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Futurism
Elon Musk: Tesla Immediately Suspending All Bitcoin Car Purchases
Musk Tesla Bitcoin
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Change of Heart Tesla CEO Elon Musk dropped a huge surprise on both his electric carmaker and the world of cryptocurrency this evening, announcing that Tesla has stopped accepting payments for car purchases in Bitcoin. The change of heart, Musk said in the post, is because of the cryptocurrency’s significant environmental toll — a topic that’s picked up increasing criticism in recent months. “Tes
3h
ScienceDaily
Untangling the brain: new research offers hope for Alzheimer's disease
 
In a new study, researchers investigate tangles in the brain — pathologies not only characteristic of Alzheimer's but other neurodegenerative conditions as well. The research homes in on a particular protein known as Rbbp7, whose dysregulation appears linked to the eventual formation of tau protein tangles and the rampant cell death associated with Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases
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LATEST

Science | The Guardian
Indian Covid variant calls in question 17 May reopening in UK, say experts
 
Highly transmissible B.1.617.2 is now second most common variant and is spreading in north-west England Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The dramatic rise in UK cases of a variant first discovered in India could undermine the country’s roadmap for reopening, scientists are cautioning. The variant, called B.1.617.2, is one of three closely related variants that were in
21h
The Atlantic
I Tell My Patients Not to Mask Their Kids Outside
 
A s parents gradually reap the rewards of vaccination—including unmasking outdoors , socializing unmasked indoors with other vaccinated people, and abandoning anxiety about getting seriously ill—they’re wondering if they need to keep up pandemic precautions for their children’s sake. I am a primary-care doctor, and the parents I talk with are deeply concerned about their communities; they also wa
16h
Science | The Guardian
Cerne Giant in Dorset dates from Anglo-Saxon times, analysis suggests
 
Sand samples examined by National Trust experts indicate hillside chalk figure was created in the 10th century Over the centuries the huge, naked, club-wielding giant carved into a steep hillside in Dorset has been thought prehistoric, Celtic, Roman or even a 17th century lampoon of Oliver Cromwell. After 12 months of new, hi-tech sediment analysis, the National Trust has now revealed the probabl
21h
Futurism
White House Approves United States’ First Massive Offshore Wind Farm
 
Blown Away The Biden administration just granted final approval for “Vineyard Wind,” a huge offshore wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts. The wind farm, which would be the first large-scale facility of its type in the United States, will eventually include 84 turbines about 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, according to The New York Times . Once it’s ready, official
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Science | The Guardian
Climate emissions shrinking the stratosphere, scientists reveal
 
Exclusive: Thinning indicates profound impact of humans and could affect satellites and GPS Humanity’s enormous emissions of greenhouse gases are shrinking the stratosphere, a new study has revealed. The thickness of the atmospheric layer has contracted by 400 metres since the 1980s, the researchers found, and will thin by about another kilometre by 2080 without major cuts in emissions. The chang
11h
The Atlantic
Pay No Attention to That Cat Inside a Box
 
On Monday morning, my partner laid a carry-on suitcase down on the floor, preparing to pack for his first post-vaccination trip to visit his parents. The moment he unzipped the bag, our cat Calvin promptly clambered inside. A piece of me would like to think that Calvin was attempting to covertly join my partner on his trip, or perhaps thwart his inevitable attempt to spirit away. But I’m pretty s
15h
The Atlantic
2050 Is Closer Than 1990
 
Every week, 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 February 2020, I traveled to New York to celebrate a zeroth birthday and an 80th birthday. First, I saw a close friend’s baby, who had been born only
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Phys.org
Seeing Ingenuity Mars helicopter fly in 3D
 
When NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter took to the Martian skies on its third flight on April 25, the agency's Perseverance rover was there to capture the historic moment. Now NASA engineers have rendered the flight in 3D, lending dramatic depth to the flight as the helicopter ascends, hovers, then zooms laterally off-screen before returning for a pinpoint landing. Seeing the sequence is a bit like
9h
Nature
Reconstruction of ancient microbial genomes from the human gut
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03532-0 Ancient microbiomes from palaeofaeces are more similar to non-industrialized than industrialized human gut microbiomes regardless of geography, but 39% of their de novo reconstructed genomes represent previously undescribed microbial species.
11h
ScienceDaily
How one of the oldest natural insecticides keeps mosquitoes away
 
A new study has identified a scent receptor in mosquitoes that helps them sniff out and avoid trace amounts of pyrethrum, a plant extract used for centuries to repel biting insects. These findings could help researchers develop new broad spectrum repellents to keep a variety of mosquito species at bay, and by extension stop them from biting people and spreading disease.
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Futurism
Wall Street Exec Quits After Reportedly Making Dogecoin Fortune
 
Get Out A Goldman Sachs senior manager has quit the investment bank after reportedly making millions from Dogecoin , the joke cryptocurrency championed by billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, The Guardian reports . According to the newspaper’s sources, Aziz McMahon, once Goldman Sachs’s managing director and head of emerging market sales, resigned after filling his pockets from recent gains in hi
11h
Futurism
Jeff Bezos Is Reportedly Very Jealous of Elon Musk’s SpaceX
 
Frenemies The recent book “Amazon Unbound,” by Brad Stone, details Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ meteoric rise to power and business triumph, but it also includes a striking point of vulnerability: Bezos is reportedly deeply jealous of Elon Musk’s success with SpaceX. Back in 2016, Bezos was already deeply concerned about how his own spaceflight company, Blue Origin, didn’t seem to be progressing at
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Futurism
Cornell Scientist Unveils Roadway That Charges Electric Cars While Driving
 
Researchers at Cornell University are developing a special roadway that’s capable of charging vehicles’ batteries as they drive over its surface. It’s a bright vision of a future in which drivers are no longer tied to individual EV charging stations, allowing them to travel while simultaneously charging their cars’ batteries. “Highways would have a charging lane, sort of like a high occupancy lan
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Futurism
Dozens of Bodies Found in Indian River
 
Officials in India have spent the last two days fishing dozens of dead bodies out of the Ganges River — a horrifying spectacle that’s almost certainly linked to the devastating coronavirus outbreak still pummeling the country. Officials haven’t been able to confirm that corpses — officials found 71 on Monday alone ­— represented COVID-19 fatalities, the Associated Press reports , only because the
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Futurism
Cops Arrest Man For Driving Tesla With Nobody in Drivers Seat
CHP Tesla Autopilot
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Reckless Driving A man who was seen riding in the back seat of a Tesla without anybody in the driver’s seat has been arrested by California Highway Patrol, NBC News reports . Images of 25-year-old Param Sharma surfaced online showing him sitting in the back seat of a Tesla Model 3 as it careened down Interstate 80 across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. The sightings prompted multiple 911 ca
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Futurism
COVID Linked to Long-Term Erectile Dysfunction
 
In a new study, researchers demonstrated that COVID-19 can lead to long-term erectile dysfunction , yet another sign that victims of the deadly virus often suffer from lasting symptoms even long after they recovered from the viral infection itself. The study , published in the World Journal of Men’s Health last week, found that COVID-19 can result in endothelial dysfunction, a blood vessel dysfun
12h
Science | The Guardian
Doctors in London report fivefold increase in children swallowing magnets
 
Button batteries and magnets found in certain types of children’s toys associated with complications There has been a fivefold increase in magnet ingestion over the past five years in young children amid a steady rise in hospital admissions in London caused by the swallowing of foreign objects, doctors have said. While most of the time objects pass out of the body naturally without incident, butt
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Futurism
Ford Patents Tech to Annoy Drivers With In-Car Advertisements
 
Scanning Billboards US automaker Ford has patented a piece of technology that could prove to be a major headache for its customers — if, that is, it ever makes it into the company’s cars. A new patent filed by the car company suggests Ford cars could soon scan the car’s surroundings for billboard advertising and interpret that information to deliver contextual information to the car’s display, as
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Futurism
SpaceX’s Starship May Fly Again “In the Days Ahead”
 
Stay Tuned During an announcement following last week’s Starship launch, spotted by Teslarati , a SpaceX engineer told viewers to “stay tuned for additional [Starship] test flights in the days ahead.” That means we may get to watch the next dramatic launch of the space company’s massive rocket prototypes sooner than we might think — though the precise timing at this time remains unclear. Refly So
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The Atlantic
Liz Cheney’s Unforgivable Sin
Cheney Republican Trump
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O ne of the many Republican principles that Donald Trump obliterated was what was known as Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment : “Thou shalt not speak ill of a fellow Republican.” Like several of the stone-tablet dictates (the prohibitions on committing adultery and bearing false witness come to mind), this directive was lightly followed and rarely enforced—politics is a rough sport. But Reagan’s ed
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Quanta Magazine
Scientists Catch Jumping Genes Rewiring Genomes
 
Roughly 500 million years ago, something that would forever change the course of eukaryotic development was brewing in the genome of some lucky organism: a gene called Pax6 . The gene is thought to have orchestrated the formation of a primitive visual system, and in organisms today, it initiates a genetic cascade that recruits more than 2,000 genes to build different parts of the eye. Pax6 is onl
12h
The Atlantic
American Kids Can Wait
 
In the coming months, the United States and other rich nations will have the opportunity to save hundreds of thousands of lives threatened by COVID-19 in South Asia. On Monday, the FDA authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in children ages 12 to 15. But in the name of global equity, Americans should delay vaccination of our own children until global vaccine-manufacturing cap
16h
Science | The Guardian
Coronavirus live news: India variant found in 44 countries – WHO; Taiwan faces new outbreak
 
Another record rise in India deaths; samples show UK is most affected by B.1.617 strain outside India; Taiwan outbreak ‘could lead to tighter curbs’ Spike in India variant poses threat to UK reopening, scientists say Australia: fresh outbreak blamed on hotel quarantine leak Explainer: the deadly ‘black fungus’ seen in Covid patients in India See all our coronavirus coverage 6.24am BST Brazil is b
22h
Futurism
Americans Are Hoarding Gas as Gas Stations Run Out of Fuel
 
Long Lines After the Russian hacking group Darkside launched a devastating cyberattack that shut down the Colonial Pipeline — a main source of fuel for the east coast of the US — several states are now experiencing gas shortages as drivers line up and wait for their turn to stock up and make sure they’re not left out. Seven states in the American southeast have had gas stations completely run out
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Phys.org
Astronomers detect substellar companion of HD 47127
 
Using the Harlan J. Smith Telescope, astronomers have discovered that the star HD 47127 has a substellar companion. The newly identified object, designated HD 47127 B, appears to be a brown dwarf or a brown dwarf binary. The finding is reported in a paper published May 4 on arXiv.org.
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The Atlantic
The Lost Month That Haunts the World
 
By early February 2020, China had effectively locked down tens of millions of its citizens . Entire hospitals were sprouting from scratch to cope with an onslaught of coronavirus cases there. The World Health Organization had just declared that the outbreak of the novel coronavirus was a “public health emergency of international concern.” And on February 7, I went on a radio show and spent much o
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The Atlantic
The Neighborhood Fighting Not to Be Forgotten
 
W hen Brenda Nails-Alford received the letter informing her that her ancestors were survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, she had to reread it five times. The massacre was a two-day onslaught of racial violence that is believed to have killed hundreds of people and laid waste to the prosperous Black neighborhood of Greenwood—which included a business district known as “Black Wall Street”—in
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Phys.org
How to thermally cloak an object
 
Can you feel the heat? To a thermal camera, which measures infrared radiation, the heat that we can feel is visible, like the heat of a traveler in an airport with a fever or the cold of a leaky window or door in the winter.
19h
Phys.org
Discovery of new geologic process calls for changes to plate tectonic cycle
 
Geoscientists at the University of Toronto (U of T) and Istanbul Technical University have discovered a new process in plate tectonics which shows that tremendous damage occurs to areas of Earth's crust long before it should be geologically altered by known plate-boundary processes, highlighting the need to amend current understandings of the planet's tectonic cycle.
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Futurism
NASA’s Curiosity Mars Rover Is Designed to Tear Off Its Own Wheels
 
Body Mod Over the course of its nearly decade-long stay on Mars, NASA’s Curiosity rover team has considered making a couple of unusual modifications to the robot’s structure. Driving around on Mars for that long has been pretty rough on Curiosity’s wheels. And as the damage worsens over the coming years, the NASA crew might decide to steer Curiosity into a sharp rock in order to rip out its own w
5h
Futurism
Climate Change May Be Making Space Junk Worse
 
Junked Up Climate change may be making our space junk problem even worse. According to a recently presented preprint paper , rising carbon dioxide levels in our planet’s upper atmosphere are causing its density to drop. That lower density means that space junk designed to burn up in the denser lower atmosphere may experience less of a pull, The New York Times reports , which would have otherwise
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Futurism
Eight Facts About the New Head of NASA, Bill Nelson
 
