, 6G networks, artificial intelligence and more.
An international research team from the Photobiotechnology Research Group at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) led by Professor Thomas Happe and the Laboratoire de Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines (CNRS) in Marseille has been able to get to the bottom of this unique feature. They describe the molecular mechanism in Nature Communications on 2 February 2021.
In Lily Tomlin's classic SNL comedy sketch, her telephone operator "Ernestine" famously delivers the punchline, "We don't care. We don't have to. We're the Phone Company." But new research finds that satisfied customers mean increased profits even for public utilities that don't face competition.
The 'second wave' of the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in much blame placed on a lack of appropriate safety measures. However, due to the impacts of weather, research suggests two outbreaks per year during a pandemic are inevitable.
An international research team from the Photobiotechnology Research Group at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) led by Professor Thomas Happe and the Laboratoire de Bioénergétique et Ingénierie des Protéines (CNRS) in Marseille has been able to get to the bottom of this unique feature. They describe the molecular mechanism in Nature Communications on 2 February 2021.
The mesmerizing flow of a sidewinder moving obliquely across desert sands has captivated biologists for centuries and has been variously studied over the years, but questions remained about how the snakes produce their unique motion.
Amsterdam, February 2, 2021 – The Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry (CNDR) was launched in 2010 to increase efficient patient access to cutting-edge research and clinical trials, to increase understanding of the natural history and epidemiology of neuromuscular disease across Canada, and to facilitate research collaboration.
A University of Colorado Denver researcher released a study looking at how a more global approach would have far-reaching societal benefits in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new study challenges the "Field of Dreams" hypothesis in restoration ecology, which predicts that restoring plant biodiversity will lead to recovery of animal biodiversity. The study of restored tallgrass prairie found the effects of management strategies (specifically controlled burns and bison reintroduction) on animal communities were six times stronger on average than the effects of plant bi
Researchers at the George Washington University and University of California, Los Angeles, have developed and demonstrated for the first time a photonic digital to analog converter without leaving the optical domain. Such novel converters can advance next-generation data processing hardware with high relevance for data centers, 6G networks, artificial intelligence and more.
A new study by researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine found delayed time between abnormal stool-based screening and subsequent colonoscopy was associated with an increased risk of a cancer diagnosis and death from colorectal cancer.
What does bile acid production in the digestive tract have to do with Parkinson's disease? Quite a lot, according to a sweeping new analysis published in the journal Metabolites. The findings reveal that changes in the gut microbiome — the rich population of helpful microbes that call the digestive tract home — may in turn alter bile acid production by favoring synthesis of toxic forms of the ac
Scientists are hoping advances in cancer research could lead to a day when a patient's own immune system could be used to fight and destroy a wide range of tumors. Cancer immunotherapy has some remarkable successes, but its effectiveness has been limited to a relatively small handful of cancers. In APL Bioengineering, researchers describe how advances in engineering models of tumors can greatly ex
Cities have become critical players in reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are causing global climate change. Urban areas produce almost 70 percent of those emissions, and city governments are proposing a variety of policy actions aimed at reducing them. Many cities also produce inventories that detail their greenhouse gas emissions.
A mitochondrial hormone expressed by cells deep in the brain appears to play a role in improving metabolism and fighting off obesity, according to a new study in mice.
To evaluate the chemical composition of food from a physiological point of view, it is important to know the functions of the receptors that interact with food ingredients. These include receptors for bitter compounds, which first evolved during evolution in bony fishes such as the coelacanth. What 400 million years of evolutionary history reveal about the function of both fish and human bitter re
The increasing miniaturization of electrical components in industry requires a new imaging technique at the nanometre scale. Delft researcher Gerard Verbiest and ASML have developed a first proof-of-concept method that they now plan to further develop. The method uses the same principle as ultrasound scanning in pregnancies, but on a much, much smaller scale.
A new study found that electrons can reach ultra-relativistic energies for very special conditions in the magnetosphere when space is devoid of plasma.
