Search Posts

Nyheder2021maj14

Tegn abonnement på BioNyt!

Vil du hjælpe med at finde nyheder? DO YOU WANT TO HELP FINDING SCIENCE NEWS? Email: bionyt@gmail.com Phone-sms: (45)21729908

Ung læge blev svigtet af Yngre Læger: Nu har han fået oprejsning
I december stod den unge læge Andreas Thorsen frem i Dagens Medicin og berettede om, hvordan han var blevet svigtet af både sin arbejdsgiver og sin fagforening, efter at han på en vagt blev slået af en overlæge. Nu har ledelsen på Hvidovre Hospital beklaget sin håndtering af sagen. Hospitalsledelsen vil dog stadig ikke udtale sig.
17h

LATEST

Delay in giving second jabs of Pfizer vaccine improves immunity
Study finds antibodies against Sars-CoV-2 three-and-a-half times higher in people vaccinated again after 12 weeks rather than three Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The UK’s decision to delay second doses of coronavirus vaccines has received fresh support from research on the over-80s which found that giving the Pfizer/BioNTech booster after 12 weeks rather than three
22h
Europe’s Jupiter spacecraft enters crucial testing phase
Critical sequence of tests begins in space simulator to prepare Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer for its journey to the great gas giant The European Space Agency’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) has begun a critical sequence of tests to make sure it can function correctly in the hostile conditions of outer space. Having been assembled by Airbus Friedrichshafen, Germany, the 6.2 tonne spacecraft has
16h
Top researchers are calling for a real investigation into the origin of covid-19
A year ago, the idea that the covid-19 pandemic could have been caused by a laboratory accident was denounced as a conspiracy theory by the world’s leading journals, scientists, and news organizations. But the origin of the virus that has killed millions remains a mystery, and the chance that it came from a lab has become the theory that cannot be put to rest. Now, in a letter in the journal Scie
1d
Current trend reversed: Scientists investigate the Seebeck effect in electric current
When a piece of conducting material is heated up at one of its ends, a voltage difference can build up across the sample, which in turn can be converted into a current. This is the so-called Seebeck effect, the cornerstone of thermoelectric effects. In particular, the effect provides a route to creating work out of a temperature difference. Such thermoelectric engines do not have any movable part
1d
New research reveals hidden processes at work in the hearts of large stars
Astronomers commonly refer to massive stars as the chemical factories of the Universe. They generally end their lives in spectacular supernovae, events that forge many of the elements on the periodic table. How elemental nuclei mix within these enormous stars has a major impact on our understanding of their evolution prior to their explosion. It also represents the largest uncertainty for scientis
1d
Bird species central to seed-dispersal networks have stable evolutionary lineages
A team of researchers at Universidade de São Paulo has found that bird species that have a central position in frugivory networks tend to belong to more stable lineages over macroevolutionary time scales. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes their analysis of hundreds of bird species and their dispersal networks and what they found. Carolina Bello and Elisa Barreto
6h
Elon Musk Says He’s Helping Dogecoin Devs Make It More Efficient
This evening, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk tweeted that he’s working with the developers of Dogecoin to make the cryptocurrency more efficient. “Working with Doge devs to improve system transaction efficiency,” he said. “Potentially promising. ” Musk has made cryptocurrency a core part of his identity over the past year. On Twitter, and during an appearance on “Saturday Night Live” the past wee
21h
The US Navy Is Developing Drones to Kill Eggs in Wild Bird Nests
Fight or Flight The US Navy and a company called Hitron Technologies are developing a new autonomous killer drone designed specifically to seek and destroy the Navy’s ultimate foe: birds. The drones are a counterattack against the dangers of bird strikes at and around airfields, New Scientist reports , which can damage planes and have led to crashes and forced landings in the past. The drones, wh
1d
SpaceX Reveals Plans for First Orbital Starship Test Flight
Going Orbital In a document filed with the Federal Communications Commission, first spotted by The Verge , SpaceX has outlined its plans for the first orbital test flight of its Starship platform. Going orbital is a key stepping stone towards sending the first humans to the Moon since the Apollo missions — and even Mars — making this journey a key inflection point for the Elon Musk-led space comp
1d
Deadly Brain-Eating Fungus Outbreak Spreads Beyond India
Earlier this week, health officials in India sounded the alarm that “black fungus” infections called mucormycosis were popping up among COVID-19 patients and survivors — especially those with diabetes — at alarming rates. Now, the same appears to be happening in neighboring Pakistan, according to The News International , the country’s largest English-language newspaper. Several hospitals in Pakis
1d
Interstellar Plutonium Found in Pacific Ocean, Scientists Say
Special Delivery Researchers have identified traces of plutonium that came to Earth from a distant supernova and landed in the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. The plutonium, which was dug up by a Japanese oil company and donated to scientists, is comparatively young, according to research published Thursday in the journal Science, at least compared to the age of the rest of the cosmos. And because i
1d
Lawyer Slams Bill Gates for Connections to Jeffrey Epstein
On Blast Bill Gates can’t seem to catch a break over his ties to convicted sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein. Not only were those connections a seemingly major factor in Gates’ ongoing divorce , but now a lawyer who represents nine of Epstein’s victims is putting Gates on blast all over again. Gates has long downplayed any relationship with Epstein — an assertion that later reporting undermined — and
3h
SpaceX Releases Epic Footage From Latest Starship Launch
Now in HD SpaceX has released glorious footage of its fifth high-altitude test flight of its Mars-bound rocket, Starship. The test flight, which took place on May 5, marked the first time the Elon Musk-led company managed to land a full-scale prototype of the 165-foot rocket — without it exploding dramatically. One More Time The new footage shows the massive structure dubbed SN15 lift off from th
7h
Former Navy Pilot Says Team Saw Unidentified Objects “Every Day” For Years
A Pentagon task force is about to release a long-awaited report about “ unidentified aerial phenomena ,” unusual sightings of strange flying objects that appeared to be defying the laws of physics, mystifying military personnel over the last 15 or so years. It’s anybody’s guess what the report will or won’t reveal, more and more pilots are coming out to publicly talk about what they saw during th
1h
Elon Musk Has Lost $20 Billion Since Hosting “SNL”
Tesla Drop Tesla CEO Elon Musk has lost a considerable amount of his wealth, more than $20 billion, since he made his appearance on “Saturday Night Live” last weekend, Forbes reports . Shares of the electric car company fell some 15 percent this week , cutting the billionaire’s net worth by $20.5, down from $145.5 billion as of Thursday, according to Forbes . Bitcoin also saw a significant drop,
2h
Weird dreams train us for the unexpected, says new theory
AI inspires hypothesis that sleeping human brain might try to break its overfamiliarity with daily data It’s a common enough scenario: you walk into your local supermarket to buy some milk, but by the time you get to the till, the milk bottle has turned into a talking fish. Then you remember you’ve got your GCSE maths exam in the morning, but you haven’t attended a maths lesson for nearly three d
4h
India variant could lead to serious third wave of Covid in UK
Analysis: If B.1.617.2 proves highly transmissible, hospitalisations could peak again, models show Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage It was all looking so good. After a brutal second wave in the winter, the lockdown combined with the swift rollout of vaccines forced infections, hospitalisations and deaths down to levels not seen since last summer. The vaccines performe
5h
It Would Be Incredibly Hard to Make Bitcoin Sustainable, Experts Say
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently announced that the car company will no longer accept Bitcoin as a form of payment, citing the cryptocurrency’s immense power requirements and environmental toll — but hedged his bet, saying that if the currency becomes greener, Tesla will embrace it again. “Tesla will not be selling any Bitcoin and we intend to use it for transactions as soon as mining transitions to
5h
UK Covid live: officials consider ‘surge vaccinations’ to combat spread of Indian variant
Latest updates: concern that spread of variant found in India, B1.617.2, may derail planned easing of lockdown restrictions in England Call for ‘surge vaccinations’ as UK cases of India variant double Pubs, restaurants and cafes in Wales to open indoors from Monday Boost self-isolation payments or risk Covid resurgence, experts say Global coronavirus updates – live 10.19am BST Paul Hunter , profe
13h
Is This the End?
T he announcement seemed to catch everyone off guard: Early Thursday afternoon, the government told Americans that if they were fully vaccinated against COVID-19, they did not need to wear a mask—indoors or outside, in groups small or large. People who have gotten their shots, Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, said at a White House press briefing, “can start doing the things that you had stopp
21h
Japanese Billionaire Buys Passage to International Space Station
Warmup Trip Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa announced today that he’s he’s going to visit the International Space Station before embarking on a much longer journey around the Moon on board a SpaceX Starship. The fashion tycoon booked two seats on a Russian Soyuz capsule — not a SpaceX Crew Dragon, notably — to launch to the orbital outpost in December. He will be accompanied by his production
1d
Florida’s Gene-Hacked Mosquitoes Have Hatched and Taken Flight
Fly, My Pretties! The genetically-engineered mosquitoes unleashed earlier this month in the Florida Keys are now old enough to take flight, reproduce, and spread their genetic code throughout the wild population. The mosquitoes are part of an experimental release — the first ecological-scale genetically engineered animal release in the US — designed to target and curb the local population of Aede
4h
Bill Heal obituary
Soil scientist with a key role in creating the Environmental Change Network and the University of the Arctic When Bill Heal, who has died aged 86, began studying soil decomposers in the 1950s, researchers aimed to understand the ecosystem in which they functioned. Growing awareness of global heating in the decades since has given this work increased urgency: the very slow rates of decomposition of
4h
No One Actually Knows If You’re Vaccinated
If you have been fortunate enough to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, you also possess an essential, high-tech tool for proving your immunity to others. Just kidding, it’s a piece of cardstock. On the flimsy rectangle that all Americans get with their shots, doctors and pharmacists record dates of administration, vaccine type, and lot number. Some scrawl the information by hand with a pen; others appl
5h
Dogecoin Spikes After Elon Tweets About Helping Its Developers
A day after publicly announcing that Tesla is no longer accepting Bitcoin as a form of payment, citing the currency’s negative impacts on the environment, CEO Elon Musk suggested that he was working with the developers of Dogecoin to make it more environmentally friendly. “Working with Doge devs to improve system transaction efficiency,” Musk tweeted. “Potentially promising.” Surprising nobody, t
7h
What can England do to combat the Indian Covid variant?