Last month, the Senate unanimously voted to confirm former astronaut and Senator Bill Nelson as NASA’s 14th administrator. He replaced acting administrator Steve Jurczyk , who had assumed the mantle when President Biden took office. “In the Senate, he was known as the go-to senator for our nation’s space program,” reads a White House statement on Nelson’s nomination in Mach. “Most every piece of
13h
Phys.org
Southern African dinosaur had irregular growth
 
Anyone who's raised a child or a pet will know just how fast and how steady their growth seems to be. You leave for a few days on a work trip and when you come home the child seems to have grown an inch! That's all well and good for the modern household, but how did dinosaurs grow up? Did they, too, surprise their parents with their non-stop growth?
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Science | The Guardian
Unicef calls on UK to give 20% of vaccines to other countries
 
Children’s charity urges UK to set example and start sharing jabs with lower-income countries from June Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK should commit to giving 20% of its vaccines to other countries that are in urgent need of them as early as June, according to Unicef, which says the UK will still have enough to vaccinate every adult by the end of July. The ch
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Science | The Guardian
UK Covid scientists: variant found in India variant may be spreading faster than Kent strain
 
Reports that Sage will meet on Thursday to discuss threat with PHE figures expected to show big jump in cases linked to variant Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Evidence is growing that a troubling variant of the coronavirus discovered in India is more transmissible than the variant first detected in Kent and which fuelled the UK’s second wave of infections and spread
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Science | The Guardian
More frequent side-effects reported mixing Pfizer and Oxford Covid jabs, study suggests
 
However, UK trial found two doses of the same vaccine triggered less adverse reactions Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Administering one dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine followed by one of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine (or vice versa) induces a higher frequency of mild to moderate side-effects compared with standard two doses of either vaccine, initial data from
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Science | The Guardian
Delaying second Covid vaccine doses can save lives, study finds
 
Modelling suggests countries struggling to immunise populations could adopt UK strategy Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Delaying the second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines as the UK has done can save lives, according to a US modelling study that suggests other countries struggling to immunise their populations could adopt the strategy. Second shots of
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Futurism
Scientists Are Trying to Make Spacesuit Underwear Less Putrid
 
Scientists at the European Space Agency are trying to make shared and frequently-worn spacesuits less gross for astronauts on the International Space Station. Astronauts going on a space walk outside of the station have to wear several layers of protective clothing, including a disposable Maximum Absorbency Garment diaper, another pair of undergarments, and a liquid- and air-cooled garment. But s
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The Atlantic
Photos: Violence Explodes Across Israel and Gaza
Israel Gaza Palestinian
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Tensions have escalated in recent weeks between Palestinians and Israelis, triggered in part by recent protests related to a decades-long land dispute that could lead to the removal of Palestinian families from their homes in an East Jerusalem neighborhood. Israeli security forces confronted demonstrators on the site known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, injuring hu
7h
Big Think
Why professional soccer players choke during penalty kicks
 
The new study is the first to use in-the-field imaging technology to measure brain activity as people delivered penalty kicks. Participants were asked to kick a total of 15 penalty shots under three different scenarios, each designed to be increasingly stressful. Kickers who missed shots showed higher activity in brain areas that were irrelevant to kicking a soccer ball, suggesting they were over
9h
Futurism
Small Country Claims to Have Vaccinated 108 Percent of Population
 
The Republic of Nauru, a small island nation found due northeast of Australia, announced that it has officially vaccinated every adult in the country against COVID-19. In fact, tallying up the number of adults who received at least one jab of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine , the Nauru government says it’s set a world record by inoculating — wait for it — 108 percent of its estimated p
10h
Futurism
US Army Experimenting With “Cartridges” That Upgrade Tank Capabilities
 
Plug and Play The United States Army is developing a new system that would allow it to upgrade tanks and keep them relevant to evolving battlefields without needing to tear them down and replace complex, interwoven components. The new approach, which C4ISRNET described as plug-and-play “cartridges,” would make enhancing a tank’s capabilities about as simple as installing a new graphics card on yo
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Singularity Hub
The US Just Approved Its First Big Offshore Wind Farm, and It’s a Breakthrough for the Industry
 
The United States’ offshore wind industry is tiny, with just seven wind turbines operating off Rhode Island and Virginia . The few attempts to build large-scale wind farms like Europe’s have run into long delays, but that may be about to change. On May 11, 2021, the US government issued the final federal approval for the Vineyard Wind project, a utility-scale wind farm that has been over a decade
11h
Big Think
Changing a brain to save a life: how far should rehabilitation go?
 
The book and movie, A Clockwork Orange , powerfully asks us to consider the murky lines between rehabilitation, brainwashing, and dehumanization. There are a variety of ways, from hormonal treatment to surgical lobotomies, to force a person to be more law abiding, calm, or moral. Is a world with less free will but also with less suffering one in which we would want to live? Alex is a criminal. A
11h
Livescience.com
Is war in space inevitable?
 
What conditions could lead to clashes in space? Is such a situation a given, or can conflicts be short-circuited ahead of time? Space.com asked experts for their thoughts.
14h
Phys.org
Scientists pioneer creation of programmable artificial tissues from synthetic cells
 
Scientists have created new artificial tissues that mimic some of the complex characteristics and abilities of living tissues, paving the way toward unprecedented advances in medicine, soft-robotics, and micro-engineering. The University of Bristol-led breakthrough, published in Advanced Materials, reports the first way to produce centimeter-sized artificial tissues of any shape and with complex i
14h
Phys.org
Defining climate-smart pathways towards tree crop yield intensification
 
A global team of researchers recently released the results of a data-rich modeling approach designed to illustrate a range of what-if scenarios for future oil palm plantation development in Indonesia. The study provides new insight into crop production strategies available to an industry facing increasing scrutiny.
15h
Biology News – Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology
Same gene drives male water striders' long legs and the inclination to use them as weapons
 
Some water strider males (Microvelia longipes) have enormous back legs relative to the rest of their body, which they use to guard egg-laying sites and to fight off rival males. William Toubiana, Abderrahman Khila and colleagues from the Universite de Lyon in France report that the development of this exaggerated male sexual characteristic depends on the production of a ubiquitous growth factor, B
18h
Phys.org
Low-temperature crystallization of phase-pure α-formamidinium lead iodide enabled by study
 
Though different fabrication approaches exist, two-step deposition is one of the main experimental techniques now used to make efficient, stable PSCs, especially on the industrial scale. The process involves first depositing lead iodide (PbI2) and then adding halide salts of monovalent cations such as methylammonium iodide (MAI) and formamidinium iodide (FAI) to convert it to perovskite.
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Big Think
Google invents a new tool that can make you hear color
 
Have you ever heard colors? As part of a new exhibition, the worlds of culture and technology collide, bringing sound to the colors of abstract art pioneer Wassily Kandinsky. Kandinsky had synesthesia, where looking at colors and shapes causes some with the condition to hear associated sounds. With the help of machine learning, virtual visitors to the Sounds Like Kandinsky exhibition, a partnersh
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ScienceDaily
How fasting diets could harm future generations
 
New research which shows that fasting diets could harm the health of future generations. Fasting diets have risen in popularity in recent years, however little is known about the long-term impact of these diets, particularly for future generations. The new study reveals that reduced food intake in roundworms has a detrimental effect on three generations of offspring – particularly when those desce
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Futurism
Arrest Warrant Issued for Man Who Broke Into SpaceX Facility
 
Reaping, Sowing Authorities in Cameron County, Texas have issued a warrant for the arrest of the YouTuber who filmed himself trespassing at the SpaceX facility near Boca Chica back in March. YouTuber Caesar Galaviz was able to enter the facility, walk around, and get up-close footage of various SpaceX equipment, according to The Independent . That includes the since-destroyed Starship prototype S
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Phys.org
New atomically precise graphene nanoribbon heterojunction sensor developed
 
An international research team led by the University of Cologne has succeeded for the first time in connecting several atomically precise nanoribbons made of graphene, a modification of carbon, to form complex structures. The scientists have synthesized and spectroscopically characterized nanoribbon heterojunctions. They then were able to integrate the heterojunctions into an electronic component.
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Science | The Guardian
Boris Johnson’s advisers may push for a virtual Cop26. He should ignore them | Fiona Harvey
 
The UK must risk an in-person meeting in Glasgow if this crucial climate conference is to be a success Walkouts, standoffs, shouting, tears , bloodletting – the UN climate Cops have seen it all. The annual meetings, in which all countries bar a few failed states take part, under the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), are the only global forum for discussing the future of the
12h
The Atlantic
The 1970s Fashion Designer Who Was Outlandishly Ahead of His Time
 
Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley of the rock band Kiss pose for a portrait circa 1975. (Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images) One night in 1977, George Clinton stepped out of a flying saucer, teetering in his new pair of nine-inch platform boots. That fantastical footwear “was hard to wear onstage but great to take pictures in,” the Parliament-Funkadelic leader told Vogue
9h
Big Think
How to fool a shark using magnets
 
It's long been suspected that sharks navigate the oceans using Earth's magnetic field. Sharks are, however, difficult to experiment with. Using magnetism, marine biologists figured out a clever way to fool sharks into thinking they're somewhere that they're not. For some time, scientists have suspected that sharks belong among the growing number of animals known to navigate using Earth's magnetic
13h
Phys.org
Physicists extract proton mass radius from experimental data
 
Researchers have recently extracted the proton mass radius from experimental data. A research group at the Institute of Modern Physics (IMP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) presented an analysis of the proton mass radius in Physical Review D on May 11. The proton mass radius is determined to be 0.67 ± 0.03 femtometers, which is obviously smaller than the charge radius of the proton.
11h
Science | The Guardian
Emphasis on personal may be best way to fight vaccine scepticism, research suggests
 
GB study points to highlighting personal benefits being key to counter vaccine hesitancy Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Emphasising the personal benefits of vaccination against Covid may be an effective way to reduce scepticism in those most hesitant towards having a jab, research suggests. In the UK more than two-thirds of adults have received at least one dose of
4h
Phys.org
There may be up to 70 times more hydrogen in Earth's core than in the oceans
 
High-temperature and high-pressure experiments involving a diamond anvil and chemicals to simulate the core of the young Earth demonstrate for the first time that hydrogen can bond strongly with iron in extreme conditions. This explains the presence of significant amounts of hydrogen in the Earth's core that arrived as water from bombardments billions of years ago.
13h
Science | The Guardian
UK Covid inquiry: the key areas likely to be scrutinised
 
Boris Johnson has pledged that an independent inquiry will investigate the lessons of the UK pandemic Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Boris Johnson has said an independent public inquiry with wide-ranging statutory powers will begin hearing evidence in spring 2022 into the UK government’s handling of Covid-19. Although the terms of reference have yet to be agreed, th
8h
MIT Technology Review
Podcast: Can AI fix your credit?
 
Credit scores have been used for decades to assess consumer creditworthiness, but their scope is far greater now that they are powered by algorithms. Not only do they consider vastly more data, in both volume and type, but they increasingly affect whether you can buy a car, rent an apartment, or get a full-time job. In this second of a series on automation and our wallets, we explore just how muc
8h
Phys.org
Could AI help recover energy and fresh water from municipal wastewater?
 
