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Walker 'stunned' to see ship hovering high above sea off Cornwall
7hDavid Morris encounters rare optical illusion known as superior mirage while out on coastal stroll There are only so many polite words that come to mind when one spots a ship apparently hovering above the ocean during a stroll along the English coastline. David Morris, who captured the extraordinary sight on camera, declared himself “stunned” when he noticed a giant tanker floating above the wate
Første gang i Europa: Styrer firbenet robot over 5G
4hNår mobile robotter kan styres over mobilnetværk, udvides robotternes frihedsgrader markant – især udendørs. På Fyn har man netop testet en inspektion af hegn med en robot styret på afstand over 5G.
LATEST
Now we health workers know how empty Boris Johnson's 'clap for heroes' really was | Rachel Clarke
3hWe’ve had a traumatic year and lost patients and colleagues. But all he offers us is a derisory 1% pay offer Rachel Clarke is a palliative care doctor and the author of Breathtaking: Inside the NHS in a Time of Pandemic When the NHS saved his life last April , Boris Johnson could not have reacted more fulsomely on social media. “Our NHS is the beating heart of this country,” he waxed lyrical in a
Wisdom The Albatross, Now 70, Hatches Yet Another Chick
4h"Each year that Wisdom returns, we learn more about how long seabirds can live and raise chicks," said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Beth Flint. (Image credit: Jon Brack/Friends of Midway Atoll)
How to poison the data that Big Tech uses to surveil you
3hEvery day, your life leaves a trail of digital breadcrumbs that tech giants use to track you. You send an email, order some food, stream a show. They get back valuable packets of data to build up their understanding of your preferences. That data is fed into machine-learning algorithms to target you with ads and recommendations. Google cashes your data in for over $120 billion a year of ad revenu
Rare earth unlocks copper, gold and silver secrets
5hA study by Monash scientists has found that a rare earth affects the fate of a key reaction with copper, gold, silver, and uranium mineralisation.
The story of polar aurora just got much bigger: Unknown magnetospheric mechanisms revealed
7hA critical ingredient for auroras exists much higher in space than previously thought, according to new research in the journal Scientific Reports. The dazzling light displays in the polar night skies require an electric accelerator to propel charged particles down through the atmosphere. Scientists at Nagoya University and colleagues in Japan, Taiwan and the U.S. have found that it exists beyond
Roundworms 'read' wavelengths in the environment to avoid dangerous bacteria that secrete colorful toxins
7hRoundworms don't have eyes or the light-absorbing molecules required to see. Yet, new research shows they can somehow sense color. The study, published in the journal Science, suggests worms use this ability to assess the risk of feasting on potentially dangerous bacteria that secrete blue toxins. The researchers pinpointed two genes that contribute to this spectral sensitivity and are conserved a
New study suggests humans evolved to run on less water than our closest primate relatives
4hWhen you think about what separates humans from chimpanzees and other apes, you might think of our big brains, or the fact that we get around on two legs rather than four. But we have another distinguishing feature: water efficiency.
Study shows that the GW190521 event could be explained by primordial black holes
4hIn September 2020, the LIGO/Virgo collaboration, a large team of scientists working at different universities worldwide, announced that they had detected most massive gravitational wave binary signal observed to date, which they called GW190521. In a paper published in Physical Review Letters, they explored the hypothesis that this signal was produced by the merger of two black holes, with at leas
Comet Catalina suggests comets delivered carbon to rocky planets
1hIn early 2016, an icy visitor from the edge of our solar system hurtled past Earth. It briefly became visible to stargazers as Comet Catalina before it slingshotted past the Sun to disappear forevermore out of the solar system.
Wisdom, the World’s Oldest Known Wild Bird, Has Another Chick
3hAn albatross named Wisdom has astounded researchers by hatching a chick at more than 70 years old, securing her title as the world’s oldest known breeding bird.
The Himalayan hazards nobody is monitoring
3hRetreating Himalayan glaciers can become hazardous but such dangers are not being monitored, experts say.
China Releases Stunning Images From Mars Orbiter
3hMars Up Close The China National Space Administration (CNSA) released several new high-definition images this week captured by its Tianwen-1 Mars probe, currently in the Red Planet’s orbit, the South China Morning Post reports . The agency released two panchromatic (meaning sensitive to all wavelengths of visible light), high resolution images showing the planet’s surface, dotted with tiny dunes,
World's oldest known wild bird has another chick at age of 70
3hWisdom is believed to have had more than 30 chicks in her life so far, and several partners.