A list of possible measures that could be taken by the government to limit the spread of the variant Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The possible spread of the highly transmissible B.1.617.2 variant of Covid, first identified in India, threatens to hamper the timetable for removing lockdown restrictions, since a series of localised outbreaks have been detected . Here
7h
The Achilles heel of the coronavirus
Viruses require the resources of an infected cell to replicate and then infect further cells, and transfer to other individuals. One essential step in the viral life cycle is the production of new viral proteins based on the instructions in the viral RNA genome. Following these construction plans, the cell's own protein synthesis machine, called the ribosome, produces the viral proteins.
1d
New Cryptocurrency Kills Your Hard Drive to Mine New Coins
The race is on to become the next mainstream cryptocurrency that doesn’t contribute millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions due to unsustainable mining practices. Now, a new cryptocurrency called Chia, founded by BitTorrent creator Bram Cohen, is promising to make mining cryptocurrencies at home a whole lot easier and sustainable. But it may have an Achilles heel that could make it a lot les
3h
The Surprise Hiding in the DNA of Pet Fish
In 1975, scientists tried spaying a few hundred female betta fish. We all know what happens to spayed cats and dogs: They become sterile. Betta fish are different. A third of the surviving bettas regenerated an ovary—which, okay, interesting enough. But the remaining two-thirds did something much, much stranger: They grew testes. They turned brighter and darker in color too—like male bettas. They
6h
Put Anthony Fauci in a Dunk Tank
Updated at 11:22 a.m. ET on May 14, 2021. Imagine a Fourth of July 2021 celebration at the White House. America has reached its vaccination goals. A jubilant President Joe Biden rips off his mask, douses it in lighter fluid, and tosses it on a charcoal grill, where it burns for the news cameras. Late afternoon turns to early evening, with the promise of fireworks ahead, but before then, Anthony F
11h
Photos: Eid al-Fitr and the End of Ramadan 2021
The Muslim Eid al-Fitr festival, marking the end of the month of Ramadan, began this week in parts of the world where sightings of the new moon were made. During Ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting, devout Muslims abstain from food, drink, and sex from dawn until sunset. The fast, one of the five pillars of Islam, is seen as a time for spiritual reflection, prayers, and charity. After sunset, M
1d
The Guardian view on the Covid public inquiry: an undemocratic delay | Editorial
Boris Johnson should get the preliminaries under way and advance the start date The good news is that Boris Johnson has finally announced a public inquiry into the United Kingdom’s Covid-19 pandemic. Public inquiries remain pivotal in our public life, even today, and it was inconceivable that there would not be one on what the prime minister this week called “a trauma like no other”. For many mon
1d
Schools Must Open This Fall. In Person. Five Days a Week.
Melissa Ann Pinney Schools must open this fall. In person. Five days a week. With the space and and health safeguards to do so. The American Federation of Teachers, which I lead, is committed to making this happen. School is where children learn best, where they play together and form relationships and acquire resilience. It’s where many children who otherwise might go hungry eat breakfast and lu
5h
What we know about the Indian Covid variant so far | Julian Tang
The good news is, we think existing vaccines will protect us against this rapidly spreading strain. But we need more data Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The new variant of the Covid-19 virus first detected in India comes in three forms : B.1.617.1 (abbreviated as variant 1), B.1.617.2 (variant 2) and B.1.617.3 (variant 3). Each of these has a slightly different gene
6h
We Can’t Hide in Our Bubble of Immunity Forever
The United States is rapidly encasing itself in a bubble of immunity. Heading into a quite possibly wonderful summer , more than half of adults are at least partly vaccinated against COVID-19, and their masks are coming off . Some will be rewarded with a million-dollar prize. The rest can wander into any CVS when they feel so moved. Soon that luxury will extend to tweens. By July 4, according to
7h
Politically polarized brains share an intolerance of uncertainty
Since the 1950s, political scientists have theorized that political polarization—increased numbers of "political partisans" who view the world with an ideological bias—is associated with an inability to tolerate uncertainty and a need to hold predictable beliefs about the world.
14h
Two Planes Collide — With, Miraculously, Zero Injuries
Bullseye Two planes crashed into each other in midair on Wednesday while they were both preparing to land at a small airport in Arapahoe County, Colorado, just outside Denver. But shockingly, no one involved in the accident was hurt, according to The Associated Press . Both pilots were able to make emergency landings and walk away unscathed, as did the one passenger who had been along for the unf
1d
Remorseless Man Brags About Abusing Tesla Self-Driving Features
Some people never learn their lesson. A 25-year-old named Param Sharma was locked up by the California Highway Police (CHP) this week for reckless driving and disobeying a peace officer, according to ABC News , in what appears to be the latest incident of a driver abusing Tesla’s self-driving features. Multiple videos uploaded to Instagram show Sharma repeatedly riding Tesla vehicles from the bac
1d
A paralyzed man is challenging Neuralink’s monkey to a match of mind Pong
A man with a brain implant that allows him to control computers via mental signals says he is ready to challenge Elon Musk’s neuroscience company Neuralink in a head-to-head game of Pong—with a monkey. Neuralink is developing advanced wireless brain implants so humans can connect directly to computer networks. In April, researchers working with the company showed off videos of a rhesus monkey nam
1h
Fibre-optics used to take the temperature of Greenland Ice Sheet
Scientists have used fibre-optic sensing to obtain the most detailed measurements of ice properties ever taken on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Their findings will be used to make more accurate models of the future movement of the world's second-largest ice sheet, as the effects of climate change continue to accelerate.
3h
Modern society is as unequal as 14th century Europe
A new essay depicts 700 years of economic inequality in Europe. The only stretch of time more egalitarian than today was the period between 1350 to approximately the year 1700. Data suggest that, without intervention, inequality does not decrease on its own. Economic inequality is a constant topic. No matter the cycle — boom or bust — somebody is making a lot of money, and the question of fairnes
4h
The CDC’s Big Mask Surprise Came Out of Nowhere
Yesterday, the CDC announced that fully vaccinated Americans can stop wearing masks in most indoor and outdoor places. The new guidelines still advise the fully vaccinated to mask up when entering certain public areas, such as doctor’s offices. This is a moment to celebrate. It is not quite the pandemic’s equivalent of V-E Day ; after all, thousands of people are still dying around the world each
4h
Solar wind from the center of the Earth
High-precision noble gas analyses indicate that solar wind particles from our primordial Sun were encased in the Earth's core over 4.5 billion years ago. Researchers from the Institute of Earth Sciences at Heidelberg University have concluded that the particles made their way into the overlying rock mantle over millions of years. The scientists found solar noble gases in an iron meteorite they stu
5h
Indian Covid variant: which countries have highest infection rates?
Some data suggests variant has ‘increased transmissibility’ compared with other strains Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The World Health Organization said on Tuesday the Indian Covid-19 variant was a global concern , with some data suggesting the variant has “increased transmissibility” compared with other strains. Outside India, the UK has recorded the highest numbe
5h
Is the past (and future) there when nobody looks?
In 1961, the Nobel prize winning theoretical physicist Eugene Wigner proposed what is now known as the 'Wigner's friend' thought experiment as an extension of the notorious Schroedinger's cat experiment. In the latter, a cat is trapped in a box with poison that will be released if a radioactive atom decays. Governed by quantum mechanical laws, the radioactive atom is in a superposition between dec
6h
Less wastage during production of marble slabs in the Roman imperial period than today
When it comes to ancient Roman imperial architecture, most people usually have a mental image of white marble statues, columns, or slabs. While it is true that many buildings and squares at that time were decorated with marble, it was frequently not white but colored marble that was employed, such as the green-veined Cipollino Verde, which was extracted on the Greek island of Euboea. Because marbl
6h
Language models like GPT-3 could herald a new type of search engine
In 1998 a couple of Stanford graduate students published a paper describing a new kind of search engine : “In this paper, we present Google, a prototype of a large-scale search engine which makes heavy use of the structure present in hypertext. Google is designed to crawl and index the Web efficiently and produce much more satisfying search results than existing systems.” The key innovation was a
6h
The Atlantic Daily: The Beginning of the End of America’s Pandemic?
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. The United States coronavirus outbreak seemed to enter a new phase today with the CDC’s announcement that fully vaccinated Americans no longer need to wear masks indoors or socially distance—with
7h
Epicurus and the atheist's guide to happiness
The Epicureans were some of the world's first materialists and argued that there is neither God, nor gods, nor spirits, but only atoms and the physical world. They believed that life was about finding pleasure and avoiding pain and that both were achieved by minimizing our desires for things. The Epicurean Four Step Remedy is advice on how we can face the world, achieve happiness, and not worry a
8h
Charting the expansion history of the universe with supernovae
An international research team analyzed a database of more than 1000 supernova explosions and found that models for the expansion of the Universe best match the data when a new time dependent variation is introduced. If proven correct with future, higher-quality data from the Subaru Telescope and other observatories, these results could indicate still unknown physics working on the cosmic scale.
8h
Observations show marine clouds amplify warming
A new analysis of satellite cloud observations finds that global warming causes low-level clouds over the oceans to decrease, leading to further warming. The work, led by researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in collaboration with colleagues from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the NASA Langley Research Center, appears online in Nature Climate Change.
9h
In Defense of Snow Days
Virtual school after a snowstorm is yet another kind of techno-solutionist slush that should be plowed away.
9h
An Ode to My Flip Phone
Tim Lahan This article was published online on May 14, 2021. L ump in my pocket ; buzz against my thigh; beloved, clunky Kyocera flip phone, let me salute you. I can’t remember how long we’ve been together. Seven years? More? Even back then, you were retro. The salesman in the phone store spoke warmly of your indestructibility, as if that were your prime virtue: He said I could throw you against
11h
Intolerance of uncertainty modulates brain-to-brain synchrony during politically polarized perception [Psychological and Cognitive Sciences]
Political partisans see the world through an ideologically biased lens. What drives political polarization? Although it has been posited that polarization arises because of an inability to tolerate uncertainty and a need to hold predictable beliefs about the world, evidence for this hypothesis remains elusive. We examined the relationship between…
1d
The Books Briefing: What’s Wrong With Following a Recipe?