As city populations boom and the need grows for sustainable energy and water, scientists and engineers with the University of Chicago and partners are looking towards artificial intelligence to build new systems to deal with wastewater. Two new projects will test out ways to make "intelligent" water systems to recover nutrients and clean water.
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Biology News – Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology
Study reveals the genetic structure of the snail Xerocrassa montserratensis
 
A study published in the journal Scientific Reports reveals the genetic structure of the land snail Xerocrassa montserratensis and it provides new scientific tools for the improvement of the conservation of this endemic and threatened species in Catalonia. This land mollusc, identified in the late 19th century in the Montserrat mountains, has a reduced geographical distribution limited to the prov
11h
Phys.org
Enzyme system for the hydrogen industry
 
An enzyme could make a dream come true for the energy industry: It can efficiently produce hydrogen using electricity and can also generate electricity from hydrogen. The enzyme is protected by embedding it in a polymer. An international research team with significant participation of scientists from Technical University of Munich (TUM) has presented the system in the renowned science journal Natu
13h
Biology News – Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology
Looming googly-eyed buoys effective at keeping seabirds safe from fish nets
 
A team of researchers affiliated with several institutions in the U.K. and one in Estonia has created a type of buoy that has proven to be effective at repelling seabirds, thus preventing them from getting caught in gillnets. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, the group describes the buoy and how well it worked when tested.
11h
The Atlantic
The Blue Check Mark’s Evil Cousin
 
To block someone on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter is not, in the scheme of things, a big deal. You’ll no longer see them on the platform, they’ll no longer see you, and then you’ll both go on social networking, largely as you did before. Since your feed is made up of discrete posts personalized for you by an algorithm, blocking one person’s in particular can be a simple, unobtrusive action. It’
7h
ScienceDaily
Study reveals structure of key receptors involved in memory and learning
 
Scientists have for the first time revealed the structure surrounding important receptors in the brain's hippocampus, the seat of memory and learning. The new study focuses on the organization and function of glutamate receptors, a type of neurotransmitter receptor involved in sensing signals between nerve cells in the hippocampus region of the brain. The study reveals the molecular structure of t
7h
Phys.org
Research team investigates causes of tuberous sclerosis
 
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) affects between one and two of every 10,000 new-born babies. This genetic disease leads to the formation of benign tumors which can massively impair the proper functioning of vital organs such as the kidneys, the liver and the brain. The disease affects different patients to varying degrees and is triggered by mutations in one of two genes, the TSC1 or TSC2 gene. A
10h
ScienceDaily
Interactive typeface for digital text
 
Researchers have developed a computer font that adapts its appearance based on the user's interaction with the text. "AdaptiFont" measures a user's reading speed and interactively changes the font's shape seamlessly and continuously to allow the user to read text more easily. By employing an artificial intelligence algorithm, new personalized fonts are generated on the fly in such a way that the
7h
Science | The Guardian
Annual screening for ovarian cancer does not save lives, study finds
 
Research reveals screening picks up 39% more cancers at early stage but this does not result in fewer deaths Annual screening for ovarian cancer can detect tumours earlier but does not save lives, one of the largest studies ever conducted on the general population suggests. Although the finding is a blow to those affected by ovarian cancer, the hope is that earlier diagnosis could reduce the amou
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ScienceDaily
A long-lasting, stable solid-state lithium battery
Battery Years Volkswagen
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Researchers have designed a stable, lithium-metal solid state battery that can be charged and discharged at least 10,000 times — far more cycles than have been previously demonstrated — at a high current density. The battery technology could increase the lifetime of electric vehicles to that of the gasoline cars — 10 to 15 years — without the need to replace the battery. With its high current
10h
Phys.org
Bicyclic protein mimetics inhibit the oncogene β-catenin
 
The inhibition of pathological protein–protein interactions is a promising approach for treating a large number of diseases, including many forms of cancer. A team of researchers has now developed a bicyclic peptide that binds to β-catenin—a protein associated with certain types of tumor. The secret of their success is the cyclic nature and the hairpin shape of the peptide, which mimics a natural
14h
Phys.org
A low-cost solution to remove arsenic from drinking water
 
High levels of a naturally occurring chemical called arsenic have been a source of contamination of ground-based drinking water, such as well-water, for people in many countries around the world, including parts of the United States. Consuming arsenic-contaminated water is a serious public health issue, leading to severe health complications including skin, lung, bladder, kidney and liver cancers,
8h
Phys.org
Scientists invent method for predicting solar radio flux for two years ahead
 
Since the launch of Sputnik, the Earth's first artificial satellite, in 1957, more than 41,500 tons of manmade objects have been placed in orbit around the sun, the Earth, and other planetary bodies. Since that time, the majority of objects, such as rocket bodies and large pieces of space debris, re-entered the Earth's atmosphere in an uncontrolled way, posing a potential hazard to people and infr
11h
Phys.org
Shaken, not stirred: Ultrafast skyrmion reshuffling
 
Smaller, faster, more energy-efficient: future requirements to computing and data storage are hard to fulfill and alternative concepts are continuously explored. Small magnetic textures, so-called skyrmions, may become an ingredient in novel memory and logic devices. In order to be considered for technological application, however, fast and energy-efficient control of these nanometer-sized skyrmio
13h
Phys.org
Clingy copper ions contribute to catalyst slowdown
 
Heavy-duty diesel trucks on the road today are equipped with aftertreatment systems that include selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology using urea solution as a reducing agent to curtail harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from engine exhaust before they reach the tailpipe. SCRs rely on a catalyst to help chemically convert NOx gases into nitrogen, water, and small amounts of carbon dio
14h
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
The cytokine FAM3B/PANDER is an FGFR ligand that promotes posterior development in Xenopus [Developmental Biology]
 
Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling plays a crucial role in anterior–posterior (A–P) axial patterning of vertebrate embryos by promoting posterior development. In our screens for novel developmental regulators in Xenopus embryos, we identified Fam3b as a secreted factor regulated in ectodermal explants. Family with sequence similarity 3…
1d
ScienceDaily
Study finds six degrees celsius cooling on land during the last Ice Age
 
Researchers show that prior studies have underestimated the cooling in the last glacial period, which has low-balled estimates of the Earth's climate sensitivity to greenhouse gases. The rather high climate sensitivity is not good news regarding future global warming, which may be stronger than expected using previous best estimates.
7h
Phys.org
Observing individual atoms in 3D nanomaterials and their surfaces
 
Atoms are the basic building blocks for all materials. To tailor functional properties, it is essential to accurately determine their atomic structures. KAIST researchers observed the 3D atomic structure of a nanoparticle at the atom level via neural network-assisted atomic electron tomography.
11h
Phys.org
Contamination risk of groundwater in karst regions is higher than previously believed
 
The entire ecosystem of the planet, including humans, depends on clean water. When carbonate rock weathers, karst areas are formed, from which around a quarter of the world's population obtains its drinking water. Scientists have been studying how quickly pollutants can reach groundwater supplies in karst areas and how this could affect the quality of drinking water. An international team led by J
14h
ScienceDaily
Engineering study shows renewable energy will enhance power grid's resilience
 
A new study shows that integrating renewable energy into the American Electric Power System (AEPS) would enhance the grid's resilience, meaning a highly resilient and decarbonized energy system is possible. The researchers' analysis is based upon the incremental incorporation of architectural changes that would be required to integrate renewable energy into AEPS.
1d
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Rapid COVID-19 diagnostic test delivers results within 4 minutes with 90 percent accuracy
 
A low-cost, rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19 developed by Penn Medicine provides COVID-19 results within four minutes with 90 percent accuracy. A paper published this week in Matter details the fast and inexpensive diagnostic test, called RAPID 1.0. Compared to existing methods for COVID-19 detection, RAPID is inexpensive and highly scalable, allowing the production of millions of units per week
12h
ScienceDaily
10 years after obesity surgery: How did life turn out?
 
In a new study, patients were interviewed about their experiences ten years after undergoing obesity surgery. The results show that the effect on eating and weight regulation persisted, whereas other problems, such as feelings of guilt about still not being healthy enough, remained.
2h
Biochemistry Research News — ScienceDaily
Gold leaf could help diagnose viral infections in low-resource settings
 
Gold leaf — gold metal hammered into thin sheets — is used by artists and crafters to gild picture frames, artwork and clothing. Despite its luxurious appearance, the material is affordable and available at most craft stores. Now, researchers have developed gold leaf electrodes that, in combination with a CRISPR-based assay, could sensitively detect human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA in human sample
7h
Undark Magazine
How to Poison a Feral Pig? It’s Not Easy.
 
Wild hogs inflict tremendous environmental damage and eat virtually anything. Poisoning seems like a good solution to reign in North America’s exploding population, but how do you design a system that will kill a hog, and only a hog? Wildlife researchers are honing in on a couple of promising options.
17h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Fatigue, mood disorders associated with post-COVID-19 syndrome
 
Patients diagnosed with post-COVID-19 syndrome, also known as "PCS," "COVID-19 long-haul syndrome" and "Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS COV-2," experience symptoms such as mood disorders, fatigue and perceived cognitive impairment that can negatively affect returning to work and resuming normal activities, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
22h
Phys.org
Image: OSIRIS-REx bids farewell to Asteroid Bennu
 
On April 9, 2021, NASA's Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft took one last look at Bennu, the asteroid from which it scooped up a sample last October. Slated for return to Earth in 2023, the mission is on track to deliver a sample of pristine material left over from the formation of our solar system into the hands of resear
14h
Phys.org
A new bridge between the geometry of fractals and the dynamics of partial synchronization
 
In mathematics, simple equations can generate a complex evolution in time and intriguing patterns in space. One famous example of this is the Mandelbrot set, named after the French-American mathematician of Polish origin, Benoit B. Mandelbrot (1924-2010), the most studied fractal. This set is based on a single quadratic equation with only one parameter and one variable. The fascinating fractal pat
11h
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Persulfidation of ATG18a regulates autophagy under ER stress in Arabidopsis [Plant Biology]
 
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an endogenously generated gaseous signaling molecule, which recently has been implicated in autophagy regulation in both plants and mammals through persulfidation of specific targets. Persulfidation has been suggested as the molecular mechanism through which sulfide regulates autophagy in plant cells. ATG18a is a core autophagy component…
1d
Phys.org
New method for producing synthetic DNA
 
Chemically synthesized short DNA sequences are extremely important ingredients with countless uses in research laboratories, hospitals, and in industry, like in the method for identifying COVID-19. Phosphoramidites are necessary building blocks in the production of DNA sequences, but they are unstable, and break quickly. Ph.D. Alexander Sandahl (Professor Kurt Gothelf's group, Aarhus University) h
6h
Phys.org
How to keep spacesuit 'underwear' clean?
 
Spacewalking is a major highlight of any astronaut's career. But there is a downside: putting on your spacesuit means sharing some previously-worn underlayers. A new ESA study is looking into how best to keep these items clean and hygienic as humans venture on to the Moon and beyond.
10h
Phys.org
Scaling down ionic transistors to the ultimate limit
 
The human brain is a vast network of billions of biological cells called neurons which fires electrical signals that process information, resulting in our senses and thoughts. The ion channels of atomic scale in each neuron cell membrane play a key role in such firings that open and close the ion flow in an individual cell by the electrical voltage applied across the cell membrane, acting as a 'bi
10h
Phys.org
X-ray ptychography performed for first time at small-scale laboratory
 
In recent years, X-ray ptychography has revolutionized nanoscale phase contrast imaging at large-scale synchrotron sources. The technique produces quantitative phase images with the highest possible spatial resolutions (10's nm) – going well beyond the conventional limitations of the available X-ray optics—and has wide reaching applications across the physical and life sciences. A paper published
11h
Phys.org
Transition metal dichalcogenides get weaker when thickness decreases
 
A new study recently published in Advanced Materials reveals that MoSe2, a prominent material of the transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) family, loses relative stiffness when its thickness is reduced. This work was carried out by researchers from the Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU) in Poznan (Poland) and the ICN2, under the coordination of Dr. Bartlomiej Graczykowski and Dr. Klaas-Jan Tielroo
14h
RealClimate
Why is future sea level rise still so uncertain?
 
Three new papers in the last couple of weeks have each made separate claims about whether sea level rise from the loss of ice in West Antarctica is more or less than you might have thought last month and with more or less certainty. Each of these papers make good points, but anyone looking for coherent picture to emerge from all this work will be disappointed. To understand why, you need to know
56min
Nautilus
The Country Gentleman of Physics – Issue 100: Outsiders
 
Julian Barbour’s obsession with time began on Oct. 18, 1963. The 26-year-old Cambridge graduate in mathematics was on a train to the Bavarian alps, where he and a friend planned to climb the Watzmann, Germany’s third highest peak. The newspaper in his hand contained a summary of a Scientific American article by British physicist Paul Dirac. “He questioned whether four-dimensional symmetries are a
1h
Nautilus
Should We Terraform Mars? Let’s Recap – Issue 100: Outsiders
 
It seemed inevitable that Elon Musk would eventually get into a Twitter war over whether Mars can be terraformed. When you’re on Twitter, he told Businessweek in July, 2018, you’re “in meme war land.” “And so essentially if you attack me,” he said, “it is therefore okay for me to attack back.” Musk, the CEO and lead designer of SpaceX, wants to “make life multiplanetary,” starting with Mars. “Pub
1h
Nautilus
The Profound Potential of Elon Musk’s New Rocket – Issue 100: Outsiders
 
In the late afternoon of May 5, SpaceX’s Elon Musk tweeted, “Starship landing nominal!” Musk is not known for understatement. But seeing that stainless steel behemoth soar was, for many, something more like phenomenal. Over 5 million people watched the spectacle on YouTube, perhaps many with bated breath, as every prior attempt at landing Starship had gone up in flames. Not SN15. This Starship, a
1h
ScienceDaily
How smartphones can help detect ecological change
 
Mobile apps like Flora Incognita that allow automated identification of wild plants cannot only identify plant species, but also uncover large-scale ecological patterns. This opens up new perspectives for rapid detection of biodiversity changes.
1h
ScienceDaily
Smaller chips open door to new RFID applications
 