What the Media Are Missing About Joe Manchin
5hIn 2005, I gathered with my fellow West Virginia trial lawyers for our annual conference in Charleston, the state’s capital. After legal seminars, we headed for back rooms, where the gregarious group told stories, drank whiskey, and assessed the latest developments in state politics. That year, we couldn’t stop talking about our new governor, Joe Manchin, because, even though the group had suppor
What It’s Like When Racism Comes for You
5hMari was at Taco Bell filling a paper cup with Baja Blast when the man started shouting. White and 30-something, and wearing a bulky winter coat, he lumbered up to the soda fountain and confronted her. His words sounded slightly slurred, Mari thought, like he might be drunk. At first she ignored him; this wasn’t the first time a drunk man had shouted at her at a fast-food place in Chicago. But th
We Can’t Curb the Presidency Without Fixing Congress
7h“ The constitutional Presidency … has become the imperial Presidency. ” The historian Arthur Schlesinger Jr. delivered that complaint in 1973, just ahead of a wave of reforms that sought to cut the presidency down to size. The War Powers Act of 1973, the Anti-Impoundment Act of 1974, the creation of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees in the mid-1970s: These and other measures aimed to r
Optical Illusion Photo Shows Huge Oil Tanker Hovering Over the Sea
2hFloating Ships A bizarre photograph of a ship seemingly hovering above the sea off the coast of Cornwall, UK, is making its rounds online this week. The image, taken by local photographer David Morris, shows a giant oil tanker apparently defying gravity. But — shocker — the tanker hasn’t actually found a way to defeat the laws of physics. Instead, The Guardian reports, it’s an illusion caused by
3h
There’s No Real Reason to Eat Three Meals a Day
3hFor the first 34 years of my life, I always ate three meals a day. I never thought much about it—the routine was satisfying, it fit easily into my life, and eating three meals a day is just what Americans generally do. By the end of last summer, though, those decades of habit had begun to erode. The time-blindness of working from home and having no social plans left me with no real reason to plod
Black holes could be dark stars with 'Planck hearts'
6hBlack holes may not be black or holes, a new theory proposes.
Sherlock Holmes' famous memory trick really works
8hAn ancient technique can boost your memory to the level of memory champions.
Skeletons of WWII-era nuns murdered by Soviets unearthed in Poland
8hArchaeologists in Poland recently discovered what are likely the remains of nuns executed by Russians during the Soviet occupation.
You're Vaccinated and People Want to Visit. Now What?
8hAfter getting fully inoculated against Covid-19, here are some scenarios that prove the New Normal isn’t normal at all.
In Oregon, Scientists Find a Virus Variant With a Worrying Mutation
2hIn a single sample, geneticists discovered a version of the coronavirus first identified in Britain with a mutation originally reported in South Africa.
The fight to save America’s most endangered mammal
9hThree black-footed ferrets in the wild. (US Fish and Wildlife Service/) Dedicated captive breeding and reintroduction efforts have brought black-footed ferrets, America’s most endangered mammal , back from the brink. A recent successful cloning of a ferret named Elizabeth Ann even offers the hope of restoring genetic diversity to these mammals. But despite it all, these animals—agile, elongated m
The Moon Has a Huge, Invisible, Comet-Like Tail
4hCasting Moonbeams Unless you happen to have a special kind of camera, you may never notice that our Moon casts a long, invisible tail of particles trailing behind it, just like a comet or a shooting star. The Moon’s tail, which trails behind it and occasionally even blasts Earth, has been a subject of scientific fascination since its discovery in the late 1990s, but The New York Times reports tha
69 Percent of Americans Want the COVID Vaccine
49minGreat news: The number of Americans who say they would take a coronavirus vaccine if it were offered to them is continuing to steadily climb. As of the latest Pew Research Center survey , 69 percent of Americans say they would “definitely” or at least “probably” get vaccinated. To be fair, that includes the 19 percent of the more than 10,000 survey respondents who’d already received at least one
Covid: mystery person with Brazil variant in England found in Croydon
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3hBrazil Covid England
Previously unknown individual who tested positive for variant located in south London after massive search Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage A person who tested positive for the Brazilian variant of Covid has been tracked down to Croydon and appears not to have infected anyone else, the health secretary has said. Matt Hancock sought to reassure the public after a week-
Gas stoves are bad for the environment—but what if the power goes out?