Naz Deravian, the author of the cookbook Bottom of the Pot , grew up in a family that shunned recipes in favor of spontaneous cooking—an attitude that initially impeded her effort to write a cookbook. However, as she wrote in an article for The Atlantic , the specificity and certainty of following a recipe eventually became a source of comfort for her, especially as she grappled with national and
6h
Biotech Firm Behind CRISPR Mosquitoes Is Working on Other Gene-Hacked Creatures
Pest Portfolio Oxitec, the British biotech firm behind the genetically engineered mosquitoes that just took flight in the Florida Keys this week, is now moving on to its next gene-hacked pest. The company is partnering with pharmaceutical corporation Bayer on a genetically engineered version of the fall armyworm, a notorious crop-eating pest that’s ravaged farms in the US, China, India, Brazil, a
2h
Gaia might even be able to detect the gravitational wave background of the universe
The Gaia spacecraft is an impressive feat of engineering. Its primary mission is to map the position and motion of more than a billion stars in our galaxy, creating the most comprehensive map of the Milky Way thus far. Gaia collects such a large amount of precision data that it can make discoveries well beyond its main mission. For example, by looking at the spectra of stars, astronomers can measu
9h
Using micro-sized cut metal wires, team forges path to new uses for terahertz waves
Japanese researchers successfully tested reflectionless, highly refractive index metasurface that may eventually be used in practical applications to send, receive, and manipulate light and radio waves in the terahertz waveband (THz). THz is measured in millionths of a meter, known as micrometers. The metasurface, an artificial two-dimensional flat material, was made of micro-sized cut metal wires
5h
You are suffering from “tab overload”
A new study suggests that tabs can cause people to be flustered as they try to keep track of every website. The reason is that tabs are unable to properly organize information. The researchers are plugging a browser extension that aims to fix the problem. A lot of ideas that people had about the internet in the 1990s have fallen by the wayside as technology and our usage patterns evolved. Long go
4h
England will ‘flex’ Covid vaccinations to tackle India variant, minister says
Deployment of jabs could be speeded up for multi-generational households in areas virus is spreading quickly Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Ministers will “flex” England’s vaccination programme in response to concerns over the spread of the India variant, a government minister has confirmed. Areas where the B.1.617.2 variant, first identified in India, is spreading
12h
Researchers identify a missing piece of the Lyme disease puzzle
Epidemic. Pandemic. These terms have become second nature to us, popping up in everyday conversation, and for good reason — COVID-19 is the latest pandemic to pose a threat to humanity. But in recent months, far less attention has been paid to another widely spread problem that has been proliferating since the late 1970s: Lyme disease.
20h
Photos of the Week: Sandy Hooves, Sunny Park, Count Binface
Reopenings in Europe, coping with COVID-19 in India, kayak racing in Italy, artistic swimming in Budapest, an elephant-seal pup in California, a candlelight commemoration in Prague, a skateboard park in Texas, a Victory Day parade in Russia, protests in Colombia, and much more
16h
Reaction kinetics drive chiral nanocrystal formation in tellurium atoms
A team of researchers from Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, the University of Washington and the Kavli Energy NanoScience Institute has found that reaction kinetics are the factors that drive chiral nanocrystal formation in tellurium atoms. In their paper published in the journal Science, the grou
8h
Are we in an AI summer or AI winter?
The history of AI shows boom periods (AI summers) followed by busts (AI winters). The cyclical nature of AI funding is due to hype and promises not fulfilling expectations. This time, we might enter something resembling an AI autumn rather than an AI winter, but fundamental questions remain if true AI is even possible. The dream of building a machine that can think like a human stretches back to
1d
Hidden processes at work in the hearts of large stars revealed
Astronomers commonly refer to massive stars as the chemical factories of the Universe. They generally end their lives in spectacular supernovae, events that forge many of the elements on the periodic table. How elemental nuclei mix within these enormous stars has a major impact on our understanding of their evolution prior to their explosion. It also represents the largest uncertainty for scientis
1d
Victoria's watch catchments may not recover from drought, study finds
Australian-first research by Monash University discredits the theory that rivers and underground water supplies eventually replenish following droughts or floods. Following the Australian Millennium Drought, one-third of Victoria's water catchments still had not recovered from drought nearly eight years later. For those water catchments not recovered, roughly 80 per cent showed no evidence of reco
1d
Hanging by a thread: Imaging and probing chains of single atoms
Low-dimensional materials, such as 1D monoatomic chains, exhibit exotic properties that could find interesting applications. However, single-atom bonds and their mechanical characteristics are difficult to study. In a recent study, scientists from JAIST, Japan, showcase a novel method to simultaneously image monoatomic platinum chains with a transmission electron microscope while measuring their b
8h
Startup Lets Checked-Out Influencers Deepfake Themselves for Product Endorsements
Influencer Automation A startup called Veritone is launching a new AI platform that will let celebrities, influencers, and other prominent figures create, control, and license deepfakes of their own voice. The idea is that these self-deepfakers may want to leverage their celebrity status to make more money recording commercials, endorsements, or any other monetizable audio but simply don’t have t
6h
Force-sensing PIEZO proteins are at work in plants, too
A family of proteins that sense mechanical force—and enable our sense of touch and many other important bodily functions—also are essential for proper root growth in some plants, according to a study led by scientists at Scripps Research and Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).
14h
Few realistic scenarios left to limit global warming to 1.5°C
Of the over 400 climate scenarios assessed in the 1.5°C report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), only around 50 scenarios avoid significantly overshooting 1.5°C. Of those only around 20 make realistic assumptions on mitigation options, for instance the rate and scale of carbon removal from the atmosphere or extent of tree planting, a new study shows. All 20 scenarios need to
6h
A universal method to easily design tough and stretchable hydrogels
In a new report in NPG Asia materials, Chisa Norioka and a team of scientists in Chemistry and Materials Engineering in Japan, detailed a universal method to easily prepare tough and stretchable hydrogels without special structures or complications. They tuned the polymerization conditions to form networks with many polymer chain entanglements, to achieve energy dissipation throughout the resultin
1d
Senator Says the Military Is Secretly Spying on Americans
Looking Inward The military seems to be spying on American citizens without a warrant or legal authorization, according to a newly-released letter from Senator Ron Wyden to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Wyden, a longtime advocate for privacy who opposes surveillance tech, recently asked the Pentagon to disclose the various ways it collects information on US citizens, Motherboard reports . Bu
1h
CDC Data Reveals Frustrating Infant Death Statistics
Since the significant decrease in the rates of sudden unexpected infant deaths in the 90s, we have hit a bit of a wall and there is much we don't know about this complicated problem. A new study analyzing CDC data is a step in the right direction. The post first appeared on Science-Based Medicine .
10h
Climate change threatens one-third of global food production
Climate change is known to negatively affect agriculture and livestock, but there has been little scientific knowledge on which regions of the planet would be touched or what the biggest risks may be. New research led by Aalto University assesses just how global food production will be affected if greenhouse gas emissions are left uncut. The study is published in the prestigious journal One Earth
5h
Screening for ovarian cancer did not reduce early deaths
The latest analysis looked at data from more than 200,000 women aged 50-74 at recruitment who were followed up for an average of 16 years. The women were randomly allocated to one of three groups: no screening, annual screening using an ultrasound scan, and annual multimodal screening involving a blood test followed by an ultrasound scan as a second line test.
20h
What Sets Amazon’s The Underground Railroad Apart From Other Slavery Stories
Atsushi Nishijima / Amazon Studios What does freedom sound like? For Barry Jenkins, the answer started with the Earth. While filming The Underground Railroad , the new limited series adapted from Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel, the director was caught off guard by a rumbling beneath his feet. The source was a nearby construction site, but to Jenkins, the vibration felt like a tra
3h
Using cell phones as space weather vanes
Your smartphone may be able to sense space weather and even get a little disoriented by it, according to researchers, who tested how geomagnetic storms affect the magnetic sensors in cell phones. The new research suggests that apps being developed to use cell phone magnetometers to pinpoint locations could be susceptible to space weather errors. On the other hand, millions of phones sensing change
6h
Ticking upward: Researcher studies rise of tick-borne diseases in Midwest
When a researcher heard from a former colleague at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that a 7-year-old girl had died from Rocky Mountain spotted fever as the result of a tick bite, he thought of his own daughter, also 7 years old at the time, and the potentially fatal danger posed to vulnerable populations by tick-borne diseases.
21h
Researchers find previously unknown role of primary cilia in vertebrate cells
The primary cilium, an antenna-like subcellular structure ('organelle') protruding from the outside of many types of vertebrate cells, has an important but previously overlooked role in guiding the growth of lymphatic vessels, shows a new study. The authors show for the first time that mouse and human lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), which make up the inner and outer lining of lymphatic vessels
9h
Podcast: Share the Vaccine ‘Recipe’
When the Biden administration announced support for waiving COVID-19 vaccine patents last week, it was met with praise, relief, skepticism, and alarm by different groups—but surprise all around. Pharmaceutical giants have long fought efforts to have their intellectual property released to meet international needs. And they’ve backed it up with immense political muscle. Could this time be differen
21h
Market report: Rising stock wealth does boost spending, employment
The stock market is a staple of business news, but it is unclear how meaningful stock prices are to the larger economy. Do changes in stock prices directly affect shorter-term consumption, or are they just leading indicators for subsequent economic activity? The U.S. Federal Reserve, for its part, usually seems to act as if stock-based wealth does help drive spending and employment. But is this co
1d
Microfluidics: The tiny, beautiful tech hidden all around you
When you think of micro- or nanotechnology, you likely think of small electronics like your phone, a tiny robot or a microchip. But COVID-19 tests—which have proven to be central to controlling the pandemic—are also a form of miniaturized technology. Many COVID-19 tests can give results within hours without the need to send a sample to a lab, and most of these tests use an approach called microflu
5h
Understanding how people make sense of the news they consume
How people consume news and take actions based on what they read, hear or see, is different than how human brains process other types of information on a daily basis, according to researchers at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. While the current state of the newspaper industry is in flux, these journalism experts discovered people still love reading newspapers, and they believe a n
1d
“Yep, pretty slow”: Nutrition researchers lose six papers
Six months after we reported that journals had slapped expressions of concern on more than three dozen papers by a group of nutrition researchers in Iran, the retractions have started to trickle in. But clock started nearly two years ago, after data sleuths presented journals with questions about the findings in roughly 170 papers by … Continue reading
10h
Fighting the nature crisis from space: Measuring biodiversity with satellites
As humans, we're currently facing two big environmental crises: climate change and biodiversity loss. The first managed to gain a lot of public attention and funding, whereas the latter goes on more slowly in the background. One of the key problems the biodiversity crisis is facing, is the few ways to monitor biodiversity. In his recent publication, Prof Dr. Andrew Skidmore and his team linked exi
9h
Modular blue light-sensitive photoswitch developed for optogenetic engineering
Recently, Prof. WANG Junfeng from the High Magnetic Field Laboratory of the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS), together with international scholars, developed a novel circular permutated light-oxygen-voltage 2 (LOV2) to expand the repertoire of genetically encoded photoswitches, which will accelerate the design of novel optogenetic devices. The result was published in Nature Chemical Bi
9h
Everybody by Olivia Laing review – a book about freedom
A moving and clear-eyed history of bodily freedoms that takes as its central character Wilhelm Reich, inventor of the orgone accumulator Right at the end of this exhilarating journey through a century’s struggles over the human body, Olivia Laing invites her reader to “imagine, for a minute, what it would be like to inhabit a body without fear”. This simple hope comes to sound like a radical dema
13h
Crashing Chinese rocket highlights growing dangers of space debris
This weekend, a Chinese rocket booster, weighing nearly 23 tons, came rushing back to Earth after spending more than a week in space—the result of what some critics, including NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, have attributed to poor planning by China. Pieces of the rocket, dubbed Long March 5B, are believed to have splashed down in the Indian Ocean near the Maldives, and no one was injured.