Researchers from Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) in collaboration with colleagues from Belgium take a step in the development of genome editing technology. Currently it is possible to deliver genetic material of different sizes and structures to organs and tissues. This is the key to eliminating DNA defects and treating more patients. The project is guided by Professor
Optical waveguides suspended in air are capable of beating free-space laser beams in light-analyte interaction even without complex dispersion engineering. This phenomenon was predicted more than 20 years ago, yet never observed in experiment.
Microlaser particles have emerged as unique optical probes for single-cell tracking. However, due to inherent directionality of laser emissions, cell tracking with laser particles suffers from frequent loss of cell traces. Recently, scientists at Harvard Medical School and Peking University placed omnidirectional visible laser particles into live cells, and demonstrated continuous spatial tracking
A mitochondrial hormone expressed by cells deep in the brain appears to play a role in improving metabolism and fighting off obesity, according to a new study in mice.
To evaluate the chemical composition of food from a physiological point of view, it is important to know the functions of the receptors that interact with food ingredients. These include receptors for bitter compounds, which first evolved during evolution in bony fishes such as the coelacanth. What 400 million years of evolutionary history reveal about the function of both fish and human bitter re
Researchers from Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) in collaboration with colleagues from Belgium take a step in the development of genome editing technology. Currently it is possible to deliver genetic material of different sizes and structures to organs and tissues. This is the key to eliminating DNA defects and treating more patients. The project is guided by Professor
Sebastián De Toma joined Pfizer's clinical trial last year, getting his shots in August and September. The Argentinian journalist still doesn't know if he got the real covid-19 vaccine or the placebo, but on Sunday, January 31, the trial doctors called him with a new offer. Would De Toma be willing to undergo a series of nasal swabs to regularly test for the virus? He says the doctors offered to
Våldet har ökat på de särskilda ungdomshemmen. Personal behöver mer stöd och hjälp för att hantera vardagen, men också reflektera över sin eget ansvar i våldssituationer, menar Peter Andersson som forskar om socialt arbete. De särskilda ungdomshemmen drivs av myndigheten Statens institutionsstyrelse (SiS), och är en form av social dygnsvård med tillfälliga boenden för ungdomar med psykiska ohälsa
Going Offline Carbon capture tech, which scrubs greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere, is often heralded as a necessary component of the global fight against climate change. It's an appealing pitch. If we just had the right machines , we could easily clean up our act and save the environment. But in the real world, carbon capture remains a pipe dream — and case in point, Earther reports that the
Last time we heard from Boston Dynamics, its robots were having a holiday dance party over on YouTube. Now, the company is getting back to business in 2021 by updating its dog-like Spot robot with some new tricks. Spot went on sale last year and the company claims it has sold roughly 400 of the $75,000 bots to companies in fields like nuclear power, mining, and high-end construction. Now, the com
Hydrocarbons and petroleum are almost synonymous in environmental science. After all, oil reserves account for nearly all the hydrocarbons we encounter. But the few hydrocarbons that trace their origin to biological sources may play a larger ecological role than scientists originally suspected.
New research has found that men who have the Western world's most common genetic disorder are more likely to develop dementia, compared to those without the faulty genes.
People of diverse ancestry have typically been excluded from genome-wide association studies, exacerbating existing health disparities. A free-access software package called Tractor allows genetics researchers to account for ancestry in a precise manner. This advance will improve the discovery of gene variants that increase risk of disease in both understudied individuals and the population as a w
Researchers have discovered a strong link between genetic changes known to cause neurodevelopmental disabilities and cerebral palsy, further debunking birth asphyxia as its major cause.
Hydrogen-producing enzymes are beacons of hope in biohydrogen research. However, they are so vulnerable to oxygen in the air that it has not been possible to exploit their potential on a larger scale. The recently discovered [FeFe]-hydrogenase CbA5H from the bacterium Clostridium beijerinckii resists the oxygen attack.