5hUpgrading to an electric stove is just one step. We also need a grid that can withstand climate events. (Ayesha Firdaus on Unsplash/) Burning fossil fuels directly into your home is not amazing for your health, and it certainly isn’t an ideal way to provide heat or cook when it comes to decreasing our carbon footprints, as individuals and as a whole society. But it’s not often that we think of ou
How Doctors Are Using Artificial Intelligence to Battle Covid-19
5hSoftware is helping to shape treatment, but experts worry that some tools are approved too soon and others are biased
Eiffel Tower-Sized Asteroid Zipping by Earth in Dress Rehearsal For Closer 2029 Flyby
50minLike, pretty close.
All of the Covid-19 Vaccines Are Equally Worthy of Your Arm
1hHeadlines about the Johnson & Johnson trial results cite an efficacy rate lower than Pfizer’s and Moderna’s. But one figure doesn’t tell the whole story.
Trolls Are Spreading a Rumor That Elon Musk Is Dead
2hRIP Elon Let’s get the obvious out of the way first: Elon Musk does not appear to be dead. But today, trolls on Twitter started flooding the social media network with made-up screenshots using the hashtag #RIPElon . Some screenshots showed faked headlines , including “Elon Musk reportedly dead at 49 following Tesla battery malfunction,” or “Elon Musk is dead — what this means for the stock market
Mystery person with P.1 coronavirus variant in UK found
4hHealth secretary Matt Hancock praises NHS test and trace for ‘dogged determination’ in tracking individual down
Earth's position and orbit spurred ancient marine life extinction
4hAncient rocks from Tennessee revealed the Earth's rotation and orbit around the sun controlled the timing of oceanic dead zones in a mass extinction of marine life about 370 million years ago.
Elon Musk Praises Tesla Nemesis, Ford, In Rare Reversal
4hCars Are Hard In a rare instance of giving his competitors credit, Tesla CEO Elon Musk praised fellow American carmarker Ford for not having “gone bankrupt out of thousands of car startups,” in a Thursday tweet . “Prototypes are easy, production is hard and being cash flow positive is excruciating,” Musk added, . Musk was replying to a thread about a book about “Engines That Move Markets,” a book
‘This Is Unprecedented’: Why America’s Housing Market Has Never Been Weirder
5hI f you think the U.S. housing market is behaving very, very strangely these days, that probably means you’re paying attention. In almost any other year, a weak economy would cripple housing. But the flash-freeze recession of 2020 corresponded with a real-estate boom, led by high-end purchases in suburbs and small towns. Even stranger, in America’s big metros, home prices and rents are going in o
Photos of the Week: Arctic Rally, Beehive Fireworks, 99 Domes
5hBeach meditation in Australia, tofu making in Indonesia, Newroz celebrations in Azerbaijan, ski racing in Massachusetts, anti-coup protests in Myanmar, ice surfing in Finland, visiting a platypus in Australia, underwater art in Russia, and much more
Greenland ice loss may have begun as early as the mid-'80s
5hThe amount of snow falling on Greenland's glaciers may have been less than the water lost through icebergs calving and melting since at least the mid-1980s, a study of almost 40 years of satellite images has revealed.
Scanning tunneling microscopy reveals the origins of stable skyrmion lattices
5hRIKEN physicists have discovered how interactions between electrons can stabilize a repeating arrangement of swirling magnetic patterns known as skyrmions, which could help to further exploit these structures.
Financial crashes, pandemics, Texas snow: How math could predict 'black swan' events
5hWhat if mathematicians could have seen COVID-19 coming, or could predict the next outbreak? Is it possible that numbers, manipulated by statistics, might warn of future market fluctuations and environmental disasters, or herald vast shifts in finance, trade, and employment?
NFTs Are a Collective Hallucination—So What?
6hPlus: The man behind digital money, how to disseminate facts, and a union in the most unlikely of places.
These Smart Insoles Fixed My Running Form—and My Aching Hip
6hThese pressure-sensing insoles are a great diagnostic tool for leveling up training or addressing painful running woes.
The Magical Mystery of WandaVision’s Kathryn Hahn
6hAs the ancient witch Agatha Harkness, she’s pulling off her best trick yet.
Augmented Reality Isn’t Quite There Yet
7hEven with breakthroughs like HoloLens and Pokemon Go, we are still a few years away from fulfilling AR’s biggest promises.