1d
Detector technology yields unprecedented 3D images, heralding far larger application to study neutrinos
An experiment to capture unprecedented 3D images of the trajectories of charged particles has been demonstrated using cosmic rays as they strike and travel through a cryostat filled with a ton of liquid argon. The results confirm the capabilities of a novel detector technology for particle physics developed by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) in collaboration wit
7h
Largest study of hunger in the UK released
New research released today sheds light on the groups of people across the UK who are disproportionately affected by hunger as well as the key drivers behind food bank use. Commissioned by the Trussell Trust and conducted by Heriot-Watt University, State of Hunger 2021 is the largest study of hunger in the UK to date.
9h
Helping endangered sea turtles, one emergency surgery at a time
"Help! I'm fishing and just caught a huge sea turtle. She's completely swallowed my hook." We are two veterinarians, Debra Moore, who specializes in sea turtles, and John Thomason, who specializes in internal medicine. This is a call we get a lot in our work with the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network.
1d
Emergence of a new heteronanostructure library
Organizing functional objects in a complex, sophisticated architecture at the nanoscale can yield hybrid materials that tremendously outperform their solo objects, offering exciting routes towards a spectrum of applications. Developments in synthetic chemistry over past decades has enabled a library of hybrid nanostructures, such as core-shell, patchy, dimer, and hierarchical/branched ones.
5h
New research shows: Antoni van Leeuwenhoek led rivals astray
A microscope used by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek to conduct pioneering research contains a surprisingly ordinary lens, as new research by Rijksmuseum Boerhaave Leiden and TU Delft shows. It is a remarkable finding, because Van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723) led other scientists to believe that his instruments were exceptional. Consequently, there has been speculation about his method for making lenses for mor
3h
New screening method could lead to microbe-based replacements for chemical pesticides
Plants have evolved unique immunity mechanisms that they can activate upon detecting the presence of a pathogen. Interestingly, the presence of some nonpathogenic microorganisms can also prompt a plant to activate its systemic immunity mechanisms, and some studies have shown that pretreating agricultural crops with such "immunity-activating" nonpathogenic microorganisms can leave the crops better
7h
Brain mechanism of curiosity unraveled
Researchers have discovered a new brain circuit underlying curiosity and novelty seeking behavior. Using several innovative techniques, the scientists uncovered a whole path of multiple brain regions that converts curiosity into action in mice.
21h
COVID-19 is not influenza, but it offers lessons on beating it, say researchers
A study of the 2020 influenza figures from Canada, the United States, Australia and Brazil shows that there is a clear relationship between COVID-mitigation measures such as hand-washing, masking and social distancing and the spread of the annual flu, researchers report. They write that these preventive measures all but eliminated the flu in countries where it can kill tens of thousands of people
1d
Nanophotonics enhanced coverslip for phase imaging in biology
The ability to visualize transparent objects such as biological cells is of fundamental importance in biology and medical diagnostics. Conventional approaches to achieve this include phase-contrast microscopy and techniques that rely on chemical staining of biological cells. These techniques, however, rely on expensive and bulky optical components or require changing, and in some cases damaging, t
5h
Getting ready to rocket
The pieces are stacking up for the launch of Artemis 1 mission around the moon and back. The massive Space Launch Systems (SLS) rocket that will launch the first crewless test flight of the Orion spacecraft, powered by the European Service Module, is being integrated at the Vehicle Assemble Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, U.S..
5h
Scientists reveal unprecedentedly versatile new DNA staining probe
A group of scientists at Nagoya University, Japan, have developed an incredibly versatile DNA fluorescent dye, named 'Kakshine' after a former NU student of its members, Dr. Kakishi Uno, but it also means to make the nucleus shine brightly, since the nucleus is pronounced 'Kaku' in Japanese. Dr. Uno, with Dr. Yoshikatsu Sato and Nagisa Sugimoto, the other two members of the research team at the In
6h
Toyota Is Building a Futuristic Prototype City Powered by Hydrogen
Most of the focus for making self-driving cars a widespread reality is on the cars themselves, specifically on the technology they require to safely perceive and interact with the world around them: sensors, cameras, lidar, and the like, all sitting on software platforms that integrate AI and machine learning. But what if it’s not all about the cars? Maybe it’s equally important to get cities rea
7h
Where on Earth is all the water?
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.
7h
Climate adaptation finance is ineffective and must be more transparent
In 2019, an international climate fund approved a ten year US$9.3 million project to support communities in the drylands of Mozambique that are affected by frequent droughts. This money seems a lot, but it really is not much for a country also affected by other climate-related events such as cyclones. Indeed, the World Bank estimates Mozambique needs at least US$400 million a year to protect itsel
7h
Which animals will survive climate change?
Climate change is exacerbating problems like habitat loss and temperatures swings that have already pushed many animal species to the brink. But can scientists predict which animals will be able to adapt and survive? Using genome sequencing, researchers from McGill University show that some fish, like the threespine stickleback, can adapt very rapidly to extreme seasonal changes. Their findings co
8h
Two-in-one: Wide-angle monitoring meets high-resolution capture in new camera platform
In most cameras, there is a trade-off between the field-of-view and resolution. Omnidirectional cameras offer a 360-degree field of view but poor resolution. In a new study, researchers design a dual camera-based platform employing an omnidirectional camera for target detection and a separate camera for its high-resolution capture and report an overall improved performance, opening doors to potent
20h
Making AI algorithms show their work
Artificial intelligence (AI) learning machines can be trained to solve problems and puzzles on their own instead of using rules that we made for them. But often, researchers do not know what rules the machines make for themselves. A new method quizzes a machine-learning program to figure out what rules it learned on its own and if they are the right ones.
21h
Synthesizing a new class of bio-inspired, light-capturing nanomaterials
Inspired by nature, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), along with collaborators from Washington State University, created a novel material capable of capturing light energy. This material provides a highly efficient artificial light-harvesting system with potential applications in photovoltaics and bioimaging.
48min
New technology enables rapid sequencing of entire genomes of plant pathogens
Next-generation sequencing technology has made it easier than ever for quick diagnosis of plant diseases. "It's really exciting to see how sequencing technologies have evolved and how this new technology facilitates sequencing of entire genomes in such a short amount of time," said Yazmín Rivera, a plant pathologist with the United States Department of Agriculture's Plant Protection and Quarantine
54min
Terpen-tales: The mystery behind the unique fragrance of the lovely lavender
Scientists from China have sequenced and analyzed the genome of lavender to provide insights into what causes its distinct aroma. Their findings shed light into the evolution of this uniquely fragrant plant, which could pave the way for creating improved lavender varieties besides adding to existing knowledge on the evolution, phytochemistry, and ecology of Lamiaceae, the plant family to which lav
56min
Team finds earliest signs of humans changing ecosystems with fire
A new study provides the earliest evidence to date of ancient humans significantly altering entire ecosystems with fire. The study, which appears in the journal Science Advances , combines archaeological evidence—dense clusters of stone artifacts dating as far back as 92,000 years ago—with paleoenvironmental data on the northern shores of Lake Malawi in eastern Africa to document that early human
1h
Heart attack recovery aided by injecting heart muscle cells that overexpress cyclin D2
In a large-animal study, researchers have shown that heart attack recovery is aided by injection of heart muscle cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cell line, or hiPSCs, that overexpress cyclin D2. This research, published in the journal Circulation, used a pig model of heart attacks, which more closely resembles the human heart in size and physiology, and thus has higher clinical r
1h
A vertebrate adaptive radiation is assembled from an ancient and disjunct spatiotemporal landscape [Evolution]
To investigate the origins and stages of vertebrate adaptive radiation, we reconstructed the spatial and temporal histories of adaptive alleles underlying major phenotypic axes of diversification from the genomes of 202 Caribbean pupfishes. On a single Bahamian island, ancient standing variation from disjunct geographic sources was reassembled into new combinations…
2h
A spatial model of YAP/TAZ signaling reveals how stiffness, dimensionality, and shape contribute to emergent outcomes [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
YAP/TAZ is a master regulator of mechanotransduction whose functions rely on translocation from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in response to diverse physical cues. Substrate stiffness, substrate dimensionality, and cell shape are all input signals for YAP/TAZ, and through this pathway, regulate critical cellular functions and tissue homeostasis. Yet, the…
2h
Retrieval-constrained valuation: Toward prediction of open-ended decisions [Psychological and Cognitive Sciences]
Real-world decisions are often open ended, with goals, choice options, or evaluation criteria conceived by decision-makers themselves. Critically, the quality of decisions may heavily rely on the generation of options, as failure to generate promising options limits, or even eliminates, the opportunity for choosing them. This core aspect of problem…
2h
Modulating the voltage sensor of a cardiac potassium channel shows antiarrhythmic effects [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
Cardiac arrhythmias are the most common cause of sudden cardiac death worldwide. Lengthening the ventricular action potential duration (APD), either congenitally or via pathologic or pharmacologic means, predisposes to a life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia, Torsade de Pointes. IKs (KCNQ1+KCNE1), a slowly activating K+ current, plays a role in action potential repolarization….