A soft, flexible sensor system created with electrically conductive yarns could help map problematic pressure points in the socket of an amputee's prosthetic limb, researchers from North Carolina State University report in a new study.
Researchers developing renewable plastics and exploring new processes for plastics upcycling and recycling technologies will now be able to easily baseline their efforts to current manufacturing practices to understand if their efforts will save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Benchmark data calculated and compiled at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) provide a measurement
Through new research published in EPJ B, researchers show that inhibitory interneurons, which prevent chemical messages from passing between different regions of the brain, make up 20% of the circuitry in the brain required for pain processing. The discovery represents a significant advance in researchers' understanding of how our bodies and brains respond to pain.
In a new study published in Blood, the official journal of the American Society of Hematology, Moffitt researchers show that immune dysregulation can directly affect the efficacy of CAR T therapy in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.
Scripps Research scientists bring together multiple technologies to engineer potentially safer glucocorticoids, drugs used to treat COVID-19 and other conditions.
An interim analysis of data from the phase 3 trial of the COVID-19 vaccine from Russia (Gam-COVID-Vac) suggests that a two-dose regimen of the adenovirus-based vaccine offers 91.6% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19. The preliminary findings, published in The Lancet, are based on analysis of data from nearly 20,000 participants, three-quarters of whom received the vaccine and one quarter receiv
There are two main elements to observe when assessing sea level rise. One is the loss of the ice on land and the other is that the sea will expand as it gets warmer. Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen have constructed a new method of quantifying just how fast the sea will react to warming. Former predictions of sea level have been too conservative, so the sea will li
Hydrocarbons and petroleum are almost synonymous in environmental science. After all, oil reserves account for nearly all the hydrocarbons we encounter. But the few hydrocarbons that trace their origin to biological sources may play a larger ecological role than scientists originally suspected.
One of birdwatching's most commonly held and colorfully named beliefs, the Patagonia Picnic Table Effect, is more a fun myth than a true phenomenon, research suggests.
The tetrahedron is the simplest three-dimensional shape with flat sides. Its basic properties have beguiled curious minds as far back as Plato and Aristotle. Now, a conclusive proof posted in November has certifiably identified all the special tetrahedra there are to find. The work answers a question about an ancient shape thanks to a cutting-edge innovation that provides mathematicians with a ne
Danish team predict possible 1.35m rise by 2100 and highlight issues with previous modelling The rise in the sea level is likely to be faster and greater than previously thought, according to researchers who say recent predictions are inconsistent with historical data. In its most recent assessment, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said the sea level was unlikely to rise beyond 1.1 m
Is the United States past the worst of the pandemic? Cases and hospitalizations have fallen in most states in the past few days, and vaccination news has brightened. Johnson & Johnson published trial data showing that its one-dose vaccine is safe and effective, and the Biden administration has bought 200 million additional vaccine doses from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, which already have approve
New research finds that satisfied customers mean increased profits even for public utilities that don't face competition. It found that customer satisfaction does not lead to increased profits via higher rates or greater demand suggests current regulatory controls are effective. The findings suggest regulators should view investments in customer satisfaction as recoverable costs.
Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a common cause of death in patients with cirrhosis. In ACLF the progressive loss of function of the scarred liver can no longer be compensated (acute decompensation). As a result, other organs such as the kidney or brain fail. The triggers for acute decompensation of liver cirrhosis and an ACLF are most frequently bacterial infections, liver inflammation ca
A decision-support tool that could be accessed via mobile devices may help clinicians in lower-resource settings avoid unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for children with diarrhoea, a study published today in eLife shows.
Nearly 11 percent of people admitted to an ICU in Sweden between 2010 and 2018 received opioid prescriptions on a regular basis for at least six months and up to two years after discharge. That is according to a study by researchers at Karolinska Institutet published in Critical Care Medicine . The findings suggest some may become chronic opioid users despite a lack of evidence of the drugs' long-
Applying an automated method to brain images revealed where deposits of tau, a protein implicated in Alzheimer's disease, first emerge in the cerebral cortex. Tau deposits in this tiny region were highly predictive of subsequent tau spread through the brain.