DJI’s FPV drone offers a first-person view of the sky
7hThe FPV can sync to two headsets simultaneously. This couple only has one headset, though, so they have to take turns. (DJI/) One day, maybe drones will be large and powerful enough to tote humans into the sky. For now, though, first-person-view drones are about as close as we’re going to get. Crafts like DJI’s new FPV beam a live feed from their cameras directly to a head-mounted display to put
How an 'antibiotic' helps bacteria eat
7hFor years, scientists have known that certain bacteria produce molecules that are toxic to other bacteria when there is competition for food and space. Now, Caltech researchers have discovered these so-called antibiotics have another purpose: they help the bacteria acquire essential nutrients when resources are scarce.
8h
How to Tap Into Students' Strengths During Remote Learning
8hGrowing up making friends on AIM and in chatrooms, I know the internet can foster human connection. Here are some tips that translate to teaching online classes.
Why reopening US schools is so complicated
8hAcross the country, schools are wrestling with the difficult choice of whether to reopen, and how to do it with reduced risk. In Kalamazoo, Michigan—not far from one the main sites where Pfizer is frantically manufacturing vaccines—they plan to stay virtual through the end of the school year. In Iowa, a state without a mask mandate, kids can now go back to in-person learning full time. Meanwhile,
A Note From The Publisher of Futurism
3hDear Futurism Readers — I’m James Del. For the past 4 years, I’ve been the publisher of Futurism.com — but this is my first time writing for the site. Nice to finally meet you. Broadly speaking, it’s my job to ensure that our small, ten-person operation has the means to continue supporting itself as we bring curated and original science and tech news, perspective, takeaways, and features to our m
Big Step Forward for $50 Billion Plan to Save Louisiana Coast
3hAn environmental assessment said the project’s next step would largely benefit coastal areas, though it might also affect some marine life, especially dolphins.
Our Favorite Cold-Weather Gear for $100 or Less
5hThese coats, gloves, and other winter essentials will keep you bundled up and under budget.
3h
Gig Companies Fear a Worker Shortage, Despite a Recession
7hThe pandemic sapped demand for rides from Uber and Lyft, and government aid has cushioned the blow for workers. Execs are feeling the strain.
The US Has a Covid 'Scariants' Problem. Here's How to Fix It
31minResearchers are racing to understand new versions of the coronavirus. But without scientific standards, too many mutants are getting the monster treatment.
New tool finds and fingerprints previously undetected PFAS compounds in watersheds on Cape Cod
3hResearchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) found large quantities of previously undetectable compounds from the family of chemicals known as PFAS in six watersheds on Cape Cod using a new method to quantify and identify PFAS compounds. Exposures to some PFAS, widely used for their ability to repel heat, water, and oil, are linked to a range of he
Trump's Policy Failures Have Exacted a Heavy Toll on Public Health
4hBut things were on the decline long before he took office — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
J&J Shots Administered, States Reopen Too Soon, and More News
54minCatch up on the most important updates from this week.
The Game Walden Shows Us That Some Things Can’t Be Digitized
7hIt invites players to "live deliberately" in the woods, as Thoreau did—but it's not an experience you can easily replicate.
Spacewalking astronauts tackle more solar panel advance work
5hFor the second time this week, a pair of astronauts floated outside Friday to get the International Space Station ready for new solar panels.
Study: Combined liver-cytokine humanization rescues circulating red blood cells for testing drugs
7hIn a new study by the Yale Department of Immunobiology and Yale Cancer Center, researchers report combined liver and growth factor humanization enhances human red blood cell production and survival in circulation the immunodeficient murine host. The discovery could help in the development of treatments of life-threatening blood disorders, such as myelodysplastic syndrome, and diseases afflicting r
Coastal changes worsen nuisance flooding on many US shorelines, study finds
1hNuisance flooding has increased on U.S. coasts in recent decades due to sea level rise, and new research co-authored by the University of Central Florida uncovered an additional reason for its added frequency.
Portrait of a Leader Humblebragging
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3hNew York Cuomo Bennett
Some books age poorly; others are poorly aged from the moment they’re published. American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic , Andrew Cuomo’s recent memoir, manages to fall into both categories. The New York governor’s paean to his handling of the COVID-19 crisis is in some ways a classic political chronicle: a hero’s journey, through the ordeal to the victory, told by the hero
The Famed Painting The Scream Holds a Hidden Message
8hOpen speculation about his mental health plagued the artist Edvard Munch. In his most famous work, he left a biting commentary — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
The gut mycobiome influences the metabolism of processed foods
1hStudies of the microbiome in the human gut have largely overlooked non-bacterial microbes: viruses, protists, archaea and fungi. Now research in mice points to a significant role for fungi, called the mycobiome, in the intestine.