Researchers have made what is believed to be the smallest state-of-the-art RFID chip, which should drive down the cost of RFID tags. In addition, the chip's design makes it possible to embed RFID tags into high value chips, such as computer chips, boosting supply chain security for high-end technologies.
2h
ScienceDaily
An enzyme system for the hydrogen industry
 
An enzyme could make a dream come true for the energy industry: It can efficiently produce hydrogen using electricity and can also generate electricity from hydrogen. The enzyme is protected by embedding it in a polymer.
2h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
New experimental drug cagrilintide (AM833), when combined with emaglutide, shows potential for treatment of obesity (The Lancet)
 
An early study of a new experimental drug to treat obesity known as cagrilintide shows that, when combined with semaglutide 2.4 mg, the combination leads to more weight loss than semaglutide 2.4 mg alone and is well tolerated. This phase 1 study, which was recently published in The Lancet will be presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity.
4h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Study finds that obesity drug semaglutide supresses appetite, food cravings and energy intake
 
New research presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (held online, 10-13 May) shows that the obesity drug semaglutide reduces appetite, food cravings and energy intake in people given a meal where they could eat as much as they liked. The study is by Dr Dorthe Skovgaard, Novo Nordisk A/S (the manufacturer of the drug), Søborg, Denmark, and colleagues.
4h
ScienceDaily
Brand new physics of superconducting metals refuted by physicists
 
Scientists have demonstrated that other physicists' recent 'discovery' of the field effect in superconductors is nothing but hot electrons after all. A team of scientists have found new and compelling evidence that the observation of the field effect in superconducting metals by another group can be explained by a simple mechanism involving the injection of the electrons, without the need for nove
5h
ScienceDaily
AI learns to type on a phone like humans
 
To really understand how people type on touchscreens, researchers have created the first artificial intelligence model that predicts how people move their eyes and fingers while typing. The AI model can simulate how a human user would type any sentence on any keyboard design. It makes errors, detects and corrects them, and also predicts how people adapt to a new auto-correction system or keyboard
5h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Measuring brain blood flow and activity with light
 
A new, noninvasive method for measuring brain blood flow with light has been developed by biomedical engineers and neurologists at UC Davis and used to detect brain activation. The new method, functional interferometric diffusing wave spectroscopy, or fiDWS, promises to be cheaper than existing technology and could be used for assessing brain injuries, or in neuroscience research.
5h
NeuWrite West
Tracking time and space: how the brain records memories
 
Source: MacDonald, C. J., & Tonegawa, S. (2021). Crucial role for CA2 inputs in the sequential organization of CA1 time cells supporting memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(3), e2020698118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2020698118 Join in me in a favorite childhood memory! I’m three: swinging inside a red canvas hammock my parents hung between two trees. This memory has pl
6h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
COVID-19 is not influenza, but it offers lessons on beating it, say Concordia researchers
 
Two Concordia researchers and their colleagues study the 2020 influenza figures from Canada, the United States, Australia and Brazil and show there is a clear relationship between COVID-mitigation measures such as hand-washing, masking and social distancing and the spread of the annual flu. They write that these preventive measures all but eliminated the flu in countries where it can kill tens of
6h
Biology News – Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology
Lemon trees showed less response to citrus greening disease pathogen than orange trees
 
Citrus greening disease was first discovered in Florida in 2005. Since then, production of oranges in the United States for processing has declined by 72 percent between the 2007-2008 growing season and the 2017-2018 growing season, primarily in Florida. The disease was discovered in California in 2012, and now the state is beginning to see a rapid increase of citrus greening disease.
6h
Phys.org
Earthquake early warnings launch in Wash., completing West Coast-wide ShakeAlert system
 
When the Big One hits, the first thing Washington residents notice may not be the ground shaking but their phone issuing a warning. The U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Washington-based Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, and the Washington Emergency Management District on Tuesday, May 4, will activate the system that sends earthquake early warnings throughout Washington state. This comple
6h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
A delicate balance: Learning new ways that gut microbes educate the immune system
 
An immune system that mistakes our good gut bacteria for an enemy can cause a dangerous type of inflammation in the intestines called colitis. An immune system that looks the other way while gut microbes spill past their assigned borders is equally dangerous. Understanding how the immune system learns to make a brokered peace with its microbial residents, called the microbiota, is therefore an imp
6h
The Atlantic
Elizabeth Bruenig To Join The Atlantic as a Staff Writer
 
The Atlantic announced the hire of Elizabeth Bruenig as a staff writer covering the intersection of politics, religion, and culture. Bruenig will begin with The Atlantic at the end of May; she is currently an opinion writer for The New York Times’ editorial page. In a note to The Atlantic ’s newsroom today, executive editor Adrienne LaFrance and Yoni Appelbaum, the senior editor who oversees the
7h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
UCLA scientists decode the 'language' of immune cells
 
UCLA scientists have identified 'words' immune cells use to call up immune defense genes — an important step toward understanding their language. The scientists also discovered that in an autoimmune disease, Sjögren's syndrome, two of these words are used incorrectly, activating the wrong genes and triggering the disease. Senior author, UCLA Professor Alexander Hoffmann, compares decoding the lan
7h
ScienceDaily
Earthworms could help reduce antibiotic resistance genes in soil
 
Earthworms improve the soil by aerating it, breaking down organic matter and mineralizing nutrients. Now, researchers have dug up another possible role: reducing the number and relative abundance of antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) in soils from diverse ecosystems. These results imply that earthworms could be a natural, sustainable solution to addressing the global issue of antibiotic resistance
7h
cognitive science
Cerebellum and movement coordination
 
Heyho, Was wondering whether you have recommendations for any textbooks or articles which cover movement circuitry in the brain. To quote Andrew Huberman: "Thanks a lot for your interest in science" Best regards 🙂 submitted by /u/CluelessBaboon [link] [comments]
7h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Stimulating environments boost the brain; now scientists have found the genes responsible
 
Scientists use a swathe of modern techniques to map, in unprecedented detail, the molecular changes in the brain of mice that grew up in stimulating surroundings. These can be pinpointed to specific 'epigenetic' modifications to the genome within neurons and glia cells. These then regulate the activity of a minority of genes, especially within genomic regions implicated in cognitive mental health
7h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
New ebolavirus vaccine design seeks to drive stronger antibody defense
 
Scientists at Scripps Research have unveiled a new Ebola virus vaccine design, which they say has several advantages over standard vaccine approaches for Ebola and related viruses that continue to threaten global health. In the new design, described in a paper in Nature Communications, copies of the Ebola virus outer spike protein, known as the glycoprotein, are tethered to the surface of a spheri
7h
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Quadrupolar charge dynamics in the nonmagnetic FeSe1-xSx superconductors [Physics]
 
We use polarization-resolved electronic Raman spectroscopy to study quadrupolar charge dynamics in a nonmagnetic FeSe1−xSx superconductor. We observe two types of long-wavelength XY symmetry excitations: 1) a low-energy quasi-elastic scattering peak (QEP) and 2) a broad electronic continuum with a maximum at 55 meV. Below the tetragonal-to-orthorhombic structural transition at…
8h
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Neural indicators of articulator-specific sensorimotor influences on infant speech perception [Psychological and Cognitive Sciences]
 
While there is increasing acceptance that even young infants detect correspondences between heard and seen speech, the common view is that oral-motor movements related to speech production cannot influence speech perception until infants begin to babble or speak. We investigated the extent of multimodal speech influences on auditory speech perception…
8h
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Single-cell sequencing reveals suppressive transcriptional programs regulated by MIS/AMH in neonatal ovaries [Developmental Biology]
 
Müllerian inhibiting substance (MIS/AMH), produced by granulosa cells of growing follicles, is an important regulator of folliculogenesis and follicle development. Treatment with exogenous MIS in mice suppresses follicle development and prevents ovulation. To investigate the mechanisms by which MIS inhibits follicle development, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of whole neonatal…
8h
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Subsystem macroarchitecture of the intrinsic midbrain neural network and its tectal and tegmental subnetworks [Neuroscience]
 
The midbrain is the smallest of three primary vertebrate brain divisions. Here we use network science tools to reveal the global organizing principles of intramidbrain axonal circuitry before adding extrinsic connections with the remaining nervous system. Curating the experimental neuroanatomical literature yielded 17,248 connection reports for 8,742 possible connections between…
8h
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Hopping trajectories due to long-range interactions determine surface accumulation of microalgae [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
 
The accumulation of motile cells at solid interfaces increases the rate of surface encounters and the likelihood of surface attachment, leading to surface colonization and biofilm formation. The cell density distribution in the vicinity of a physical boundary is influenced by the interactions between the microswimmers and their physical environment,…
8h
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Core Concept: Often driven by human activity, subsidence is a problem worldwide [Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences]
 
Earth’s surface is ever changing. Sinkholes swallow neighborhoods, river deltas slowly slide beneath the waves, and fertile fields lose elevation as farmers draw large amounts of water for irrigation from underlying aquifers. Whether gradual and subtle, or sudden and dramatic, these phenomena are known as subsidence—the lowering of the ground’s…
8h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
How imperfect memory causes poor choices
 
A new study from UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and UC San Francisco's Department of Neurology combines insights from economics and psychology with decision-making experiments and fMRI brain scans to examine how our imperfect memories affect our decision making. Answering this question could hold implications for everything from conducting consumer research and crafting public policy to man
8h
Phys.org
Better integrated circuits with glide symmetry
 
Surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) are highly localized surface waves on the interface between metal and dielectric in the optical frequency band. SPPs do not naturally exist in the microwave and terahertz frequencies, so "spoof" surface plasmon polaritons (SSPPs) are necessary for operations in those lower frequency bands.
8h
Science Advances current issue
Noninvasive visualization of electrical conductivity in tissues at the micrometer scale
 
Despite its importance in regulating cellular or tissue function, electrical conductivity can only be visualized in tissue indirectly as voltage potentials using fluorescent techniques, or directly with radio waves. These either requires invasive procedures like genetic modification or suffers from limited resolution. Here, we introduce radio-frequency thermoacoustic mesoscopy (RThAM) for the non
8h
Science Advances current issue
Functional interferometric diffusing wave spectroscopy of the human brain
 
Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is essential for brain function, and CBF-related signals can inform us about brain activity. Yet currently, high-end medical instrumentation is needed to perform a CBF measurement in adult humans. Here, we describe functional interferometric diffusing wave spectroscopy (fiDWS), which introduces and collects near-infrared light via the scalp, using inexpensive detector ar
8h
Science Advances current issue
Common coding of expected value and value uncertainty memories in the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia output
 
Recent evidence implicates both basal ganglia and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) in encoding value memories. However, comparative roles of cortical and basal nodes in value memory are not well understood. Here, single-unit recordings in vlPFC and substantia nigra reticulata (SNr), within macaque monkeys, revealed a larger value signal in SNr that was nevertheless correlated with and had
8h
Science Advances current issue
Traffic noise disrupts vocal development and suppresses immune function
 
Noise pollution has been linked to learning and language deficits in children, but the causal mechanisms connecting noise to cognitive deficiencies remain unclear because experimental models are lacking. Here, we investigated the effects of noise on birdsong learning, the primary animal model for vocal learning and speech development in humans. We found that traffic noise exposure retarded vocal
8h
Science Advances current issue
Crystalline shielding mitigates structural rearrangement and localizes memory in jammed systems under oscillatory shear
 
The nature of yield in amorphous materials under stress has yet to be fully elucidated. In particular, understanding how microscopic rearrangement gives rise to macroscopic structural and rheological signatures in disordered systems is vital for the prediction and characterization of yield and the study of how memory is stored in disordered materials. Here, we investigate the evolution of local s
8h
Science Advances current issue
Mucosal immunity-mediated modulation of the gut microbiome by oral delivery of probiotics into Peyers patches
 
Methods capable of maintaining gut microbiota homeostasis to prevent bacterial translocation and infection under external threats are critical for multiple facets of human health but have been rarely reported. Here, we describe the elicitation of mucosal immunity to modulate the gut microbiota by oral delivery of living probiotics into Peyer’s patches. Probiotics are individually camouflaged with
8h
Science Advances current issue
Rapid observations of ocean dynamics and stratification along a steep island coast during Hurricane Maria
 
Hurricanes are extreme storms that affect coastal communities, but the linkages between hurricane forcing and ocean dynamics remain poorly understood. Here, we present full water column observations at unprecedented resolution from the southwest Puerto Rico insular shelf and slope during Hurricane María, representing a rare set of high-frequency, subsurface, oceanographic observations collected a
8h
Science Advances current issue
Pathogenic variants in SMARCA5, a chromatin remodeler, cause a range of syndromic neurodevelopmental features
 