The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic can be clearly felt in the marketplace. This has been an unprecedented existential crisis for individuals and organizations alike across the globe. To ensure communities and corporations emerge unscathed, leaders need to effectively respond to these trying times. The latest edition of the Frontiers of Business Research in China offers six practical perspectives
Emotional intelligence may be more vital to a business' survival than previously thought, according to new research. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand, use, and manage emotions to relieve stress. "We found that entrepreneurs benefit much more from emotional competences than other competencies—such as IQ—due to high uncertainty and ambiguity that comes with the world of entrepren
Blast Radius SpaceX watchers will remember the incident in early December when SpaceX launched its then-latest Starship prototype in the vehicle's first high altitude test, only for it to explode in a spectacular fireball upon landing. Now, on the morning of yet another Starship launch, the Federal Aviation Administration says that it explicitly told SpaceX not to launch the SN8 prototype that bl
Raising kids can be tough, and sometimes you need all the help you can get. Biologists at the University of Bristol argue that some animals might be able to blackmail reluctant relatives into assisting with the rearing of young. The study is published today [2 February] in The American Naturalist.
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a carnivorous plant that encloses its prey using modified leaves as a trap. During this process, electrical signals known as action potentials trigger the closure of the leaf lobes. An interdisciplinary team of scientists has now shown that these electrical signals generate measurable magnetic fields.
When Myanmar was summoned to The Hague last year to face allegations that its armed forces had carried out a genocide against the country's Rohingya Muslim minority, no military officers attended. Instead, it was the Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi lamenting that the horrific reports and photos seen by the world were "an incomplete and misleading factual picture of the situation." Domes
Autoimmune diseases, in which the body's own immune system attacks healthy tissue, can be life-threatening and can impact all organs. A research team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has now found a possible cause for these self-destructive immune system attacks: a hyperactive RANK protein on the surface of B cells. The research opens the door to new therapeutic possibilities.
New research by the University of Kent has found that optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging technology can be utilised to distinguish between legitimate and counterfeit travel documents.
Researchers have given new insights into why people would choose to donate Covid-19 plasma after recovering from the virus, which will be used to support the recruitment of convalescent plasma donors to help treat current Covid-19 patients and support ongoing trials.
University of Sussex academics have established a method of turbocharging desktop PCs to give them the same capability as supercomputers worth tens of millions of pounds.
Cholangiocarcinoma is the second most frequent liver cancer. Many patients miss the opportunity of having a surgery performed on them and its control has always been considered difficult. Here, doctors from The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital), Guangzhou, China, present a case of stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma.
Scientists have identified a potential new treatment approach for Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), a progressive genetic disorder that causes rapid and premature aging in children.
Professor Kevin Gurney of Northern Arizona University's School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems and colleagues have compared the self-reported emissions inventories published by 48 major US cities to estimates from a state-of-the-art emissions information system. As described in Nature Communications, Gurney and his research collaborators found large differences and a systematic under-
A mitochondrial hormone expressed by cells deep in the brain appears to play a role in improving metabolism and fighting off obesity, according to a new study in mice.
Researchers from Osaka University generated functional conjunctival tissue in a dish. By identifying the protein epidermal growth factor and keratinocyte growth factor for the development and maturation of conjunctival cells, respectively, they showed functional, mucin-producing conjunctival tissues can be formed from human induced pluripotent stem cells. This study could help with identifying nov
Foods will sometimes get stuck to a heated surface, even if oil or a nonstick frying pan is used. Scientists have investigated the fluid properties of oil on a flat surface and their work shows convection may be to blame. When the pan is heated from below, a temperature gradient is established in the oil film, as well as a surface tension gradient. This gradient sets up a type of convection known
Researchers assessed potential changes in suicide rates associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan through November 2020 and performed analyses by sex, age group, and occupational status.