Antibiotic-resistant strains of staph bacteria may be spreading between pigs raised in factory farms
2hDNA sequencing of bacteria found in pigs and humans in rural eastern North Carolina, an area with concentrated industrial-scale pig-farming, suggests that multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains are spreading between pigs, farmworkers, their families and community residents, and represents an emerging public health threat, according to a new study.
Work-Life Balance Has to Include Friendship
5hEach 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 friends who created a “Working Moms With Big Jobs” support group to help navigate the challenges of parenting while maintaining a demanding career. They use the tools of corporate life—ag
Animals are better at social distancing than we’ll ever be
1hExamining social dynamics in animals can help us understand how diseases spread and how viruses evolve. (Unsplash/) Around this time last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic gained steam around the world, the phrase “social distancing” quickly became part of popular discourse. But as a practice, social distancing has been around for a lot longer—and not just in humans. A new review paper, out today in
Lisa Mosconi: How Does Menopause Affect The Brain?
6hWe associate menopause with the ovaries, but its symptoms start in the brain. Neuroscientist Lisa Mosconi explains how brain health during menopause affects the rest of the body. (Image credit: Jasmina Tomic/Jasmina Tomic / TED)
New method facilitates development of antibody-based drugs
2hIn recent years, therapeutic antibodies have transformed the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. Now, researchers have developed a new, efficient method based on the genetic scissors CRISPR-Cas9, that facilitates antibody development.
New way to halt excessive inflammation
5hResearchers have discovered a new way to 'put the brakes' on excessive inflammation by regulating a type of white blood cell that is critical for our immune system.
Widespread wildfire as a proxy for resource strain
7hFire is a natural part of ecosystems in the western United States, but the summer fire season has grown both longer and more intense in recent years. As the size of the area burned across the region has risen year after year, so too has the expense of fire management. Indeed, federal wildfire suppression costs more than tripled between the 1980s and today, from roughly $245 million per year to $1.
Life's rich pattern: Researchers use sound to shape the future of printing
2hResearchers in the UK have developed a way to coax microscopic particles and droplets into precise patterns by harnessing the power of sound in air. The implications for printing, especially in the fields of medicine and electronics, are far-reaching.
Uncovering hidden forever chemicals
46minResearchers found large quantities of previously undetectable compounds from the family of chemicals known as PFAS in six watersheds on Cape Cod using a new method to quantify and identify PFAS compounds. Exposures to some PFAS, widely used for their ability to repel heat, water, and oil, are linked to a range of health risks including cancer, immune suppression, diabetes, and low infant birth wei
Novel urine test developed to diagnose human kidney transplant rejection
46minInvestigators proposes a new, noninvasive way to test for transplant rejection using exosomes — tiny vesicles containing mRNA — from urine samples.
How does your brain process emotions? Answer could help address loneliness epidemic
46minNew research finds that specific regions of the brain respond to emotional stimuli related to loneliness and wisdom in opposing ways.
Controlling adhesions in the abdomen
1hAdhesions are scars in the abdomen, which can occur after surgery, often have serious consequences. Now, researchers have discovered how such adhesions form. The findings may help to develop a drug to prevent adhesions in the future.
Taking 2-D materials for a spin
4hScientists from the University of Tsukuba and a scientist from the Institute of High Pressure Physics detected and mapped the electronic spins moving in a working transistor made of molybdenum disulfide. This research may lead to much faster computers that take advantage of the natural magnetism of electrons, as opposed to just their charge.
New potential for functional recovery after spinal cord injury
46minResearchers have successfully reprogrammed a glial cell type in the central nervous system into new neurons to promote recovery after spinal cord injury — revealing an untapped potential to leverage the cell for regenerative medicine.
Speeding up commercialization of electric vehicles
5hResearchers have developed a high-capacity cathode material that can be stably charged and discharged for hundreds of cycles without using the expensive cobalt (Co) metal. The day is fast approaching when electric vehicles can drive long distances with Li- ion batteries.
3h
Are the Egyptian Pyramids Aligned with the Stars?
4hThe ancient Egyptians watched Earth’s night sky closely and named constellations after their gods. But did the builders of the pyramids really make these monuments with the stars in mind?
'Fungal ghosts' protect skin, fabric from toxins, radiation
4hThe idea of creating selectively porous materials has captured the attention of chemists for decades. Now, new research from Northwestern University shows that fungi may have been doing exactly this for millions of years.
Particle detector at Fermilab plays crucial role in Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment
5hA century ago, physicists didn't know about the existence of neutrinos, the most abundant, elusive and ethereal subatomic particles of matter in the universe.