Intellectual disability encompasses a wide spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, with many linked genetic loci. However, the underlying molecular mechanism for more than 50% of the patients remains elusive. We describe pathogenic variants in SMARCA5 , encoding the ATPase motor of the ISWI chromatin remodeler, as a cause of a previously unidentified neurodevelopmental disorder, identifying 12
8h
Science Advances current issue
The SAM domain-containing protein 1 (SAMD1) acts as a repressive chromatin regulator at unmethylated CpG islands
 
CpG islands (CGIs) are key regulatory DNA elements at most promoters, but how they influence the chromatin status and transcription remains elusive. Here, we identify and characterize SAMD1 (SAM domain-containing protein 1) as an unmethylated CGI-binding protein. SAMD1 has an atypical winged-helix domain that directly recognizes unmethylated CpG-containing DNA via simultaneous interactions with b
8h
Science Advances current issue
Enhanced interfacial electron transfer between thylakoids and RuO2 nanosheets for photosynthetic energy harvesting
 
The harvesting of photosynthetic electrons (PEs) directly from photosynthetic complexes has been demonstrated over the past decade. However, their limited efficiency and stability have hampered further practical development. For example, despite its importance, the interfacial electron transfer between the photosynthetic apparatus and the electrode has received little attention. In this study, we
8h
Science Advances current issue
Mechanisms of electron-phonon coupling unraveled in momentum and time: The case of soft phonons in TiSe2
 
The complex coupling between charge carriers and phonons is responsible for diverse phenomena in condensed matter. We apply ultrafast electron diffuse scattering to unravel electron-phonon coupling phenomena in 1T-TiSe 2 in both momentum and time. We are able to distinguish effects due to the real part of the many-body bare electronic susceptibility, , from those due to the electron-phonon coupli
8h
Science Advances current issue
Structure of the murine lysosomal multienzyme complex core
 
The enzymes β-galactosidase (GLB1) and neuraminidase 1 (NEU1; sialidase 1) participate in the degradation of glycoproteins and glycolipids in the lysosome. To remain active and stable, they associate with PPCA [protective protein cathepsin A (CTSA)] into a high–molecular weight lysosomal multienzyme complex (LMC), of which several forms exist. Genetic defects in these three proteins cause the lys
8h
Science Advances current issue
Mesenchymal stromal exosome-functionalized scaffolds induce innate and adaptive immunomodulatory responses toward tissue repair
 
Designing scaffolds capable of inducing and guiding appropriate immune responses holds promise for tissue repair/regeneration. Biofunctional scaffolds were here prepared by immobilizing mesenchymal stromal exosomes onto fibrous polyester materials and allowed cell-mediated delivery of membrane-bound vesicles. Quantitative cell-level analyses revealed that immune cells dominated the uptake of exos
8h
Science Advances current issue
Yeast volatiles double starvation survival in Drosophila
 
Organisms make decisions based on the information they gather from their environment, the effects of which affect their fitness. Understanding how these interactions affect physiology may generate interventions that improve the length and quality of life. Here, we provide evidence that exposure to live yeast volatiles during starvation significantly extends survival, increases activity, and slows
8h
Science Advances current issue
Topological tuning of DNA mobility in entangled solutions of supercoiled plasmids
 
Ring polymers in dense solutions are among the most intriguing problems in polymer physics. Because of its natural occurrence in circular form, DNA has been extensively used as a proxy to study the fundamental physics of ring polymers in different topological states. Yet, torsionally constrained—such as supercoiled—topologies have been largely neglected so far. The applicability of existing theor
8h
Science Advances current issue
Propagation of F-actin disassembly via Myosin15-Mical interactions
 
The F-actin cytoskeleton drives cellular form and function. However, how F-actin-based changes occur with spatiotemporal precision and specific directional orientation is poorly understood. Here, we identify that the unconventional class XV myosin [Myosin 15 (Myo15)] physically and functionally interacts with the F-actin disassembly enzyme Mical to spatiotemporally position cellular breakdown and
8h
Science Advances current issue
High-entropy materials for catalysis: A new frontier
 
Entropy plays a pivotal role in catalysis, and extensive research efforts have been directed to understanding the enthalpy-entropy relationship that defines the reaction pathways of molecular species. On the other side, surface of the catalysts, entropic effects have been rarely investigated because of the difficulty in deciphering the increased complexities in multicomponent systems. Recent adva
8h
Science Advances current issue
Differential cardiopulmonary monitoring system for artifact-canceled physiological tracking of athletes, workers, and COVID-19 patients
 
Soft, skin-integrated electronic sensors can provide continuous measurements of diverse physiological parameters, with broad relevance to the future of human health care. Motion artifacts can, however, corrupt the recorded signals, particularly those associated with mechanical signatures of cardiopulmonary processes. Design strategies introduced here address this limitation through differential o
8h
Science Advances current issue
Forced into an ecological corner: Round-the-clock deep foraging on small prey by elephant seals
 
Small mesopelagic fishes dominate the world’s total fish biomass, yet their ecological importance as prey for large marine animals is poorly understood. To reveal the little-known ecosystem dynamics, we identified prey, measured feeding events, and quantified the daily energy balance of 48 deep-diving elephant seals throughout their oceanic migrations by leveraging innovative technologies: animal
8h
ScienceDaily
Focus on outliers creates flawed snap judgments
 
You enter a room and quickly scan the crowd to gain a sense of who's there – how many men versus women. How reliable is your estimate? Not very, according to new research. In an experimental study, researchers found that participants consistently erred in estimating the proportion of men and women in a group. And participants erred in a particular way: They overestimated whichever group was in the
8h
ScienceDaily
Online therapy effective against OCD symptoms in the young
 
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents is associated with impaired education and worse general health later in life. Access to specialist treatment is often limited. According to a new study, internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be as effective as conventional CBT. The study can help make treatment for OCD more widely accessible.
8h
ScienceDaily
Developing hardier bean crops
 
Tepary beans — a high protein legume common to the southwest United States and Mexico — may hold the key to adapting bean crops for the increasingly harsh conditions brought on by a changing climate, according to new research.
8h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
The triple threat of coronavirus
 
Immense research efforts are invested in figuring out how the virus manages to mount an effective invasion while throwing the immune system off course. A new study, published today in Nature, reveals a multipronged strategy that the virus employs to ensure its quick and efficient replication, while avoiding detection by the immune system.
8h
Futurity.org
‘Tree farts’ in ghost forests increase greenhouse gas
 
Greenhouse gas emissions from standing dead trees in coastal wetland forests—colloquially called “tree farts”—are a factor in the environmental impact of so-called “ghost forests.” In the study, researchers compared the quantity and type of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from dead tree snags to emissions from the soil. While snags did not release as much as the soils, they did increase GHG emissi
9h
Futurity.org
Twins wave and point later than single kids
 
Twins lag behind single children in producing and using gestures like pointing and waving, according to new research. Those gestures go hand in hand with first words, the researchers report. Twins produce fewer gestures and gesture to fewer objects than other children, says principal researcher Şeyda Özçalışkan, an associate professor in the psychology department at Georgia State University. Lang
9h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Autologous adipose injection for shoulder pain in wheelchair users with spinal cord injury
 
Dr. Malanga: "The results show that the minimally invasive injection of micro-fragmented adipose tissue is a safe and efficacious option for wheelchair users with shoulder pain. Based on the success of our study, a randomized controlled study with a larger number of subjects has been initiated in this patient population through funding from the New Jersey Commission for Spinal Cord Research."
9h
Biology News – Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology
Salmonella contamination via strawberry roots not a dietary risk factor
 
Strawberry production is one of the driving forces in the Spanish agriculture sector, as strawberries are highly valued for their organoleptic characteristics and health benefits. These two factors, their economic relevance, and the value that consumers assign them, make this fruit an object of scientific research from multiple perspectives, including that of food safety. A research project headed
9h
Biochemistry News – Chemistry News
Oleoyl-LPE exerts neurite stimulation and neuroprotection
 
Lysophospholipids are phospholipids that have just one fatty acid chain, and in recent years, the role of lysophospholipids in physiology and pathophysiology has attracted attention. Lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) is a type of lysophospholipid that is reportedly present in the brain that consists of many species with different fatty acid chain lengths and degrees of unsaturation. The latest st
9h
Phys.org
Excitation spectral microscopy integrates multi-target imaging and quantitative biosensing
 
The multiplexing capability of fluorescence microscopy is severely limited by the broad fluorescence spectral width. Spectral imaging offers potential solutions, yet typical approaches to disperse the local emission spectra notably impede the attainable throughput and place substantial constraints on temporal resolution. Tunable bandpass filters provide a possibility to scan through the emission w
9h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Fighting food insecurity by building better beans
 
As climate change heats up the air and land making them hotter and dryer, warmer nighttime temperatures make it more difficult to grow beans — the number one source of protein and nutrients for many people living in Central America and Africa. Researchers at Michigan State University are building better beans by tapping into the genetics of the more heat-resistant tepary bean.
9h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Brain research gets a boost from mosquitos
 
Prof. Ofer Yizhar and his team in the Weizmann Institute of Science's Neurobiology Department took a light-sensitive protein derived from mosquitos and used it to devise an improved method for investigating the messages that are passed from neuron to neuron in the brains of mice.
9h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Research reveals new approach to understanding our wellbeing
 
The ability to connect and feel a sense of belonging are basic human needs but new Swansea University research has examined how these are determined by more than just our personal relationships.Research led by psychologist Professor Andrew Kemp highlights the importance of taking a wider approach to wellbeing and how it can be influenced by issues such as inequality and anthropogenic climate chang
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EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Kefir packs less of a probiotic punch than labels claim
 
Gut health is having a moment, with sales of fermented foods such as kefir, kombucha, and kimchi steadily on the rise. The benefits of "good bacteria" in fermented foods and supplements go well beyond the gut, moderating immune responses, heart health, weight, and even mood. But do products hold up to the claims on their labels?
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Futurity.org
Top learning apps for kids may not live up to their promise
 
Apps that claim to be educational may not be as beneficial to children as they seem, new research shows. A new study analyzed some of the most downloaded educational apps for kids, using a set of four criteria designed to evaluate whether an app provides a high-quality educational experience for children. The findings show that most of the apps scored low, with free apps scoring even lower than t
10h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Asian scientists grapple with belonging
 
Asian students and faculty have long been a cornerstone of science in the U.S., drawn by the promise of collaboration and cutting-edge research. However, the Asian community is facing increased racist attacks and scrutiny from the government. A cover story in Chemical & Engineering News , the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, explores how Asian scientists are reassessing their
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Futurity.org
Asian and African leopards aren’t really the same species
 
African and Asian leopards are more genetically differentiated from one another than polar bears and brown bears. They are so different, in fact, they ought to be treated as two separate species, researchers report. The new knowledge has important implications for better conserving this big and beautiful, yet widely endangered cat. “If one sticks with the traditional concept of speciation, the ge
10h
Phys.org
Efficiently smuggling drugs into cells
 
A new, patented method called Progressive Mechanoporation makes it possible to mechanically disrupt the membranes of cells for a short time period and let drugs or genes inside cells. In this way, researchers can test new therapies more easily than before.
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Phys.org
Integration through in­ter­cul­tural music col­lab­o­ra­tion
 
A record 1.3 million migrants applied for asylum in the European Union in 2015. The refugee surge and the subsequent public debate on immigration brought the need for European countries, especially as homogenous as Finland, to look for new perspectives and operating models for integration and living with difference.
10h
Phys.org
Online museum exhibitions will be more prominent post COVID-19
 
When Museums closed their doors in March 2020 for the first COVID-19 lockdown in the UK a majority moved their activities online to keep their audiences interested. Researchers from WMG, University of Warwick have worked with OUMNH, to analyze the success of the exhibitions, and say the way Museums operate will change forever.Caption: Compton Verney's homepage for the Cranach exhibition which open
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Science | The Guardian
Impact of Covid on the dying and their loved ones | Letter
 
I felt that we were deprived of quality time together, writes Lesley West , whose husband died this year Rachel Clarke’s article (10 May) resonated with me as it captured completely the effect of the pandemic on the dying. My late husband was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer earlier this year and spent his final two weeks in hospital. I was “allowed” to visit if the permission of a docto
11h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Empathic and altruistic or cold and individualistic: our brains reveal the truth
 
Are you empathic and altruistic? In short, do you possess that specific personality trait defined as "agreeableness"? New research sheds light on brain mechanisms underlying this trait. The study showed that individualistic subjects seem to process information associated with social and non-social contexts in similar ways, whereas in more agreeable subjects the activation patterns arising show mor
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EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Sources of SARS-CoV-2 and other microorganisms in dental aerosols
 
COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020 and given an incomplete understanding of the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at that time, the ADA recommended that dental offices refrain from providing non-emergency services. The study "Sources of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Microorganisms in Dental Aerosols," published in the Journal of Dental Research (JDR), sought to inform infection-control science
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Nature
Skeletal editing through direct nitrogen deletion of secondary amines
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03448-9 Nitrogen is ‘deleted’ from secondary amines using anomeric amide reagents, which react with the amine to form an isodiazene, after which nitrogen gas is released and the resulting carbon radicals combine to form a carbon–carbon bond.
11h
Nature
Thymic development of gut-microbiota-specific T cells
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03531-1 In young mice, antigens from the gut microbiota are trafficked by CX3CR1+ dendritic cells from the gut to the thymus, where they induce the expansion of T cells that are specific to commensal microorganisms.
11h
Nature
Structure and dynamics of a mycobacterial type VII secretion system
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03517-z A cryo-electron microscopy structure of the inner membrane complex of the ESX-5 type VII secretion system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis reveals an important role of interactions with MycP5 protease for complex integrity.
11h
Nature
Lineage tracing of human development through somatic mutations
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03548-6 Whole-genome sequencing of haematopoietic colonies from human fetuses reveals the somatic mutations acquired by individual progenitors, which are used as barcodes to construct a phylogenetic tree of blood development.
11h
Nature
An aged immune system drives senescence and ageing of solid organs
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03547-7 An aged, senescent immune system has a causal role in driving systemic ageing, and the targeting of senescent immune cells with senolytic drugs has the potential to suppress morbidities associated with old age.
11h
Nature
Hippocampal AMPA receptor assemblies and mechanism of allosteric inhibition
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-021-03540-0 Analyses of hippocampal AMPA receptor–auxiliary subunit complexes provide insights into the predominant assemblies and organization of the AMPA receptor, TARP-γ8 and CNIH2/SynDIG4 and explain the mechanism of inhibition of a clinically relevant, brain-region-specific allosteric inhibitor.
11h
Nature
Fibroblast cells reveal their ancestry
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01204-7 Cells called fibroblasts can boost health yet also drive disease. Cell-lineage analysis has unveiled the first comprehensive atlas of fibroblasts from various healthy and diseased tissues, a result that has major clinical implications.
11h
Nature
Nitrogen deletion offers fresh strategy for organic synthesis
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01205-6 Many scientific fields and industries rely on the synthesis of small organic molecules. A chemical reagent has been developed that allows such molecules to be made by ‘deleting’ nitrogen atoms from readily accessible precursors.
11h
Nature
Neural interface translates thoughts into type
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00776-8 A neural interface has been developed that could enable people with paralysis to type faster than they could using other technologies, by directly translating attempts at handwriting into text.
11h
Nature
A mitochondrial gatekeeper that helps cells escape death by ferroptosis
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01203-8 Ferroptosis is a type of cell death driven by oxidative damage to lipid membranes. The discovery that organelles called mitochondria have an antioxidant system that counteracts ferroptosis might lead to new anticancer therapies.
11h
Nature
Cloud droplets aid the production of formic acid in the atmosphere
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01206-5 Known sources of formic acid could not explain the observed atmospheric concentrations of this compound. The discovery of a previously unknown pathway that generates formic acid in the atmosphere resolves this discrepancy.
11h
Futurity.org
Chronic pain in the US has gotten ‘substantially worse’
 
Americans are in chronic pain, and a new study reveals that the long-standing and under-acknowledged problem is getting substantially worse. The findings, published in the journal Demography , suggest blanket increases across multiple measures, with pain rising in every adult age group, in every demographic group, and at every site of pain for which data exists. People today experience more pain
11h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
COVID-19: Discovery of the mechanisms of short- and long-term anosmia
 
Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, the CNRS, Inserm, Université de Paris and the Paris Public Hospital Network (AP-HP) determined the mechanisms involved in the loss of smell in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 at different stages of the disease. They discovered that SARS-CoV-2 infects sensory neurons and causes persistent epithelial and olfactory nervous system inflammation.
11h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Composing thoughts: Mental handwriting produces brain activity turned into text
 
Scientists have developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) designed to restore the ability to communicate in people with spinal cord injuries and neurological disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This system has the potential to work more quickly than previous BCIs, and it does so by tapping into one of the oldest means of communications we have–handwriting.
11h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Online CBT effective for social anxiety disorder in young people
 
Social anxiety disorder can cause considerable suffering in children and adolescents and, for many with the disorder, access to effective treatment is limited. Researchers at Centre for Psychiatry Research at Karolinska Institutet and Region Stockholm in Sweden have now shown that internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy is an efficacious and cost-effective treatment option. The study is p
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forskning.se
Pauser på jobbet kan göra skillnad för hälsan
 
Riktade, hälsofrämjande insatser på arbetsplatser kan öka den självupplevda hälsan hos medarbetare – trots en stressig vardag. Det framkommer i en avhandling från Lunds universitet. Lina Ejlertsson, doktorand i folkhälsovetenskap vid Lunds universitet, menar att det finns en klassisk bild av att jobba och mäta hälsa på arbetsplatser genom sjukskrivningstal, produktion och effektivitet. – Oftast s
11h
Phys.org
Derek Chauvin trial: How oppressive police systems defend themselves
 
The recent conviction of white Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, for the murder of a black man, George Floyd, was widely welcomed in the US and elsewhere. The US police force has long been seen as helping to maintain the country's racialised system of inequality. In the face of that, Chauvin's conviction appears to be, as President Joe Biden put it, "a giant step forward in the march towa
11h
Phys.org
Scientists create a new type of intelligent material
 
Intelligent materials, the latest revolution in the field of materials science, can adapt their properties depending on changes in their surroundings. They can be used in everything from self-healing mobile phone screens, to shape-shifting airplane wings, and targeted drug delivery. Delivering drugs to a specific target inside the body using intelligent materials is particularly important for dise
11h
Biology News – Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology
Staph infection turf study yields insight in coronavirus survivability on fields
 
When Andrew McNitt and colleagues were conducting a study of the survivability of bacteria that cause staph infections on synthetic and natural turf football fields in 2008-09, no one had heard of COVID-19, of course. So, the question of whether the novel coronavirus that triggered the global pandemic could persist on playing surfaces and infect players was unimaginable.
11h
Phys.org
Rebalancing work and life to improve productivity and profit
 
Juggling one's job and one's personal life, the so-called work-life balance, is high on the agenda for the modern worker, especially as we begin to realize how imbalance can lead to mental health problems and even physical issues. New work published in the International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, has looked at how improved work-life balance among company employees not on
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Phys.org
Mechanism deciphered: How organic acids are formed in the atmosphere
 
The acidity of the atmosphere is increasingly determined by carbon dioxide and organic acids such as formic acid. The second of these contribute to the formation of aerosol particles as a precursor of raindrops and therefore impact the growth of clouds and pH of rainwater. In previous atmospheric chemistry models of acid formation, formic acid tended to play a small role. The chemical processes be
11h
Phys.org
As COVID surges, Indians grapple with desperation, grief, and fury
 
India in the 21st century has emerged as a powerhouse of development: education rising and poverty falling, with pharmaceuticals and tech driving a booming economy. But the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has ravaged the country in recent weeks, and the nation's deadly inequality has been compounded by broad government failures.
11h
Phys.org
Scientists uncover how resistance proteins protect plants from pathogens
 
In plants, disease resistance proteins serve as major immune receptors that sense pathogens and pests and trigger robust defense responses. Scientists previously found that one such disease resistance protein, ZAR1, is transformed into a highly ordered protein complex called a resistosome upon detection of invading pathogens, providing the first clue as to how plant disease resistance proteins wor
11h
Phys.org
Researchers reveal the internal signals cells use to maintain energy
 
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute have taken a deep dive into a previously overlooked family of proteins and discovered that they are essential to maintaining the energy that cells need to grow and survive. The proteins, known as lipid kinases, produce messengers that help balance cellular metabolism and promote overall health. The findings, published in Developmenta
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Phys.org
Scientists track a cargo spill from New York to Norway, reveal how currents disperse harmful substances
 
The blocking of the Suez Canal in March by a megaship named Ever Given delayed over 200 vessels laden with thousands of containers, serving as a reminder of the scale of the shipping industry and the global repercussions when something goes badly wrong at sea. Yet most people remain unaware of just how frequently the cargo carried by huge container ships doesn't make it to port at all.
11h
Phys.org
Scientists observe rapid ozone fluctuations over the Antarctic polar vortex edge area
 
The polar vortex is a large area of upper-atmosphere cyclonic air circulation surrounding both poles. It is bounded by the polar jet stream and its associated cold air is usually confined to the polar regions. Within the Antarctic circle, and southern polar vortex, ozone quantities are the lowest, globally. A research published in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, led by Dr. Luo Yuhan, correspondi
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Phys.org
New algorithm to ensure more accuracy in studying the interior of the Earth
 
An essential preliminary to building and construction or resource extraction is studying the geological structure of the site. One of the steps of this process is geophysical investigation. This provides a continuous overview of the geological horizons rather than just data on points: boreholes. The standard methods of geophysics help successfully solve this problem in comparatively simple conditi
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EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Violinmaking meets artificial intelligence
 
How to predict the sound produced by a tonewood block once carved into the shape of a violin plate? What is the best shape for the best sound? Artificial Intelligence offer answers to these questions. These are the conclusions that researchers of the Musical Acoustics Lab of Politecnico di Milano presented in a study that was recently published on Nature Scientific Reports.
11h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
20 days later — The short story about muscles regeneration
 
Skeletal muscles make a tremendous variety of actions stabilizing the body in different positions. Despite their endurance during daily activities, they can undergo several mild injuries caused by sport, accidental overstretching, or sudden overtwisting. Luckily mild injuries can be quickly healed; however, when a large part of muscles is damaged or resected surgically, the full recovery can be im
11h
Phys.org
Health status of vulnerable gopher tortoises revealed in Southeastern Florida
 
The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is declining because of habitat loss and fragmentation, human interaction including collisions with vehicles, predation by domestic animals, and disease. These long-lived reptiles are found throughout Florida and are affected by various diseases including upper respiratory tract disease. A number of pathogens such as Mycoplasma spp., Herpesvirus, and Ranav
12h
The Atlantic
The Atlantic Daily: American Office Life Is Poised for a Comeback
 
Every weekday evening, our editors guide you through the biggest stories of the day, help you discover new ideas, and surprise you with moments of delight. Subscribe to get this delivered to your inbox. White-collar employees’ great forced-remote-work experiment is drawing to an end. Bosses are sounding their managerial bugles, warning the privileged work-from-home class that, in the coming month
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TED Talks Daily (SD video)
The case for co-ops, the invisible giant of the economy | Anu Puusa
 
Think capitalism is broken? Try cooperativism, says co-op enthusiast and researcher Anu Puusa. She lays out how cooperatives — businesses owned, operated and controlled by their members — can both make money and have a positive impact on the environment and local communities. With co-ops, Puusa says, doing good business and doing good at the same time becomes possible.
12h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
A hairpin to fight cancer
 
The inhibition of pathological protein-protein interactions is a promising approach for treating a large number of diseases, including many forms of cancer. A team of researchers has now developed a bicyclic peptide that binds to beta-catenin–a protein associated with certain types of tumor. The secret of their success is the cyclic nature and the hairpin shape of the peptide, which mimics a natu
12h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Computer designs magnonic devices
 
Magnonic devices have the potential to revolutionize the electronics industry. Qi Wang, Andrii Chumak from University of Vienna and Philipp Pirro from TU Kaiserslautern have largely accelerated the design of more versatile magnonic devices via a feedback-based computational algorithm. Their "inverse-design" of magnonic devices has now been published in Nature Communications.
12h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
On the road to smart cities: Where smart vehicles stand and where they're going
 
With rapid advancements in network connectivity technology, such as 5G and 6G, intelligent vehicles with AI-enabled technology and an internet-of-vehicles could soon replace ad-hoc smart vehicular networks. However, the successful integration of smart vehicles with society requires adequate computing frameworks. Now, a global team of computer scientists takes stock of computing paradigms for vehic
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Futurity.org
Surgery for snakes who eat golf balls by mistake?
 
When a hungry snake eats a golf ball instead of an egg, it can cause serious problems. Snakes are excellent predators, and eggs are often on the menu, but other ovoid objects can fool their senses. Greg Lewbart , a professor of aquatic animal medicine at North Carolina State University, specializes in developing innovative treatments for our aquatic and reptilian friends. In a study in the Journa
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Futurity.org
Migration maps help protect the corridors herds need
 
Researchers have created maps to benefit migrating herds of wildlife, specifically ungulates. From the plains of Serengeti to the mountains of Wyoming, wildlife herds are facing threats to critical migration routes. The maps, from the University of Oregon’s InfoGraphics Lab, could help these mammals on the move. Jim Meacham and Alethea Steingisser are working with researchers led by Wyoming biolo
12h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Most frequently asked questions in rheumatology clinics answered
 
May 1, 2021 – Rheumatologists in Hong Kong joined hands to develop a set of consensus statements on COVID-19 vaccination for local adult patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases. These timey statements would serve to be a guide for rheumatologists, other specialists, family physicians, specialty nurses, and the public regarding COVID-19 vaccination for patients with rheumatic diseases.
12h
Scientific American (uploads) on YouTube
Decoded: What are viruses, exactly?
 