2h
AP-3-dependent targeting of flippase ATP8A1 to lamellar bodies suppresses activation of YAP in alveolar epithelial type 2 cells [Cell Biology]
Lamellar bodies (LBs) are lysosome-related organelles (LROs) of surfactant-producing alveolar type 2 (AT2) cells of the distal lung epithelium. Trafficking pathways to LBs have been understudied but are likely critical to AT2 cell homeostasis given associations between genetic defects of endosome to LRO trafficking and pulmonary fibrosis in Hermansky Pudlak…
2h
BRET-based effector membrane translocation assay monitors GPCR-promoted and endocytosis-mediated Gq activation at early endosomes [Pharmacology]
G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) are gatekeepers of cellular homeostasis and the targets of a large proportion of drugs. In addition to their signaling activity at the plasma membrane, it has been proposed that their actions may result from translocation and activation of G proteins at endomembranes—namely endosomes. This could have…
2h
100-My history of bornavirus infections hidden in vertebrate genomes [Microbiology]
Although viruses have threatened our ancestors for millions of years, prehistoric epidemics of viruses are largely unknown. Endogenous bornavirus-like elements (EBLs) are ancient bornavirus sequences derived from the viral messenger RNAs that were reverse transcribed and inserted into animal genomes, most likely by retrotransposons. These elements can be used as…
2h
An ecosystem service perspective on urban nature, physical activity, and health [Environmental Sciences]
Nature underpins human well-being in critical ways, especially in health. Nature provides pollination of nutritious crops, purification of drinking water, protection from floods, and climate security, among other well-studied health benefits. A crucial, yet challenging, research frontier is clarifying how nature promotes physical activity for its many mental and physical…
2h
Teachers' gender, sexuality, and age affect perceptions of sexual misconduct of students
The United States has witnessed a steep rise in reports, arrests, and media coverage of teachers' sexual misconduct with students. A new study investigated the impact of perpetrators' gender, sexuality, and age on perceptions of teacher sexual misconduct. The study found that responses to teachers' misconduct varied according to certain characteristics, which can influence whether victims report t
3h
Scientists rewrite the genesis of mosquito-borne viruses
Better designed vaccines for insect-spread viruses like dengue and Zika are likely after researchers discovered models of immature flavivirus particles were originally misinterpreted.Researchers from The University of Queensland and Monash University have now determined the first complete 3D molecular structure of the immature flavivirus, revealing an unexpected organization.
3h
An inverse-breathing encapsulation system for cell delivery
Cell encapsulation represents a promising therapeutic strategy for many hormone-deficient diseases such as type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, adequate oxygenation of the encapsulated cells remains a challenge, especially in the poorly oxygenated subcutaneous site. Here, we present an encapsulation system that generates oxygen (O 2 ) for the cells from their own waste product, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ),
3h
Toward practical stratospheric aerosol albedo modification: Solar-powered lofting
Many climate intervention (CI) methods have been proposed to offset greenhouse gas–induced global warming, but the practicalities regarding implementation have not received sufficient attention. Stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) involves introducing large amounts of CI material well within the stratosphere to enhance the aerosol loading, thereby increasing reflection of solar radiation. We ex
3h
The structure of an infectious immature flavivirus redefines viral architecture and maturation
Flaviviruses are the cause of severe human diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks. These viruses use a potent fusion machinery to enter target cells that needs to be restrained during viral assembly and egress. A molecular chaperone, premembrane (prM) maintains the virus particles in an immature, fusion-incompetent state until they exit the cell. Taking advantage of an insect virus that pro
3h
Decoupling electron and phonon transport in single-nanowire hybrid materials for high-performance thermoelectrics
Organic-inorganic hybrids have recently emerged as a class of high-performing thermoelectric materials that are lightweight and mechanically flexible. However, the fundamental electrical and thermal transport in these materials has remained elusive due to the heterogeneity of bulk, polycrystalline, thin films reported thus far. Here, we systematically investigate a model hybrid comprising a singl
3h
Thermodynamics of a fast-moving Greenlandic outlet glacier revealed by fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing
Measurements of ice temperature provide crucial constraints on ice viscosity and the thermodynamic processes occurring within a glacier. However, such measurements are presently limited by a small number of relatively coarse-spatial-resolution borehole records, especially for ice sheets. Here, we advance our understanding of glacier thermodynamics with an exceptionally high-vertical-resolution (~
3h
A slip law for hard-bedded glaciers derived from observed bed topography
Ice-sheet responses to climate warming and associated sea-level rise depend sensitively on the form of the slip law that relates drag at the beds of glaciers to their slip velocity and basal water pressure. Process-based models of glacier slip over idealized, hard (rigid) beds with water-filled cavities yield slip laws in which drag decreases with increasing slip velocity or water pressure (rate-
3h
Cardiac cell type-specific gene regulatory programs and disease risk association
Misregulated gene expression in human hearts can result in cardiovascular diseases that are leading causes of mortality worldwide. However, the limited information on the genomic location of candidate cis-regulatory elements (cCREs) such as enhancers and promoters in distinct cardiac cell types has restricted the understanding of these diseases. Here, we defined >287,000 cCREs in the four chamber
3h
Neutron tomography of Van Leeuwenhoeks microscopes
The technique of neutron tomography has, after 350 years, enabled a first look inside the iconic single-lens microscopes of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek. Van Leeuwenhoek’s 17th-century discovery of "animalcules" marks the birth of microbiology. His skillfully self-produced microscope lenses remained unsurpassed for over 150 years. Neutron tomography now enabled us to reveal the lens types Van Leeuwenho
3h
Changes in plant-herbivore network structure and robustness along land-use intensity gradients in grasslands and forests
Land-use intensification poses major threats to biodiversity, such as to insect herbivore communities. The stability of these communities depends on interactions linking herbivores and host plants. How interaction network structure begets robustness, and thus stability, in different ecosystems and how network structure and robustness are altered along land-use intensity gradients are unclear. We
3h
Hierarchy in sensory processing reflected by innervation balance on cortical interneurons
Sensory processing is subjected to modulation by behavioral contexts that are often mediated by long-range inputs to cortical interneurons, but their selectivity to different types of interneurons remains largely unknown. Using rabies-virus tracing and optogenetics-assisted recording, we analyzed the long-range connections to various brain regions along the hierarchy of visual processing, includi
3h
A framework for highly multiplexed dextramer mapping and prediction of T cell receptor sequences to antigen specificity
T cell receptor (TCR) antigen–specific recognition is essential for the adaptive immune system. However, building a TCR-antigen interaction map has been challenging due to the staggering diversity of TCRs and antigens. Accordingly, highly multiplexed dextramer-TCR binding assays have been recently developed, but the utility of the ensuing large datasets is limited by the lack of robust computatio
3h
Assignment of enantiomorphs for the chiral allotrope {beta}-Mn by diffraction methods
The assignment of enantiomorphs by diffraction methods shows fundamental differences for x-rays and electrons. This is particularly evident for the chiral allotrope of β-Mn. While it is not possible to determine the sense of chirality of β-Mn with established x-ray diffraction methods, Kikuchi pattern simulation of the enantiomorphs reveals differences, if dynamical electron diffraction is consid
3h
Programmable two-dimensional nanocrystals assembled from POSS-containing peptoids as efficient artificial light-harvesting systems
Inspired by the formation of hierarchically structured natural biominerals (e.g., bone and tooth), various sequence-defined polymers have been synthesized and exploited for design and synthesis of functional hybrid materials. Here, we synthesized a series of organic-inorganic hybrid peptoids by using polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanoclusters as side chains at a variety of backbone
3h
In-sensor reservoir computing for language learning via two-dimensional memristors
The dynamic processing of optoelectronic signals carrying temporal and sequential information is critical to various machine learning applications including language processing and computer vision. Despite extensive efforts to emulate the visual cortex of human brain, large energy/time overhead and extra hardware costs are incurred by the physically separated sensing, memory, and processing units
3h
Bond-selective imaging by optically sensing the mid-infrared photothermal effect
Mid-infrared (IR) spectroscopic imaging using inherent vibrational contrast has been broadly used as a powerful analytical tool for sample identification and characterization. However, the low spatial resolution and large water absorption associated with the long IR wavelengths hinder its applications to study subcellular features in living systems. Recently developed mid-infrared photothermal (M
3h
Regulation of Wnt/PCP signaling through p97/VCP-KBTBD7-mediated Vangl ubiquitination and endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation
The four-pass transmembrane proteins Vangl1 and Vangl2 are dedicated core components of Wnt/planar cell polarity (Wnt/PCP) signaling that critically regulate polarized cell behaviors in many morphological and physiological processes. Here, we found that the abundance of Vangl proteins is tightly controlled by the ubiquitin-proteasome system through endoplasmic reticulum–associated degradation (ER
3h
Insights into the molecular mechanism of amyloid filament formation: Segmental folding of {alpha}-synuclein on lipid membranes
Recent advances in the structural biology of disease-relevant α-synuclein fibrils have revealed a variety of structures, yet little is known about the process of fibril aggregate formation. Characterization of intermediate species that form during aggregation is crucial; however, this has proven very challenging because of their transient nature, heterogeneity, and low population. Here, we invest
3h
Cork-in-bottle mechanism of inhibitor binding to mammalian complex I
Mitochondrial complex I (NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase), a major contributor of free energy for oxidative phosphorylation, is increasingly recognized as a promising drug target for ischemia-reperfusion injury, metabolic disorders, and various cancers. Several pharmacologically relevant but structurally unrelated small molecules have been identified as specific complex I inhibitors, but their mod
3h
Bioinspired electrospun dECM scaffolds guide cell growth and control the formation of myotubes
While skeletal muscle has a high capacity for endogenous repair in acute injuries, volumetric muscle loss can leave long-lasting or permanent structural and functional deficits to the injured muscle and surrounding tissues. With clinical treatments failing to repair lost tissue, there is a great need for a tissue-engineered therapy to promote skeletal muscle regeneration. In this study, we aim to
3h
Dual activity of anthocyanidin reductase supports the dominant plant proanthocyanidin extension unit pathway
Proanthocyanidins (PAs) are plant natural products important for agriculture and human health. They are polymers of flavan-3-ol subunits, commonly (–)-epicatechin and/or (+)-catechin, but the source of the in planta extension unit that comprises the bulk of the polymer remains unclear, as does how PA composition is determined in different plant species. Anthocyanidin reductase (ANR) can generate
3h
Tepary bean genes could climate-proof key protein
The genetics of the more heat-resistant tepary bean may result in more climate-safe beans, a food crucial to human nutrition. The tepary bean ( Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray ) is a sibling of the common bean, which includes kidney, pinto, and navy beans. “The common bean is the number one source of protein and nutrients for many people living in Central America and Africa,” says Robin Buell, a pr
4h
Waves shed light on mysterious ‘mixing’ inside huge stars
Researchers have measured the internal mixing within an ensemble of massive stars using observations of waves from their deep interiors. Astronomers commonly refer to massive stars as the chemical factories of the universe. They generally end their lives in spectacular supernovae , events that forge many of the elements on the periodic table. How elemental nuclei mix within these enormous stars h
4h
C. Austen Angell (1933–2021)
Nature, Published online: 14 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01319-x Visionary explorer of glasses and the limits of the liquid state.