County-level mortality and economic data were used to investigate the association between changes in economic prosperity and rates of cardiovascular mortality among middle-age U.S. adults from 2010 to 2017.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against screening for asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis in the general adult population. Carotid artery stenosis is the narrowing of arteries that supply blood to the brain. This recommendation applies to adults without a history of transient ischemic attack, stroke or other neurologic signs or symptoms related to the carotid arteries.
Researchers assessed the proportion of international entrants to China with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Since April, people entering China via air, sea or land have been mandatorily tested for SARS-CoV-2 infection by PCR test at border checkpoints. Those who have tested positive have been hospitalized in isolation and those who have tested negative have been quarantined for 14 days at centr
The "second wave" of the coronavirus pandemic has placed much blame on a lack of appropriate safety measures. However, due to the impacts of weather, research suggests two outbreaks per year are inevitable. Though face masks, travel restrictions, and social distancing guidelines help slow the number of new infections in the short term, the lack of climate effects incorporated into epidemiological
Some promising biosensors and medical devices work well within pristine laboratory environments but may stop working once exposed to real-world conditions. A thick layer of foulants will quickly cover biosensors, and there is no good way to revive them once they quit working. Essentially, a biosensor is only as good as its antifouling properties. In APL Materials, researchers review a variety of a
Investigators demonstrate that image luminance has opposite effects on the contrast sensitivity of cortical pathways signaling lights than darks. It impairs luminance discrimination for the brightest stimuli of the scene while improving it for the darkest stimuli, a mechanism that is needed toefficiently sample natural scenes.
Hydrocarbons and petroleum are almost synonymous in environmental science. After all, oil reserves account for nearly all the hydrocarbons we encounter. But the few hydrocarbons that trace their origin to biological sources may play a larger ecological role than scientists originally suspected.
Hydrocarbons and petroleum are almost synonymous in environmental science. After all, oil reserves account for nearly all the hydrocarbons we encounter. But the few hydrocarbons that trace their origin to biological sources may play a larger ecological role than scientists originally suspected.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the major greenhouse gases causing global warming. If carbon dioxide could be converted into energy, it would be killing two birds with one stone in addressing environmental issues. A joint research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has developed a new photocatalyst which can produce methane fuel (CH4) selectively and effectively from carbon dioxide us
Bleeding gums may be a sign you need more vitamin C, according to a new study. Current advice from the American Dental Association tells you that if your gums bleed, make sure you are brushing and flossing twice a day because it could be a sign of gingivitis, an early stage of periodontal disease. And that might be true. So if you are concerned, see your dentist. Your vitamin intake could be anot
Decarbonising has become a prioritised mission in many countries and the science community is working on the "carbon capture" technologies. If the captured carbon dioxide could be converted into energy, then it would be killing two birds with one stone. A joint research team led by City University of Hong Kong (CityU) has developed a new photocatalyst which can produce methane gas (CH4) selectivel
A process that releases iron in response to stress may contribute to heart failure, and blocking this process could be a way of protecting the heart, suggests a study in mice published today in eLife .
What 400 million years of evolutionary history reveal about the function of both fish and human bitter receptors was recently published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution by a team of researchers led by the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich and the University of Cologne.
Exposure to air pollution in childhood is linked to a decline in thinking skills in later life, a study suggests.A greater exposure to air pollution at the very start of life was associated with a detrimental effect on people's cognitive skills up to 60 years later, the research found.
Some promising biosensors and medical devices work well within pristine laboratory environments. However, they tend to stop working to deliver medical therapeutics or monitor chronic health issues once exposed to the real-world conditions of complex biological fluids.
Despite the use of nonstick frying pans, foods will sometimes get stuck to a heated surface, even if oil is used. The results can be very messy and unappetizing.