These sometimes deadly packets of genetic information are more numerous in number than the stars in the cosmos. Viruses are tiny infectious agents that dominate much of the microscopic world. They’re incredibly abundant. There are more viruses in a single drop of seawater than there are people living in New York City. And there are more viruses on Earth than there are stars in the universe. They’
13h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Shaken, not stirred: Reshuffling skyrmions ultrafast
 
Scientists of Max Born Institute together with colleagues from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and further research institutions now investigated in detail how laser-based creation and annihilation of skyrmions can be controlled to promote application of the process in devices. To image the magnetic skyrmions, the team of researchers used holography-based x-ray micr
13h
ScienceDaily
Sequencing the genome of the leopard
 
They are some of the most beautiful, and elusive, animals on the plant. Leopards. In a major scientific step, the whole genome DNA sequence of 23 individual leopards have been interpreted.
13h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Drexel study: Parks not only safe, but essential during the pandemic
 
Parks played an important role for people seeking respite from the toll of social isolation during the pandemic, and according to new research from Drexel University, they did so without increasing the spread of COVID-19. The study looked at how people used 22 parks in Philadelphia and New York during the height of the pandemic and it found no strong correlation between park use and the number of
13h
Phys.org
The carbon footprint of Airbnb is likely bigger than you think
 
In its 13 years of existence, Airbnb has grown from a minnow to a whale in holiday accommodation. Today, it offers more than 5.6 million active listings across 220 countries and regions. In Australia, Airbnb lists 346,581 spaces—that's 4% of Australia's total housing stock.
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Discovery (uploads) on YouTube
Wild Bill Loses Power at Sea! | Deadliest Catch
 
Stream Full Episodes of Deadliest Catch: discovery+ ► https://www.discoveryplus.com/show/deadliest-catch discovery ► https://go.discovery.com/tv-shows/deadliest-catch/ Subscribe to Discovery: http://bit.ly/SubscribeDiscovery Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeadliestCatch https://www.facebook.com/Discovery Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeadliestCatch https://twitter.com/D
13h
Phys.org
Seaspiracy: How to make fishing more sustainable by tackling bycatch
 
Capturing audiences worldwide with its no-holds-barred indictment of the fishing industry, Netflix's Seaspiracy is the latest documentary to draw attention to the plight of our oceans. With marine species at risk of extinction, degradation of coral reef habitats, and threats to nutritionally important fish species, public concern about ocean mismanagement is well founded.
13h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
What does your voice say about you?
 
Everyone has at some point been charmed by the sound of a person's voice: but can we believe our ears? What can a voice really reveal about our character? Now an international research team led by the University of Göttingen has shown that people seem to express at least some aspects of their personality with their voice. The results were published in the Journal of Research in Personality.
13h
ExtremeTechExtreme – ExtremeTech
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Is Headed Home With a Huge Asteroid Sample
 
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is heading home. After a successful visit to the asteroid Bennu that lasted more than two years, the mission broke orbit today and set course for Earth. Most robotic missions are a one-way affair, but OSIRIS-REx wasn’t going to an asteroid just to look around. It grabbed a souvenir in the form of about 2 pounds of regolith, and scientists on Earth can’t wait to get th
14h
Nature
Wrong number
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01293-4 Unwanted visitors.
14h
Phys.org
First worldwide view of a key phytoplankton proxy
 
From vast, swirling blooms to minuscule populations, photosynthetic phytoplankton drifting near the surface of the ocean are often captured in snapshots from chlorophyll-detecting satellites. However, phytoplankton at greater depths escape detection, so researchers must rely on other methods to study them.
14h
Phys.org
History of giants in the gene: Scientists use DNA to trace the origins of giant viruses
 
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay shed light on the origins of Mimivirus and other giant viruses to better understand a group of unique biological forms that shaped life on Earth. In their latest study, published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, the researchers show that giant viruses may have come from a complex single-cell ancestor, keeping DNA replication machinery b
15h
forskning.se
”Svensk skola börjar likna 1800-talets sociala uppdelning”
 
Den segregerade svenska skolan skiljer sig från högprestigeskolor utomlands som välkomnar blandade elevgrupper. Petter Sandgren, som forskar om överklassens utbildningsvägar, ser en splittring som nått även resursstarka elever. – Skolan ska vara en motkraft till ökad segregering, men nuvarande skolsystem spär på snarare än motverkar klyftorna. Som akademiker är det fascinerande att studera, säger
15h
Nature
Give research into solar geoengineering a chance
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01243-0 There is no substitute for aggressive cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions. But the risks and benefits of technologies that could mitigate global warming need to be evaluated.
15h
Futurism
Get Three Years Of PlayStation Plus For Over 30% Off
 
Gaming has gone from a solo hobby to one we can share, although, like any social group, we’ve had to pioneer the online timeout for the less well-behaved . Fortunately, it’s never been easier to game with those closest to you. These stackable PlayStation Plus codes help you play the games you like with the people you love, and they’re only $119.99 using code PLAYSTATION2021. PlayStation Plus, for
15h
Nature
How the world failed to curb COVID
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01284-5 Communication breakdown among the World Health Organization, national leaders and the public caused the pandemic to explode in February 2020, investigation says.
16h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
CNIO researchers discover the cause of neuronal death in a large proportion of familial ALS patients
 
The researchers attribute the loss of motor neurons in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) to a new mechanism that blocks any cellular reaction that involves nucleic acids (DNA or RNA)Many cellular processes involving nucleic acids fail in the motor neurons of ALS patients; the mechanism discovered by the CNIO group finally explains these widespread problems that have been reported f
16h
Dagens Medicin
DSAM: Undersøgelser af lungefunktion kan genoptages i almen praksis
 
Dansk Selskab for Almen Medicin vurderer nu, at lungefunktionsundersøgelser kan genoptages i almen praksis under visse forudsætninger. Positiv udmelding, men svær at læse som en egentlig opfordring til de praktiserende læger, lyder dommen fra overlæge på Vejle Sygehus, der har været kritisk over for DSAM's hidtidige ageren i sagen.
16h
Nature
The 100 memes that immortalize my PhD defence
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01273-8 Sophie Dufour-Beauséjour chose an unusual way to capture an academic rite of passage, with a little help from her friends.
17h
Nature
How COVID broke the evidence pipeline
 
Nature, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01246-x The pandemic stress-tested the way the world produces evidence — and revealed all the flaws.
17h
Nature Communications – current – nature.com science feeds
Reducing the impact of radioactivity on quantum circuits in a deep-underground facility
 
Nature Communications, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23032-z Background radiation has been identified as a key factor limiting the coherence times of superconducting circuits. Here, the authors measure the impact of environmental and cosmic radiation on a superconducting resonator with varying degrees of shielding, including an underground facility.
17h
Nature Communications – current – nature.com science feeds
On the origin of the controversial electrostatic field effect in superconductors
 
Nature Communications, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22998-0 A recent report on electrostatic field effect in superconducting devices provides a high potential for advanced quantum technology, but it remains controversial. Here, the authors report that the suppression of critical current, which was attributed to the field effect, can instead be explained by quasiparticle e
17h
Nature Communications – current – nature.com science feeds
Extensive introgression and mosaic genomes of Mediterranean endemic lizards
 
Nature Communications, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22949-9 Islands can provide insights into the evolution of diverse adaptations. The genomes of 34 major lineages of Mediterranean wall lizards reveal a highly reticulated pattern of evolution across the group, characterised by mosaic genomes and showing that hybrid lineages gave rise to several extant endemics.
17h
Nature Communications – current – nature.com science feeds
Molecular basis for the allosteric activation mechanism of the heterodimeric imidazole glycerol phosphate synthase complex
 
Nature Communications, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22968-6 The allosteric regulation of the bienzyme complex imidazole glycerol phosphate synthase (HisFH) remains to be elucidated. Here, the authors provide structural insights into the dynamic allosteric mechanism by which ligand binding to the cyclase and glutaminase active sites of HisFH regulate enzyme activation.
17h
Nature Communications – current – nature.com science feeds
Non-invasive, opsin-free mid-infrared modulation activates cortical neurons and accelerates associative learning
 
Nature Communications, Published online: 12 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23025-y Neurostimulant drugs or magnetic/electrical stimulation techniques have shown limited effects on learning capabilities of healthy subjects. The authors show that, without introducing an exogeneous gene, mid-infrared light can modulate firing activity of neurons in vivo and accelerate learning in mice.
17h
Ingeniøren
Nu flyver de første genmodificerede dræbermyg rundt i Florida
 
PLUS. I løbet af denne sommer går 20 millioner hanmyg på vingerne over Floridas Keys, udstyret med et særligt dræber-gen, der forhindrer hunmyg i at blive voksne. Formålet er at minimere smitten med myggebårne sygdomme som denguefeber, chikungunya, gul feber og zika, men befolkningen er fortsat skeptisk.
18h
forskning.se
Mikronålsplåster levererar antibiotika lokalt i huden
 
Forskare har utvecklat ett plåster med mikronålar som tillför antibiotika direkt i hudområden där motståndskraftiga och potentiellt dödliga bakterier skapat infektioner. Studien visar att plåstret effektivt minskar mängden bakterier i huden. Hudinfektioner med MRSA-bakterier (motståndskraftiga gula stafylokocker) är potentiellt dödliga, särskilt hos personer med nedsatt immunförsvar. För närvaran
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Forskning & Framsteg – För dig som är nyfiken på allvar
Upptäck den svenska urskogen med F&F
 
Följ med F&F och Äventyrsresor på en naturresa i Uppland. Vi besöker månghundraårig, grovstammig tallskog, ren granurskog och ser på dagens plantageskogar ur olika aspekter. Du får lära dig om de ursprungliga miljöer och biotoper som allt från lavar och svampar till djur och fåglar har utvecklats i samklang med. Reseledare är Hasse Berglund, biolog på Naturvårdsverket, och Peter Hunger, ansvarig f
18h
Phys.org
Nature has enormous potential to fight climate change and biodiversity loss in the UK
 
The report offers, for the first time, a complete assessment of the potential of nature-based solutions (NbS) to mitigate climate change and benefit biodiversity in the UK. Incorporating contributions from over 100 experts, the comprehensive evaluation of the available evidence details the strengths, limitations and trade-offs of NbS in different habitats across the UK.
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Phys.org
How social media and AI enable companies to track brand reputations in real-time
 
Researchers from University of Maryland, North Carolina State University, National Taiwan University, Oxford University, Kings College London, and Perceptronics Solutions, Inc. published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines how artificial intelligence (AI)-based text analysis of social media can monitor the extent to which brand reputation rises and falls over time.
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cognitive science
A discord server that you will enjoy!
 