4h
Flat pasta morphs shape when cooked
Flat packed noodles that form iconic pasta shapes when cooked could lead to more sustainable packaging, transportation, and storage. To make the transformation, researchers impressed tiny grooves into flat pasta dough—made of only semolina flour and water—in patterns that cause it to morph into tubes of penne and rigatoni, spirals of fusilli and rotini, and other twists and waves when cooked. The
4h
New benefit increases Veterans' access to urgent care in the community
Two years ago, the Veterans Affairs healthcare system (VA) began rolling out a new benefit, enabling Veterans to receive urgent care from a network of community providers – rather than visiting a VA emergency department or clinic. Progress toward expanding community care services for Veterans is the focus of a special supplement to the May issue of Medical Care. The journal is published in the Lip
5h
Maternal stress during pregnancy may shorten lifespans of male lizard offspring
Mother fence lizards that experience stress during pregnancy give birth to male offspring with shortened telomeres, or bits of non-coding DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes, according to a Penn State-led study. Shorter telomeres are associated with decreased lifespan in humans; therefore, the team's findings may have implications for human longevity.
5h
New datings call into question the seismic hazards posed by faults in the Iberian Chain in Aragón
Researcher Davinia Moreno, a geochronologist at the Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH), is the lead author of a study published recently in the journal Quaternary Geochronology, which combined four independent dating methods to pin down the ages of deposits associated to certain faults in the Iberian Chain, in the provinces of Zaragoza and Teruel (Aragón, Spain), a
5h
Uterine fluid model could help prevent pregnancy complications
Scientists have developed a new model that uses precision medicine to improve pregnancy outcomes. The quest to create safer, more successful pregnancies is one of the top goals of modern science. While pregnancy is better understood today than ever before, with improvements in technology helping to lower the risk of negative outcomes, researchers still don’t know much about a vital part of the pr
5h
How FDR Changed Political Communication
The renowned filmmaker Ken Burns has a new project called UNUM , about the sources of connection rather than separation in American life. His latest segment involves “ Communication ” in all its aspects, and it combines historical footage with current commentary. Some of the modern commenters are Yamiche Alcindor, Jane Mayer, Megan Twohey, Kara Swisher, and Will Sommer. You can see their clips he
5h
Genes may signal which animals will survive climate change
Using genome sequencing, researchers have shown that some fish, like the threespine stickleback, can adapt very rapidly to extreme seasonal changes. Their findings could help scientists forecast the evolutionary future of these populations. Climate change is exacerbating problems like habitat loss and temperature swings that have already pushed many animal species to the brink. But can scientists
6h
Ventilating the rectum to support respiration
Researchers from Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU) have demonstrated that delivering oxygen via the rectum as a gas or in an oxygen-rich liquid can support oxygen provision to organs and tissues during respiratory failure. Such "enteral ventilation" increased oxygenation, improved behavior and prolonged survival in experimental mouse and pig models of respiratory failure. Further research
6h
Our dreams' weirdness might be why we have them, argues new AI-inspired theory of dreaming
Why we dream is a divisive topic within the scientific community, and the neuroscience field is saturated with hypotheses. Inspired by techniques used to train deep neural networks, Tufts University neuroscience researcher Erik Hoel (@erikphoel) argues for a new theory of dreams: the overfitted brain hypothesis. The hypothesis, described May 14 in a review in the journal Patterns, suggests that th
6h
Brood X cicadas will emerge to a very different world
Brood X cicadas are coming of age in world that is drastically altered from the one their ancestors knew. Not only is this no longer their grandfather’s or great-grandfather’s planet, it’s one that some bugs might barely recognize—with a changed climate and living conditions that are forcing adaptive changes for some species, like moths that no longer fly to bright lights or crickets remixing the
6h
The science behind how parents affect child development | Yuko Munakata
Parents, take a deep breath: how your kids turn out isn't fully on you. Of course, parenting plays an important role in shaping who children become, but psychologist Yuko Munakata offers an alternative, research-backed reality that highlights how it's just one of many factors that influence the chaotic complexity of childhood development. A rethink for anyone wondering what made them who they are
6h
As Pandemic Gap Widens, U.S. Expands Vaccinations to Adolescents
This week, nearly 17 million more people in the U.S. became eligible for a Covid-19 shot, after the CDC formally recommended a vaccine for kids aged 12 to 15. The announcement heralds a new phase of the mass vaccination campaign — even as it widens the gap between the U.S. and many other parts of the world.
6h
Breastfeeding influences the neonatal virome
Nature, Published online: 14 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01112-w The first viruses to colonize the infant gut are shown to arise from bacteria, with human-cell viruses colonizing the gut later, at around four months of age. Exclusive and partial breastfeeding were associated with fewer human viruses in the gut of infants compared with formula-feeding alone.
6h
Actin mixes up mitochondria for inheritance
Nature, Published online: 14 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01115-7 In cells that divide symmetrically, a meshwork of actin cables is shown to maintain the uniform distribution of mitochondria around the mitotic spindle. Actin clouds and comet tails are assembled dynamically to shuffle mitochondria locally and ensure the equal and random inheritance of these organelles by the two daughter cells
6h
Mining the gaps of chromosome 8
Nature, Published online: 14 May 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-01095-8 The first gapless, telomere-to-telomere sequence of a human autosome, chromosome 8, is complete. Sequencing and assembly of the corresponding centromere in the chimpanzee, orangutan and macaque reveals details of its rapid evolution over the past 25 million years.
6h
Male hormones regulate stomach inflammation in mice
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health determined that stomach inflammation is regulated differently in male and female mice after finding that androgens, or male sex hormones, play a critical role in preventing inflammation in the stomach. The finding suggests that physicians could consider treating male patients with stomach inflammation differently than female patients with the same co
6h
New perspective on stress pandemics and human resilience from the analysis of COVID-19
A new analysis of the effects of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the current pandemic, on the human body has provided novel insights into the nature of resilience and how we deal with stressful situations. Using COVID-19 as an example, the findings provide a new framework that may be central to managing this disease, minimise the likelihood of ferocious viral outbreaks in the future and deal with ot
6h
How moths find their flame: Genetics of mate attraction discovered
The mysteries of sexual attraction just became a little less mysterious—at least for moths. A team of six American and European research groups including Tufts University has discovered which gene expressed in the brain of the male European corn borer moth controls his preference for the sex pheromone produced by females. This complements a previous study on the gene expressed in the female pherom
7h
Researchers develop 3D-printed jelly
3D-printable gels with improved and highly controlled properties can be created by merging micro- and nano-sized networks of the same materials harnessed from seaweed, according to new research from North Carolina State University. The findings could have applications in biomedical materials—think of biological scaffolds for growing cells—and soft robotics.
7h
The Real Win, Place, and Show Are the Friends We Made Along the Way
Each installment of “ The Friendship Files ” features a conversation between The Atlantic ’s Julie Beck and two or more friends, exploring the history and significance of their relationship. This week she talks with a group of friends who met playing college football and got interested in horse racing after graduation. Now, along with their other friend Reiley, who didn’t participate in the inter
7h
This Revolutionary Crypto Trading Platform Lets You Mimic Its Top-Performing Investors
Nobody can predict exactly what the future holds for cryptocurrencies. Will we one day use bitcoin or ethereum to buy everything from cars and houses to coffee and bubble gum? Or will cryptocurrencies remain investment vehicles primarily used to grow wealth, like stocks and bonds? The answers to these questions are unclear. The only thing we know for sure is that cryptocurrencies are not going aw
7h
Can cannabis ease chronic itch?
Medical marijuana (cannabis) may offer a promising option for patients with chronic itch, according to a new case study. Chronic itch—known clinically as chronic pruritus—is characterized as an unrelenting and sometimes even debilitating sensation to itch, and often lowers the quality of life for those who have it. Treating the condition has proved difficult because there are few Food and Drug Ad
7h
Nagoya University scientists reveal unprecedentedly versatile new DNA staining probe
Kakshine is an entirely new DNA fluorescent imaging probe with a wide range of capabilities that make it ideal for a range of imaging applications, including cutting edge two-photon excitement imaging and super high-resolution STED imaging. Its ability to use low phototoxicity visible light makes it ideal for in vitro and in vivo applications, and it is expected to find use in a variety of medical
7h
How unjust police killings damage the mental health of Black Americans
Since the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, many African Americans have reported feeling overwhelmed at times by the trauma, anguish, and outrage stirred up by Floyd's death, as well as other incidents of police violence against Black victims. The disturbing frequency of these events, and the relentless news coverage of them in the last year, has been taking a rea
7h
In California, the pandemic hits Latinos hard
In every corner of California, the Latino population has faced a greater risk of exposure to COVID-19, undergone testing at a lower rate, and suffered more deaths than any other race or ethnicity, according to Stanford-led research.