What if we could better understand the world's biggest challenges simply by looking at a map? Jack Dangermond, a pioneer in geographic information system (GIS) technology that powers the digital maps people around the world use every day, speaks with TED technology curator Simone Ross about how his team is building a geospatial nervous system: a global, interconnected GIS network that reveals patt
A nine-year-old boy from Florida died due to complications from the coronavirus last week — mere hours after his symptoms reportedly began. The boy, J.J. Boatman, was running around and playing on the afternoon of January 26, his family told KTVT . But later in the evening, his family rushed him to the emergency room because he was struggling to breathe, his face and lips were turning blue, and h
Videnscenter for Knoglesundhed har til både sundhedsprofessionelle og patienter udviklet materiale, der skal sikre, at osteoporosepatienter oplever en mere ensartet kommunikation, når det kommer til fysisk aktivitet.
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended many parts of daily life, one of them being our work life. Research carried out by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) has studied the factors that help make efficient work teams. The explanation is multidimensional and multilevel.
Over the last three decades, the United States prison population has exploded from 300,000 to more than 2 million. More than 1.1 million are African American men—the vast number of whom have returned within one to three years of their release. In fact, according to the World Prison Brief, America boasts the highest recidivism rate at more than 50 percent.
Scientists at The Marine Mammal Center—the world's largest marine mammal hospital—have found that viral-caused cancer in adult California sea lions is significantly increased by their exposure to toxins in the environment. The study is the result of over 20 years of research and examination of nearly 400 California sea lion patients by The Marine Mammal Center.
There are many mechanisms by which the body responds to foreign invaders. One of these involves the T-cells of the immune system, which have a number of different proteins on their surface called 'checkpoint proteins.' These checkpoint proteins bind to proteins on the surface of other cells and can result in either stimulation or suppression of T-cell activity. Normally, surface proteins on foreig
Scientists and engineers at the University of Sydney and Microsoft Corporation have opened the next chapter in quantum technology with the invention of a single chip that can generate control signals for thousands of qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers.
Ifølge vaccineekspert Aneesh Thakur fra Københavns Universitet har mRNA-teknologi under COVID-19-pandemien sat nye standarder for udvikling af vacciner. Vi er først lige begyndt at forstå, hvor meget mRNA-teknologien kan få af betydning for lægemiddelindustrien i de kommende år, siger han.
A surgical procedure meant to counter ulcerative colitis, an immune disease affecting the colon, may trigger a second immune system attack, a new study shows.
On January 21, 2020, the United States confirmed its first case of COVID-19. One year later, the country is still breaking grim records: January 2021 was the deadliest month of the pandemic yet, claiming more than 95,000 Americans, about one-fifth of the 433,751 deaths recorded to date , according to The Atlantic 's COVID Tracking Project. The U.S. hit this mark even as the pandemic seems to be l
Fortune 500 firms with strong growth profiles are more susceptible to 'cooking the books' than smaller, struggling companies, according to a recent study published in Justice Quarterly.
Scientists at The Marine Mammal Center—the world's largest marine mammal hospital—have found that viral-caused cancer in adult California sea lions is significantly increased by their exposure to toxins in the environment. The study is the result of over 20 years of research and examination of nearly 400 California sea lion patients by The Marine Mammal Center.
Parasitic worms could hold the key to living longer and free of chronic disease, according to a review article published today in the open-access eLife journal.
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have discovered the individual traits of fungi, and how their hyphae – that is, the fungal threads that grow in soil – behave very differently as they navigate through the earth's microscopic labyrinths.
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended many parts of daily life, one of them being our work life. Research carried out by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) has studied the factors that help make efficient work teams. The explanation is multidimensional and multilevel.