Improved understanding of plasma source for synthesis of carbon nanotubes
5hResearchers have developed an insight that could facilitate production of microscopic carbon nanotubes, structures thousands of times thinner than a human hair used in everything from microchips to sporting goods to pharmaceutical products. The research by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) could ensure that fabrication forms nanotubes as
Twistoptics: A new way to control optical nonlinearity
5hEngineering researchers report that they developed a new, efficient way to modulate and enhance an important type of nonlinear optical process: optical second harmonic generation — where two input photons are combined in the material to produce one photon with twice the energy — from hexagonal boron nitride through micromechanical rotation and multilayer stacking. Their work is the first to expl
Ultralight materials: High strength through hierarchy
5hAs light as possible and as strong as possible at the same time. These are the requirements for modern lightweight materials, such as those used in aircraft construction and the automotive industry. A research team has now developed a new materials' design approach for future ultralight materials: Nanometer-sized metal struts that form nested networks on separate hierarchical levels provide amazin
One starfish to rule them all
5hAt 480 million years old, this fossil is the oldest starfish-like creature ever discovered.
Covid fightback: the critical role of HIV experts
1hThe speed and cooperation of the Covid response has been honed by decades of dealing with ‘the biggest pandemic the world has ever seen’ When Dr Anthony Fauci spoke at the 20th International Aids Conference in Melbourne in 2014, his appearance garnered little media attention. Nearly seven years later, the HIV expert and director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has
Mining water and metal from the moon at the same time
5hIn-situ resource utilization (ISRU) is becoming an increasingly popular topic as space exploration begins to focus on landing on the surface of other bodies in the solar system. ISRU focuses on making things that are needed to support an exploration mission out of materials that are easily accessible at the site being explored, like European explorers in the New World building canoes out of the wo
World's rarest seals have a secret breeding cave in Cyprus
6hScientists have discovered a set of caves in northern Cyprus where endangered monk seals have been breeding in secret.
Sandrine Thuret: How Can Adults Grow New Brain Cells?
6hAdults don't generate as many new neurons as children or teenagers, but some growth is still happening. Neuroscientist Sandrine Thuret explains how we can encourage the production of more nerve cells. (Image credit: Paul Clarke Photographer +44(0)7515 655932 paul@paulclarke.com/Paul Clarke / TED)
Ny aftale: CO2-krav til nybyggeri fra 2023
7hFra 2023 må større nybyggeri ikke udlede mere end 12 kg CO2/m2/år set over 50 års levetid. Det er ét af de centrale punkter i en ny politisk aftale om bæredygtigt byggeri
Going forth with standardized tests may cause more problems than it solves
2hDespite the many ways that COVID-19 has disrupted schools, the U.S. Department of Education will not give states a pass on giving standardized tests to students this year as it did in spring 2020. That's according to new guidance the department issued Feb. 22.
Tantalizing signs of phase-change 'turbulence' in RHIC collisions
2hPhysicists studying collisions of gold ions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science user facility for nuclear physics research at DOE's Brookhaven National Laboratory, are embarking on a journey through the phases of nuclear matter—the stuff that makes up the nuclei of all the visible matter in our universe. A new analysis of collisions conducte
Compression or strain—the material always expands
4hAn international research team led by chemist Prof. Thomas Heine of TU Dresden has discovered a new two-dimensional material with unprecedented properties: regardless of whether it is strained or compressed, it always expands. This so-called half-auxetic behavior has not been observed before and is therefore very promising for the design of new applications, especially in nano-sensorics.
Planet-hunting eye of Plato
5hKey technology for ESA's exoplanet-hunting Plato spacecraft has passed a trial by vacuum to prove the mission will work as planned. This test replica of an 80-cm high, 12-cm aperture camera spent 17 days inside a thermal vacuum chamber.
This frog has lungs that act like noise-canceling headphones
5hTo succeed in mating, many male frogs sit in one place and call to their potential mates. But how do females pinpoint a perfect mate among all the background noise of other frogs? Now, researchers have found that they do it thanks to a set of lungs that reduce their eardrum's sensitivity to environmental noise, making it easier to zero in on the calls of males.
Best upright vacuum: Clean your house quickly and comfortably
3hMake sure your floor is always spotless. (Woodendot via Unsplash/) Canister vacuums can be such a drag—figuratively and literally. They require you to drag two pieces of equipment around rooms as you clean the floor, which can make the process of vacuuming particularly cumbersome and exhausting. You have to bend to turn them on and off, and when you’re finished with your work, you have to store t
Scientists still stuck on Betelgeuse antics a year after strange dimming episode
7hA year ago, the bright red star Betelgeuse in the Orion constellation hit the headlines for a stark fading episode that astronomers couldn't explain. They still can't, although they keep trying.