An academic hub where casual conversation, personal expression, and intellectual exploration are all encouraged! An internet refuge to discuss humanities and sciences within a welcoming and inclusive community! An adaptive environment that will grow and develop with its members! Soul Sanctum : where heart, mind, and spirit meet. Come join us, and see what you think! https://discord.gg/Aqu7vyEY5j
20h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Eliminating bias from healthcare AI critical to improve health equity
 
Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven healthcare has potential to transform medical decision-making and treatment, but AI algorithms must be thoroughly tested and continuously monitored to avoid unintended consequences to patients. In JAMA Network Open, Regenstrief Institute President Peter Embí calls for algorithmovigilance (a term he coined for scientific methods and activities relating to evaluat
22h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
New study: Kefir package claims don't always accurately reflect composition of commercial products
 
In recent years there has been an increased interest in the consumption of kefir, a fermented dairy beverage, because there is some evidence that it has health benefits and its affordability. A new study by researchers from the University of Illinois and The Ohio State University, published in JDS Communications, found that 66 percent of the commercial kefir products studied overstated microorgani
22h
EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Telemedicine needs to be integrated into cardiology training, experts recommend
 
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an abrupt change in healthcare delivery, including a shift from in-person visits to telemedicine. However, a Canadian survey found that a significant proportion of cardiology trainees are uncomfortable with using telemedicine and feel that better preparation for new-tech medicine is needed. Experts draw attention to the need for a telemedicine curriculum that
22h
ScienceDaily
Team 'reads minds' to understand human tool use
 
Researchers have made an astonishing new discovery about how our brains control our hands. The team used MRI data to study which parts of the brain are used when we handle tools. The findings could help shed light on the regions of the brain that evolved in humans and set us apart from primates, and could pave the way for the development of next-generation prosthetic limbs that tap into the brain'
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ScienceDaily
Bacteria do not colonize the gut before birth
 
Researchers examined prenatal stool (meconium) samples collected from 20 babies during breech Cesarean delivery. By including only breech caesarean deliveries in healthy pregnant women they were able to avoid the transmission of bacteria that occurs naturally during a vaginal birth.
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cognitive science
Selective attention consciousness link
 
A question for those who know more than I do: Does selective attention evoke our consciousness or does our consciousness evoke the activation of selective attention system? References would be useful 🙂 submitted by /u/SoggyFunction7025 [link] [comments]
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cognitive science
Experiment measuring auditory memory
 
Hi all, We are measuring auditory memory and we would be very grateful for your participation. It's part of a research method class in the Cognitive Science program at University of Gothenburg. The experiment takes approximately 5-10 minutes to finish. Completely anonymous. https://www.psytoolkit.org/c/3.3.2/survey?s=fWfbe Would love to return the favor! submitted by /u/DependentGoat9 [link] [com
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Futurism
Pay What You Want To Learn JavaScript And Discover How Websites Are Built
 
In schools and offices alike , it’s becoming clear that learning to code is going to be a cornerstone of life and work going forward. And one of the most common forms of code, one you interact with every day, is JavaScript. Originally built to drive the internet, JavaScript has expanded to game design, apps, and much more. This pay-what-you-want bundle will show you how it all works, and how to m
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EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Gene editing expands to new types of immune cells
 
A team of researchers at Gladstone Institutes and UC San Francisco (UCSF) has adapted CRISPR-Cas9 for use in monocytes and shown the potential utility of the technology for understanding how the human immune system fights viruses and microbes. Their results were published online today in the journal Cell Reports.
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Biology News – Evolution, Cell theory, Gene theory, Microbiology, Biotechnology
Understanding SARS-COV-2 proteins is key to improve therapeutic options for COVID-19
 
COVID-19 has had a significant impact since the pandemic was declared by WHO in 2020, with over 3 million deaths and counting, Researchers and medical teams have been hard at work at developing strategies to control the spread of the infection, caused by SARS-COV-2 virus and treat affected patients. Of special interest to the global population is the developments of vaccines to boost human immunit
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EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Multiple factors influence family physicians' practice scope
 
Although new family medicine graduates intend to provide a broader scope of practice than their senior counterparts, individual family physicians' scope of practice has been decreasing, with fewer family physicians providing basic primary care services, such pediatric and prenatal care. Russell et al conducted a study to explore family medicine graduates' attitudes and perspectives on modifiable a
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EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Improving smoking cessation counseling and blood pressure quality metrics in primary care
 
In order to make meaningful gains in cardiovascular disease care, primary care medical practices should adopt a set of care improvements specific to their practice size and type, according to a new study from the national primary care quality improvement initiative EvidenceNOW. High blood pressure and smoking are among the biggest risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. Primary care p
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Futurity.org
High nitrate levels in drinking water may up preterm birth risk
 
Pregnant women exposed to too much nitrate in their drinking water are at greater risk of giving birth prematurely, according to a new study of more than 1.4 million California births. Agricultural runoff containing fertilizer and animal waste can greatly increase the nitrate level in groundwater, which naturally contains a low level of the chemical. “We found that higher concentrations of nitrat
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Phys.org
Rules of the road: The navigational 'strategies' of bacteria in motion
 
Bacteria that move around live on the edge. All the time. Their success, be it in finding nutrients, fending off predators or multiplying, depends on how efficiently they navigate through their confining microscopic habitats. Whether these habitats are in animal or plant tissues, in waste, or in other materials. In a recent paper published in PNAS, a team of researchers led by McGill University ha
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Futurity.org
COVID-19 may alter gray matter in the brain
 
COVID-19 patients who receive oxygen therapy or experience fever show reduced gray matter volume in the frontal-temporal network of the brain, according to a new study. Researchers found lower gray matter volume in this brain region was associated with a higher level of disability among COVID-19 patients, even six months after hospital discharge. Gray matter is vital for processing information in
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EurekAlert! – Breaking News
World's fastest information-fuelled engine designed by SFU researchers
 
Simon Fraser University researchers have designed a remarkably fast engine that taps into a new kind of fuel — information.The development of this engine, which converts the random jiggling of a microscopic particle into stored energy, is outlined in research published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) and could lead to significant advances in the speed and c
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Futurity.org
Blocking 1 healing gene cuts down on scarring
 
Researchers have been able to reduce scarring by blocking part of the healing process, according to a new study. The research could make a significant difference for burns and other trauma patients. Targeting the gene that instructs stem cells to form scars reduced scarring in the animal study, says Kiarash Khosrotehrani, professor at the University of Queensland. “The body’s natural response to
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EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Study examines connection between oral and general health in patients with diabetes
 
Individuals with diabetes are at greater risk of developing oral health issues, like gum disease, yet care for these linked health issues are usually disconnected, split between primary care and dental care. A research team from the University of Amsterdam developed an intervention that provided primary care-based oral health information and dental referrals for patients with diabetes.
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EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Patient expectations, doctors' prescribing habits, and antimicrobial resistance
 
Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for upper respiratory tract infections contributes to antibiotic resistance, making some bacterial infections difficult to treat. This often leads to higher medical costs, prolonged hospital stays and increased mortality. Still, many physicians report prescribing antibiotics at their patients' request. To address patients' expectations for antibiotic prescribin
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EurekAlert! – Breaking News
Interdisciplinary consults can help primary care docs treat patients with chronic pain
 
Between 11% to 40% of adults in the United States experience chronic pain, and primary care physicians may feel ill-equipped to effectively and safely care for patients with chronic pain, addiction or both. Researchers from Tufts University conducted a study to evaluate the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary consultation service that supports primary care physicians who care for patients experi
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Futurism
This Robot Arm Turns Any Desk into a Futuristic Workshop
 
Over the past several years, robots and devices using artificial intelligence have moved from the realm of science fiction to the world of science fact. Virtual assistants, robot helpers, 3D printers, and other high-tech devices have taken the world by storm, and are now commonplace in many homes. But the Rotrics’ DexArm is taking things to the next level . Whether you’re looking for an AI assist
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Phys.org
Sustaining technology-enhanced learning innovations in teachers' classroom practices
 
In the recent years Tallinn University has paid a lot of attention to becoming agile in business collaboration, including both local and international EdTech companies. Their collaboration with the company TTS Group started last year, and the common interest is to develop and implement novel STEAM and educational robotics-related teaching practices for kindergartens and primary schools. The specia
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
HBD1 protein with a tandem repeat of two HMG-box domains is a DNA clip to organize chloroplast nucleoids in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii [Plant Biology]
 
Compaction of bulky DNA is a universal issue for all DNA-based life forms. Chloroplast nucleoids (chloroplast DNA–protein complexes) are critical for chloroplast DNA maintenance and transcription, thereby supporting photosynthesis, but their detailed structure remains enigmatic. Our proteomic analysis of chloroplast nucleoids of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii identified a protein…
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Peptidic boronic acids are potent cell-permeable inhibitors of the malaria parasite egress serine protease SUB1 [Biochemistry]
 
Malaria is a devastating infectious disease, which causes over 400,000 deaths per annum and impacts the lives of nearly half the world’s population. The causative agent, a protozoan parasite, replicates within red blood cells (RBCs), eventually destroying the cells in a lytic process called egress to release a new generation…
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
RAASI, NSAIDs, antidiabetics, and anticoagulants: More data needed to be labeled as harmful or neutral in SARS-CoV-2 infection [Biological Sciences]
 
We read with great interest the data analysis by Cippà et al. (1) on the associations between in-hospital mortality and drugs taken by the patients with COVID-19 disease for various comorbidities. The method chosen by the authors to examine the effects of drugs led data mainly on renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors…
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Isoelectronic perturbations to f-d-electron hybridization and the enhancement of hidden order in URu2Si2 [Physics]
 
Electrical resistivity measurements were performed on single crystals of URu2–xOsxSi2 up to x = 0.28 under hydrostatic pressure up to P = 2 GPa. As the Os concentration, x, is increased, 1) the lattice expands, creating an effective negative chemical pressure Pch(x); 2) the hidden-order (HO) phase is enhanced and…
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Discovering unknown human and mouse transcription factor binding sites and their characteristics from ChIP-seq data [Genetics]
 
Transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) are essential for gene regulation, but the number of known TFBSs remains limited. We aimed to discover and characterize unknown TFBSs by developing a computational pipeline for analyzing ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing) data. Applying it to the latest ENCODE ChIP-seq data for human…
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Structure elucidation of the elusive Enzyme I monomer reveals the molecular mechanisms linking oligomerization and enzymatic activity [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
 
Enzyme I (EI) is a phosphotransferase enzyme responsible for converting phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) into pyruvate. This reaction initiates a five-step phosphorylation cascade in the bacterial phosphotransferase (PTS) transduction pathway. Under physiological conditions, EI exists in an equilibrium between a functional dimer and an inactive monomer. The monomer–dimer equilibrium is a crucial…
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Colloidal transport and flocculation are the cause of the hyperenrichment of gold in nature [Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences]
 
Aqueous complexation has long been considered the only viable means of transporting gold to depositional sites in hydrothermal ore-forming systems. A major weakness of this hypothesis is that it cannot readily explain the formation of ultrahigh-grade gold veins. This is a consequence of the relatively low gold concentrations typical of…
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Atomic-scale insights into quantum-order parameters in bismuth-doped iron garnet [Applied Physical Sciences]
 
Bismuth and rare earth elements have been identified as effective substituent elements in the iron garnet structure, allowing an enhancement in magneto-optical response by several orders of magnitude in the visible and near-infrared region. Various mechanisms have been proposed to account for such enhancement, but testing of these ideas is…
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Genetically edited CD34+ cells derived from human iPS cells in vivo but not in vitro engraft and differentiate into HIV-resistant cells [Medical Sciences]
 
Genetic editing of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells represents a promising avenue for an HIV cure. However, certain challenges remain before bringing this approach to the clinic. Among them, in vivo engraftment of cells genetically edited in vitro needs to be achieved. In this study, CD34+ cells derived in vitro…
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
A key requirement for synaptic Reelin signaling in ketamine-mediated behavioral and synaptic action [Neuroscience]
 
Ketamine is a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist that produces rapid antidepressant action in some patients with treatment-resistant depression. However, recent data suggest that ∼50% of patients with treatment-resistant depression do not respond to ketamine. The factors that contribute to the nonresponsiveness to ketamine’s antidepressant action remain unclear. Recent
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Bilin-dependent regulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis by GUN4 [Plant Biology]
 
Biosyntheses of chlorophyll and heme in oxygenic phototrophs share a common trunk pathway that diverges with insertion of magnesium or iron into the last common intermediate, protoporphyrin IX. Since both tetrapyrroles are pro-oxidants, it is essential that their metabolism is tightly regulated. Here, we establish that heme-derived linear tetrapyrroles (bilins)…
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Reducing mask resistance among White evangelical Christians with value-consistent messages [Political Sciences]
 
Public health experts have advocated for wearing protective face masks to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, yet some populations are resistant. Can certain messages shift attitudes toward masks? We investigate the effect of value-consistent messages within a mask-skeptical population: White evangelicals in the United States. An experiment within a national survey…
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences current issue
Reply to Shaw: Challenges for enrichment analysis of AMR gene-bearing plasmids [Biological Sciences]
 
We thank Liam Shaw for his letter (1), “Null models for gene enrichment in plasmids,” and appreciate the detailed simulation regarding the enrichment analysis of AMR genes on different types of plasmids, which confirms our original conclusions that conjugative plasmids are enriched in these genes (2). We agree that considering…
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iBiology (uploads) on YouTube
Kate Adamala (U of M) 1: Synthetic Cells: Building Life to Understand It
 
www.iBiology.org Dr. Kate Adamala describes what synthetic cells are and how they can teach us the fundamental principles of life. Life on Earth evolved once – this means that all biological systems on our planet are rooted in the same fundamental framework. This framework is extremely complex and we have yet to fully understand the processes inside each living cell. One way of understanding comp
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EurekAlert! – Breaking News
COVID-19 alters gray matter volume in the brain, new study shows
 
COVID-19 patients who receive oxygen therapy or experience fever show reduced gray matter volume in the frontal-temporal network of the brain, according to a new study led by researchers at Georgia State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology. The study's findings demonstrate changes to the frontal-temporal network could be used as a biomarker to determine the likely prognosis of Covid
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