In the Van Allen radiation belts, electrons can reach almost speed of light. Hayley Allison and Yuri Shprits, German Research Centre for Geosciences, have revealed conditions for such strong accelerations. They had demonstrated in 2020: during solar storm plasma waves play a crucial role. However, it remained unclear why ultra-relativistic electron energies are not achieved in all solar storms. In
We demonstrate an air-suspended waveguide that exhibits exceptional field delocalization and an external field confinement of 107 %, providing a stronger interaction with the surrounding air than a free-space beam. Operating at mid-infrared wavelengths, the waveguide is an ideal building block of next-generation on-chip sensors for sensitive and specific trace gas detection by tunable diode laser
People living at the Bronze Age faced a series of challenges: climate, opening up of trade and population growth. How did they respond to changes in their diet? UNIGE and UPF have carried out isotopic analyses on skeletons together with plant remains. They discovered that manure use had become widespread over time to improve crop harvests in response to demographic growth. They also found that the
Semiconducting 2D alloys could be key to overcoming the technical limitations of modern electronics. Although 2D Si-Ge alloys would have interesting properties for this purpose, they were only predicted theoretically. Now, scientists from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology have realized the first experimental demonstration. They have also shown that the Si to Ge ratio can be adjust
Researchers take a step in the development of genome editing technology. Currently it is possible to deliver genetic material of different sizes and structures to organs and tissues. This is the key to eliminating DNA defects and treating more patients.
Researchers have developed a new road-making material that mixes shredded single-use face masks with processed building rubble. Their analysis shows making just 1km of a 2-lane road with the material would enable 3 million face masks to be recycled and kept out of landfill.
People of the northeastern U.S. shoveled themselves out Tuesday after a two-day snowstorm that shut down public transport, canceled flights and closed coronavirus vaccination sites.
Wetland restoration in the Wairarapa provides significant benefits to people and ecosystems, including contributing to a more stable climate, diminished flooding, and cleaner waterways, a Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington study has found.
Wetland restoration in the Wairarapa provides significant benefits to people and ecosystems, including contributing to a more stable climate, diminished flooding, and cleaner waterways, a Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington study has found.
The coronavirus behind the pandemic can linger on doorknobs and other surfaces, but these aren't a major source of infection — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Space Vacation Yesterday, SpaceX announced a contest in which one lucky winner will be able to take a multi-day trip to orbit — for free. The winner will join three other private astronauts, The New York Times reports , in a launch tentatively scheduled for later this year, that will raise money for childhood cancer research. "If you're going to accomplish all those great things out in space, all
Residential gardens are a poor substitute for native bushland and increasing urbanisation is a growing threat when it comes to bees, Curtin University research has found.Published in 'Urban Ecosystems', the research looked at bee visits to flowers, which form pollination networks across different native bushland and home garden habitats.
A team from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has developed a portable device that produces high-resolution 3D images of human skin within 10 minutes.
Ergodic properties of turbulence must be tested before experimental study. The terrain can be a major cause of periodic, large-scale turbulence, compared to which for the turbulence above the flat underlying surface, the large-scale (10-40 min) turbulence in the tableland region tends to be more steady and, thus, can also satisfy the ergodicity easily. But under the condition of extremely stable s
Microlaser particles have emerged as unique optical probes for single-cell tacking. However, due to inherent directionality of laser emission, cell tracking with laser particles suffers from frequent loss of cell traces. Recently, scientists in Harvard Medical School and Peking University placed omnidirectional visible laser particles into live cells, and demonstrated continuous spatial tracking o
As of October 2020, individuals aged 20-49 were the only groups sustaining COVID-19 transmission with reproduction numbers well above 1 in the US, according to the latest publication in Science today by the Imperial College COVID-19 Response team.
A technique that delivers high-intensity focused ultrasound to targeted tissue under MRI guidance effectively treats intermediate-risk prostate cancer with minimal side effects, according to a new study.
Research from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University has taken a close look at how fluids navigate around mazes and obstacles and has found a surprising randomness in how they choose their path.
Professor David Reilly and colleagues have invented a device that operates at 40 times colder than deep space to directly control thousands of qubits, the building blocks of quantum computers.
One of birdwatching's most commonly held and colorfully named beliefs, the Patagonia Picnic Table Effect, is more a fun myth than a true phenomenon, Oregon State University research suggests.