Engineering marvel: Sixth mirror cast for Giant Magellan Telescope
2hThe Giant Magellan Telescope announces fabrication of the sixth of seven of the world's largest monolithic mirrors. These mirrors will allow astronomers to see farther into the universe with more detail than any other optical telescope before. The sixth 8.4-meter (27.5 feet) mirror—about two stories high when standing on edge—is being fabricated at the University of Arizona's Richard F. Caris Mirr
What can stream quality tell us about quality of life?
2hAs the source of most of the water we drink and a place where we often go to recreate and enjoy nature, streams represent a crucial point-of-contact between human beings and the environment.
New copolymer binder to extend the life of lithium ion batteries
5hAnyone who has owned a smartphone for over a year is most likely aware that its built-in lithium (Li)-ion battery does not hold as much charge as when the device was new. The degradation of Li-ion batteries is a serious issue that greatly limits the useful life of portable electronic devices, indirectly causing huge amounts of pollution and economic losses. In addition to this, the fact that Li-io
Better warnings needed about health impacts of long-range wildfire smoke
7hSmoke from local wildfires can affect the health of Colorado residents, in addition to smoke from fires in forests as far away as California and the Pacific Northwest.
How do forests function in persistent organic pollutant cycling?
7hForests can regulate the global dispersion of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). In theory, the forest plays as a "sink" and delays the transport of POPs to remote/cold regions.
10 Women Changing the Landscape of Leadership
4minIn critical fields like agriculture, science, finance and technology, they have staked a claim with their pioneering work and are building a path for the next generation.
Why is China giving travelers anal tests for COVID-19?
5minTravelers to some Chinese cities have been required to take anal swab tests for COVID-19.
Best snowboarding jackets: Stay warm and comfortable in the snow
7minLook and feel great when you take your runs. (Yann Allegre via Unsplash/) If you’ve bundled up in cold and snowy conditions to hit the ski slopes, you might think that you don’t need a separate snowboarding jacket if you want to switch things up to do a few halfpipe tricks. It’s true that a ski jacket with sufficient insulation and waterproofing does provide protection against the elements—and th
The Amazon Rainforest Could Die in Your Lifetime — Here's Why
14minClimate change, fires and deforestation create a perfect storm that will destroy the Amazon in about 40 years.
‘After a year we’re back to square one’: Milan locked in Covid’s grasp
15minTwelve months on from Europe’s first coronavirus lockdown, restrictions still dominate life in Italian city
Study shows cactus pear as drought-tolerant crop for sustainable fuel and food
20minCould cactus pear become a major crop like soybeans and corn in the near future, and help provide a biofuel source, as well as a sustainable food and forage crop? According to a recently published study, researchers from the University of Nevada, Reno believe the plant, with its high heat tolerance and low water use, may be able to provide fuel and food in places that previously haven't been able
Coronavirus News Roundup, February 27 – March 5
21minPandemic highlights for the week — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
NASA’s New Mars Rover Is Officially on the Move
27minFirst Steps NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is officially on the move. Recently uploaded images show the six-wheeled robot’s tracks imprinted in the surrounding Martian dust. The rover first landed in the Jezero Crater on February 18. Since then, it’s been testing its various scientific instruments and stretching its seven feet-foot arm. “A quick test of my steering, and things are looking good as
Tre yngre læger overtager en af landets første partnerskabsklinikker
28minUdbredelsen af partnerskaber mellem private firmaer og praktiserende læger har skabt frygt for, at yngre læger forhindres i at få deres egen klinik. Men nu sælger Peder Ahnfeldt Mollerup en af landets første partnerskabsklinikker til tre yngre læger.
Author Correction: Continuous moulting by Antarctic krill drives major pulses of carbon export in the north Scotia Sea, Southern Ocean
31minNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22037-y
Surprise: Societal Scholars Could Drive Climate Policy
51minBiden is appointing “totally different kinds of people” to solve climate change — Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
Coastal changes worsen nuisance flooding on many U.S. shorelines, study finds
55minNuisance flooding has increased on U.S. coasts in recent decades due to sea level rise, and new research co-authored by the University of Central Florida uncovered an additional reason for its added frequency — higher local tide ranges. The results are in a study appearing today in the journal Science Advances .