7h
The chemistry of magnesium turned on its head
The international scientific community agrees that the latest findings of an FAU research team will revolutionise the entire chemistry of magnesium. The research team have discovered magnesium, which usually has a double positive charge in chemical compounds, in the elemental zero-oxidation state. They have published their ground-breaking findings in the journal Nature.
7h
Interim study suggests oral TXA is equally effective in preventing blood loss in joint replacement
Interim results of a study conducted by researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) suggest that oral tranexamic acid (TXA) is non-inferior to intravenous (IV) TXA in preventing blood loss in total knee and total hip replacement surgery. These findings were presented at the 2021 Spring American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) Annual Meeting.
7h
Study of hip fracture patient characteristics and outcomes pre- and post-COVID-19 outbreak
Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) sought to compare characteristics and outcomes of hip fracture patients admitted during the COVID-19 outbreak to patients admitted before the outbreak. They also examined characteristics and outcomes of hip fracture patients with and without the virus. Their findings were presented at the 2021 Spring American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain
7h
Virtual reality warps your sense of time
Psychology researchers at UC Santa Cruz found that playing games in virtual reality creates an effect called "time compression," where time goes by faster than you think. The research team compared time perception during gameplay using conventional monitors and virtual reality to determine that this effect is uniquely linked to the virtual reality format.
7h
The eyes offer a window into Alzheimer's disease
While it has been said that the eyes are a window to the soul, a new study shows they could be a means for understanding diseases of the brain. According to new research by scientists at the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, retinal scans can detect key changes in blood vessels that may provide an early sign of Alzheimer's, while offering important insights into how one of the most common Al
8h
New cellular atlas maps out healthy and cancerous breast tissue
Australian researchers have documented the diversity of cells in the human breast, explaining the relationship between healthy breast cells and breast cancer cells. The research, which relied on expertise spanning from breast cancer biology through to bioinformatics, measured gene expression in single cells taken from healthy women and cancerous breast tissue, including tissue carrying a faulty BR
8h
Finding control in hard-to-predict systems
Input one, output one; input two, output two; input three; output purple –what kind of system is this? Computer algorithms can exist as non-deterministic systems, in which there are multiple possible outcomes for each input. Even if one output is more likely than another, it doesn't necessarily eliminate the possibility of putting in three and getting purple instead of three. Now, a research team
8h
Intolerance of uncertainty links ‘red’ and ‘blue’ brains
An aversion to uncertainty is often associated with black-and-white political views, according to a new study. Since the 1950s, political scientists have theorized that political polarization—increased numbers of “political partisans” who view the world with an ideological bias—is associated with an inability to tolerate uncertainty and a need to hold predictable beliefs about the world. But litt
8h
Analysis shows the toll of the pandemic on high-risk workers
California is getting a closer look at exactly how workers in high-risk industries across the state have borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic. For the first time, UC Merced's Community and Labor Center (CLC) has analyzed the increase in the number of pandemic-era deaths of working-age people.
9h
Largest-ever study of artificial insemination in sharks — and the occasional 'virgin birth'
Scientists help protect sharks by developing aquarium breeding programs that pair up individuals in ways that increase genetic diversity. In a new study, scientists undertook the largest-ever effort to artificially inseminate sharks. Their work resulted in 97 new baby sharks, including ones whose parents live on opposite sides of the country and a few that don't have fathers at all.
9h
Keep Annoying Calls Away With A 2-Year Subscription To This Spam-Call Blocker
All technology has benefits and drawbacks depending on how we decide to use it. And, while we’d never go back to a pre-smartphone, pre-digital world, modern technology is being used for petty annoyances like automating obnoxious behavior and scams. Fortunately, you don’t have to put up with spam, as RoboKiller keeps the scammy calls and texts off your phone, and you can now save over 50% on a two
10h
“As it turns out, mathematicians do not yet know whether…
“As it turns out, mathematicians do not yet know whether the digits of pi contains every single finite sequence of numbers. That being said, many mathematicians suspect that this is the case, which would imply not only that the digits of pi contain any number that you can think of, but also that they contains a binary representation of britney spears’ DNA, as well as a jpeg encoded image of you m
11h
Quality control of protein reagents for the improvement of research data reproducibility
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23167-z Proteins and peptides are amongst the most widely used research reagents but often their quality is inadequate and can result in poor data reproducibility. Here we propose a simple set of guidelines that, when correctly applied to protein reagents should provide more reliable experimental data.
12h
Chemoselective catalytic hydrodefluorination of trifluoromethylalkenes towards mono-/gem-di-fluoroalkenes under metal-free conditions
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23101-3 Fluorine-containing moieties show significant effects in improving the properties of functional molecules. Here the authors show diazaphospholene-catalyzed hydrodefluorination of trifluoromethylalkenes to chemoselectively construct gem-difluoroalkenes and terminal monofluoroalkenes by simple adjustment of the rea
12h
Andreev reflection of fractional quantum Hall quasiparticles
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23160-6 Andreev reflection is normally known to occur at a metal-superconductor interface. Here, Hashisaka et al. observe an Andreev-like process in a narrow junction between fractional and integer quantum Hall states originating from a topological quantum many-body effect instead of superconductivity.
12h
Printable homocomposite hydrogels with synergistically reinforced molecular-colloidal networks
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-23098-9 Composites which are made up of a single polymer, and yet allow modulation of the mechanical properties of the matrix without stress concentration, are challenging to fabricate. Here, the authors design a selfreinforced homocomposite alginate hydrogel with enhanced mechanical properties incorporating soft dendrit
12h
Degradation mechanism of hybrid tin-based perovskite solar cells and the critical role of tin (IV) iodide
Nature Communications, Published online: 14 May 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22864-z Tin perovskites have emerged as promising alternatives to toxic lead perovskite in next-generation photovoltaics, but the poor environmental stability remains an obstacle for the application. Here, the authors study the degradation mechanism of tin perovskite films, and identify a cyclic degradation mechanism inv
12h
Above the noise
Osaka University researchers employed machine learning to remove the noise from experimental data without the need for "clean" examples. As a result, the team was better able to monitor the motion of spheres through tiny nanopores. This work may lead to advances in the fast detection of even very small concentrations of pathogens in patient samples.
15h
COVID-19 pandemic sees increased consults for alcohol-related GI and liver diseases
Inpatient consults for alcohol-related gastrointestinal (GI) and liver diseases have surged since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and remained elevated, according to research selected for presentation at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2021. The proportion of patients that required inpatient endoscopic interventions for their alcohol-related GI and liver diseases has also increased, highlight
17h
No-one knew if lymph vessel cells bear cilia; turns out, they're indispensable for health
Scientists show for the first time that the primary cilium – a sensing 'organ' of cells – helps the cells that form the lymphatic vessels of mammals to grow into a functional and locally responsive network, not only during prenatal development but also during inflammation and wound healing. This discovery, in a study by the open access publisher Frontiers, could inspire new medical therapies.
17h
I Randers er uddannelse blevet noget, læger giver til hinanden
I løbet af halvandet år er Akutafdelingen i Randers gået fra at have et blakket ry blandt uddannelseslæger til at få topkarakterer i Sundhedsstyrelsens seneste inspektorrapport. Overlæge Dea Kehler var blandt de bærende kræfter, men hele afdelingen har taget ansvar for at forbedre uddannelsesmiljøet.
17h
Dårlig inspektorrapport hjemsøgte akutafdeling i flere år
Det kom ikke som et chok for Akutafdelingen på Regionshospitalet Randers, da en inspektorrapport i 2019 pegede på et stort forbedringspotentiale i uddannelsen af næste generation af akutmedicinere. Alligevel ramte den dårlige vurdering den faglige stolthed blandt lægerne. Halvandet år senere scorede afdelingen topkarakterer ved et nyt inspektorbesøg.
17h
Inspektorordningen: Kontrol og udvikling skal gå hånd i hånd
For at sikre, at uddannelsesmiljøet for læger og tandlæger lever op til målene, får afdelinger regelmæssigt besøg af Sundhedsstyrelsens inspektorordning. Lægeforeningen efterlyser flere kontrolbesøg, større ambitioner på udviklingsområdet og bedre udnyttelse af den indsamlede viden.
17h
En kulturel grønskolling med stor appetit
KULTURKANYLEN Morten Grønbæk, direktør for Institut for Folkesundhed, nyder at være en novice på det kulturelle område og at få udvidet sin horisont af sin yndlingsboghandler rundt om hjørnet. Til gengæld har han bidraget med lægefaglig viden til en af Hanne-Vibeke Holsts romaner.
17h
Lisbeth Lintz: Overenskomster kan højne kvaliteten i sundhedsvæsenet
KRONIK: Sundhedsvæsenet har gennemgået en omfattende centralisering de sidste 20 år, der betyder, at mange afdelinger i dag har samme størrelse, som et helt sygehus havde før i tiden. Alligevel er der ikke blevet ændret på ledelsesformen. Den nye OK-aftale sikrer en stærk lægefaglig ledelse, ikke mindst på afdelingsniveau, som er en forudsætning for, at sygehusene kan leve op til patienternes, bo
17h
Future travel
In the future travel won't be thought of as such a physical thing, we won't have to be put into a spaceship and be flown to the moon to experience it or travel there, we've figured out a way to travel light and capture it in cameras and send that information to another place and travel it over long distances how long before we can send signals of feeling, smell and awareness itself, it's only the
18h
What are your opinions on the World 1 Program's predictions for 2040?
In 1973, an MIT Computer designed by scientists to simulate the future of civilization and its economy, population growth, climate, etc. predicted that we were on a path to total collapse as soon as 2040. It also suggested that the slow decline of civilization would happen in 2020. And considering how bad of a year 2020 was, people thought this computer had accurately predicted the demise of civi
18h
How AIs ask for personal information is important for gaining user trust
Researchers report that users responded differently when AIs either offered to help the user, or asked for help from the user. This response influenced whether the user trusted the AI with their personal information. They added that these introductions from the AI could be designed in a way to both increase users' trust, as well as raise their awareness about the importance of personal information
20h
What makes plant cell walls both strong and extensible?