Shark attacks decreased for the third consecutive year, falling to 57 unprovoked bites worldwide in 2020, compared with 64 bites in 2019 and 66 in 2018, according to the annual summary issued by the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File. The most recent five-year global average sank to 80 incidents annually.
Tsunamis are one of the most destructive disasters in the ocean. Large tsunamis are mostly generated by earthquakes, and they can propagate across the ocean without significantly losing energy. During the shoaling process in coastal areas, the wave amplitude increases dramatically, causing severe life loss and property damage. There have been frequent tsunamis since the 21st century, drawing the a
Shark attacks decreased for the third consecutive year, falling to 57 unprovoked bites worldwide in 2020, compared with 64 bites in 2019 and 66 in 2018, according to the annual summary issued by the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File. The most recent five-year global average sank to 80 incidents annually.
Pyramid workers were paid locals. Yet historical narratives and Hollywood films have made many believe the Jews built the pyramids while enslaved in Egypt.
Ingeniørens leder kritiserede i sidste uge Center for Cybersikkerhed under Forsvaret for ikke at give kommunerne adgang til en undersøgelse af kinesiske overvågningskameraer. Læserne var splittede ift. det fornuftige i afvisningen.
With the importance of non-contact environments growing due to COVID-19, tactile electronic devices using haptic technology are gaining traction as new mediums of communication.
About one in five people suffer from a psychiatric disorder, and many go years without treatment, if they receive it at all. In a new study, researchers developed machine-learning algorithms that analyzed the relationship between psychiatric disorders and Facebook messages. The algorithms were able to correctly predict the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders with statistical accuracy, suggesting d
A team of researchers at the University of Maryland, has found a new way to make wood transparent. In their paper published in the journal Science Advances, the group describes their process and why they believe it is better than the old process.
Cities across the United States are implementing sustainability measures as a central part of their work, but some officials have struggled to overcome divisional and bureaucratic boundaries, lack of coordination and collective action dilemmas. A University of Kansas researcher has co-written a book outlining how city governments have successfully implemented functionally broad sustainability effo
Cyanobacteria produce plastic naturally as a by-product of photosynthesis—and they do it in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Researchers at the University of Tübingen have now succeeded for the first time in modifying the bacteria's metabolism to produce this natural plastic in quantities enabling it to be used industrially. This new plastic could come to compete with environmentall
Cyanobacteria produce plastic naturally as a by-product of photosynthesis—and they do it in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Researchers at the University of Tübingen have now succeeded for the first time in modifying the bacteria's metabolism to produce this natural plastic in quantities enabling it to be used industrially. This new plastic could come to compete with environmentall
Analysis: death rates in intensive care are falling as doctors identify more ways to help those with the disease Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Vaccines may have been described as the great escape route from the Covid pandemic – but treatments, which are bringing down death rates, will be needed as much as ever in the era of jabs because the virus is not expected to
PLUS. Energinet og Siemens har sammen udviklet en business case for at levere systemydelser til det overordnede elnet med digital styring af køle- og ventilationsanlæg. Fra næste år åbner det første marked for systemydelser for bud fra ikke-balanceansvarlige aktører.
Food banks, nonprofits that collect and distribute food to hunger relief organizations, have played an essential role in the distribution of emergency food relief throughout the United States for more than 50 years.
Residential gardens are a poor substitute for native bushland and increasing urbanization is a growing threat when it comes to bees, Curtin University research has found.
The complex mechanics determining how galaxies spin, grow, cluster and die have been revealed following the release of all the data gathered during a massive seven-year Australian-led astronomy research project.
Not all of the 100 million U.S. viewers who tune in Sunday to the 55th Super Bowl will focus solely on the game. Some will watch for the commercials, a Super Bowl of their own in creativity, celebrity cameos and expense.
The idea struck Robert Ietswaart, a research fellow in genetics at Harvard Medical School, while he was trying to determine how an experimental drug slowed the growth of lung cancer cells.