A plant cell wall's unique ability to expand without weakening or breaking is due to the movement of its cellulose skeleton, according to new research that models the cell wall. The new study presents a new concept of the plant cell wall, gives insights into plant cell growth, and could provide inspiration for the design of polymeric materials.
20h
High genomic diversity is good news for California condor
The wild California condor population dropped to 22 before rescue and captive breeding allowed reintroduction into the wild. A new assembly of the complete genome of the bird reveals some inbreeding as a result, but overall high genomic diversity attesting to large populations of condors in the past, likely in the tens of thousands. Comparison to Andean condor and turkey vulture genomes reveals de
21h
What to Pair with Computer Science – Cog Sci or NeuroSci?
To elaborate on the title, I am a computer science student at Rutgers and we have a cognitive science major that I could pursue as a dual major. Alternatively, there is a Cellular Biology and Neuroscience major I can pursue. The way I see it if I go Neuroscience, I go way deeper into cells and chemistry than I could with just cognitive science, but I lose out on some of the big picture psychology
21h
Scientists decode the 'language' of immune cells
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.
22h
Depression and anxiety more common in heart failure than cancer patients
Nearly one in four patients with heart failure is depressed or anxious, according to a study published during this week's Heart Failure Awareness Days. Patients with heart failure were 20% more likely to develop these mental health issues during the five years after diagnosis compared to those with cancer. The findings are published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of th
22h
Epigenetic changes drive the fate of a B cell
B cells are the immune cells responsible for creating antibodies, and most produce antibodies in response to a pathogen or a vaccine. A small subset of B cells instead spontaneously make antibodies that perform vital housekeeping functions. Understanding how epigenetics spur these differences in such similar cells is an important fundamental question in immunology.
1d
Screening for ovarian cancer did not reduce deaths
The latest analysis looked at data from more than 200,000 women aged 50-74 at recruitment who were followed up for an average of 16 years. The women were randomly allocated to one of three groups: no screening, annual screening using an ultrasound scan, and annual multimodal screening involving a blood test followed by an ultrasound scan as a second line test.
1d
Scientists invent a method for predicting solar radio flux for two years ahead
Scientists at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) and their colleagues from the University of Graz & the Kanzelhöhe Observatory (Austria) and the ESA European Space Operations Centre developed a method and software called RESONANCE to predict the solar radio flux activity for 1-24 months ahead. RESONANCE will serve to improve the specification of satellite orbits, re-entry
1d
Immunocompromised pediatric patients showed T-cell activity and humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2
According to data from a cohort of adult and pediatric patients with antibody deficiencies, patients that often fail to make protective immune responses to infections and vaccinations showed robust T-cell activity and humoral immunity against SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins. The new study, led by researchers at Children's National Hospital, is the first to demonstrate a robust T-cell response again
1d
Roads threaten bee movement and pollination
Roads pose a significant threat to bee movement and how they pollinate flowers, a new study shows. Road networks extend some 20 million miles across the globe, and that number is projected to increase by an additional 15 million miles or so by 2050. Roads can be barriers to wildlife of all sorts, and scientists have studied road impacts on animals including Florida panthers , grizzly bears, box t
1d
Low-cost portable device rapidly diagnoses gonorrhea
Researchers have created an inexpensive portable device and cellphone app to diagnose gonorrhea in less than 15 minutes and determine if a particular strain will respond to frontline antibiotics. The invention improves on traditional testing in hospital laboratories and clinics, which typically takes up to a week to deliver results—time during which patients can unknowingly spread their infection
1d
Knowledge gaps on opioid use after surgery offer opportunities for improving patient education
Researchers at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) have identified gaps in patient knowledge about pain management and opioid use before total hip replacement, including misconceptions about how much pain relief to expect from opioids after surgery, how to use multiple modes of pain relief (multimodal analgesia) safely and effectively, and proper opioid storage and disposal. These findings were pre
1d
Research reveals negative effects of hotel app adoption on customer spending
Companies have often considered app adoption among their customers to have a positive impact on customer spending. According to new research from marketing professor P.K. Kannan at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, higher app adoption among hotel chains could be linked to lower spending among lower-level loyalty customers, who are more likely to use apps to get the b
1d
New approach to understanding our wellbeing
The ability to connect and feel a sense of belonging are basic human needs but new research has examined how these are determined by more than just our personal relationships. Psychologists highlight the importance of taking a wider approach to wellbeing and how it can be influenced by issues such as inequality and anthropogenic climate change.
1d
Pathogenic potential assessment of the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli by a source attribution-considered machine learning model [Microbiology]
Instead of conventional serotyping and virulence gene combination methods, methods have been developed to evaluate the pathogenic potential of newly emerging pathogens. Among them, the machine learning (ML)–based method using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data are getting attention because of the recent advances in ML algorithms and sequencing technologies. Here, we…
1d
Polyploidy underlies co-option and diversification of biosynthetic triterpene pathways in the apple tribe [Plant Biology]
Whole-genome duplication (WGD) plays important roles in plant evolution and function, yet little is known about how WGD underlies metabolic diversification of natural products that bear significant medicinal properties, especially in nonmodel trees. Here, we reveal how WGD laid the foundation for co-option and differentiation of medicinally important ursane triterpene…
1d
Policy and weather influences on mobility during the early US COVID-19 pandemic [Social Sciences]
As the novel coronavirus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to proliferate across the globe, it is a struggle to predict and prevent its spread. The successes of mobility interventions demonstrate how policies can help limit the person-to-person interactions that are essential to infection. With significant community spread,…
1d
Functional cell death, corneoptosis, requires temporally controlled intracellular acidification [Developmental Biology]
As the mammalian body’s largest organ, the skin is the first defense against a host of environmental insults. Specifically, the outermost layer of the skin, the stratum corneum (SC), provides much of the essential barrier function of the epidermis, protecting the body’s surface from mechanical force, water loss, pathogens, toxins,…
1d
Victoria's watch catchments may not recover from drought: Study
Australian-first research by Monash University discredits the theory that rivers and underground water supplies eventually replenish following droughts or floods. Following the Australian Millennium Drought, one-third of Victoria's water catchments still had not recovered from drought nearly eight years later.For those water catchments not recovered, roughly 80 per cent showed no evidence of recov
1d
A Z-RNA nanoswitch encoded by "junk DNA" turns-off immune responses against self
A Z-RNA nanoswitch, less than 5 nanometer in length, flips from the right-handed A-RNA helix (?on") to the left-handed Z-RNA helix (?off") to selectively turn "off" immune responses against self RNAs, while allowing those against viruses to continue. Surprisingly, the Z-RNA nanoswitch sequence is encoded by "junk DNA". The Z-RNA nanoswitch is used by some cancers to silence anti-tumor immune respo
1d
Metal-free battery degrades on demand
A new metal-free battery platform could lead to more sustainable, recyclable batteries that degrade on demand. The introduction of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries has revolutionized technology as a whole, leading to major advances in consumer goods across nearly all sectors. While the availability of technology is generally a good thing, the rapid growth has led directly to several key ethical and
1d
This Simple Solution Helps You Stop Snoring for Good
Nothing makes you feel more rundown and miserable than a bad night’s sleep. Unfortunately, if you or the person you sleep next to snores, you probably feel rundown and miserable a lot . Snoring is by far the most common reason people give for not sleeping well. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine , about 45-percent of people snore occasionally, while 25 percent say they snore on a regular basis.
1d
Question about UK net-zero greenhouse emissions.
The UK has recently passed legislation to bring greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050 and has rapidly decarbonised its electricity sector. Electrifying domestic heat and private car transport are further ways to reduce UK emissions. What are the technical, economic and social challenges associated with these changes, making one recommendation to accelerate progress in heat and one for tran
1d
Molecular insights into the complex mechanics of plant epidermal cell walls
Plants have evolved complex nanofibril-based cell walls to meet diverse biological and physical constraints. How strength and extensibility emerge from the nanoscale-to-mesoscale organization of growing cell walls has long been unresolved. We sought to clarify the mechanical roles of cellulose and matrix polysaccharides by developing a coarse-grained model based on polymer physics that recapitula
1d
Extreme oxidant amounts produced by lightning in storm clouds
Lightning increases the atmosphere’s ability to cleanse itself by producing nitric oxide (NO), leading to atmospheric chemistry that forms ozone (O 3 ) and the atmosphere’s primary oxidant, the hydroxyl radical (OH). Our analysis of a 2012 airborne study of deep convection and chemistry demonstrates that lightning also directly generates the oxidants OH and the hydroperoxyl radical (HO 2 ). Extre
1d
Cell-specific transcriptional control of mitochondrial metabolism by TIF1{gamma} drives erythropoiesis
Transcription and metabolism both influence cell function, but dedicated transcriptional control of metabolic pathways that regulate cell fate has rarely been defined. We discovered, using a chemical suppressor screen, that inhibition of the pyrimidine biosynthesis enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) rescues erythroid differentiation in bloodless zebrafish moonshine (mon) mutant embryos d
1d
Electric field control of superconductivity at the LaAlO3/KTaO3(111) interface
The oxide interface between LaAlO 3 and KTaO 3 (111) can harbor a superconducting state. We report that by applying a gate voltage ( V G ) across KTaO 3 , the interface can be continuously tuned from superconducting into insulating states, yielding a dome-shaped T c – V G dependence, where T c is the transition temperature. The electric gating has only a minor effect on carrier density but a stro
1d
Lack of transgenerational effects of ionizing radiation exposure from the Chernobyl accident
Effects of radiation exposure from the Chernobyl nuclear accident remain a topic of interest. We investigated germline de novo mutations (DNMs) in children born to parents employed as cleanup workers or exposed to occupational and environmental ionizing radiation after the accident. Whole-genome sequencing of 130 children (born 1987–2002) and their parents did not reveal an increase in the rates,
1d
The chain of chirality transfer in tellurium nanocrystals
Despite persistent and extensive observations of crystals with chiral shapes, the mechanisms underlying their formation are not well understood. Although past studies suggest that chiral shapes can form because of crystallization in the presence of chiral additives, or because of an intrinsic tendency that stems from the crystal structure, there are many cases in which these explanations are not
1d