Single-cell transcriptomic analysis of mIHC images via antigen mapping
1hHighly multiplexed immunohistochemistry (mIHC) enables the staining and quantification of dozens of antigens in a tissue section with single-cell resolution. However, annotating cell populations that differ little in the profiled antigens or for which the antibody panel does not include specific markers is challenging. To overcome this obstacle, we have developed an approach for enriching mIHC im
An early warning approach to monitor COVID-19 activity with multiple digital traces in near real time
1hGiven still-high levels of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) susceptibility and inconsistent transmission-containing strategies, outbreaks have continued to emerge across the United States. Until effective vaccines are widely deployed, curbing COVID-19 will require carefully timed nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs). A COVID-19 early warning system is vital for this. Here, we evaluate digita
PD-L1+ neutrophils contribute to injury-induced infection susceptibility
1hThe underlying mechanisms contributing to injury-induced infection susceptibility remain poorly understood. Here, we describe a rapid increase in neutrophil cell numbers in the lungs following induction of thermal injury. These neutrophils expressed elevated levels of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and exhibited altered gene expression profiles indicative of a reparative population. Upon injur
Engineered glycomaterial implants orchestrate large-scale functional repair of brain tissue chronically after severe traumatic brain injury
1hSevere traumatic brain injury (sTBI) survivors experience permanent functional disabilities due to significant volume loss and the brain’s poor capacity to regenerate. Chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans (CS-GAGs) are key regulators of growth factor signaling and neural stem cell homeostasis in the brain. However, the efficacy of engineered CS (eCS) matrices in mediating structural and functio
Nicotinic regulation of local and long-range input balance drives top-down attentional circuit maturation
1hCognitive function depends on frontal cortex development; however, the mechanisms driving this process are poorly understood. Here, we identify that dynamic regulation of the nicotinic cholinergic system is a key driver of attentional circuit maturation associated with top-down frontal neurons projecting to visual cortex. The top-down neurons receive robust cholinergic inputs, but their nicotinic
Long-term (1990-2019) monitoring of forest cover changes in the humid tropics
1hAccurate characterization of tropical moist forest changes is needed to support conservation policies and to quantify their contribution to global carbon fluxes more effectively. We document, at pantropical scale, the extent and changes (degradation, deforestation, and recovery) of these forests over the past three decades. We estimate that 17% of tropical moist forests have disappeared since 199
Evolving tides aggravate nuisance flooding along the U.S. coastline
1hNuisance flooding (NF) is defined as minor, nondestructive flooding that causes substantial, accumulating socioeconomic impacts to coastal communities. While sea-level rise is the main driver for the observed increase in NF events in the United States, we show here that secular changes in tides also contribute. An analysis of 40 tidal gauge records from U.S. coasts finds that, at 18 locations, NF
Spontaneous phase segregation of Sr2NiO3 and SrNi2O3 during SrNiO3 heteroepitaxy
1hRecent discovery of superconductivity in Nd 0.8 Sr 0.2 NiO 2 motivates the synthesis of other nickelates for providing insights into the origin of high-temperature superconductivity. However, the synthesis of stoichiometric R 1– x Sr x NiO 3 thin films over a range of x has proven challenging. Moreover, little is known about the structures and properties of the end member SrNiO 3 . Here, we show
RNF39 mediates K48-linked ubiquitination of DDX3X and inhibits RLR-dependent antiviral immunity
1hRetinoic acid–inducible gene-I (RIG-I)–like receptors (RLRs) are major cytosolic RNA sensors and play crucial roles in initiating antiviral innate immunity. Furthermore, RLRs have been implicated in multiple autoimmune disorders. Thus, RLR activation should be tightly controlled to avoid detrimental effects. "DEAD-box RNA helicase 3, X-linked" (DDX3X) is a key adaptor in RLR signaling, but its re
Trans-synaptic assemblies link synaptic vesicles and neuroreceptors
1hSynaptic transmission is characterized by fast, tightly coupled processes and complex signaling pathways that require a precise protein organization, such as the previously reported nanodomain colocalization of pre- and postsynaptic proteins. Here, we used cryo–electron tomography to visualize synaptic complexes together with their native environment comprising interacting proteins and lipids on
A modular approach toward producing nanotherapeutics targeting the innate immune system
1hImmunotherapies controlling the adaptive immune system are firmly established, but regulating the innate immune system remains much less explored. The intrinsic interactions between nanoparticles and phagocytic myeloid cells make these materials especially suited for engaging the innate immune system. However, developing nanotherapeutics is an elaborate process. Here, we demonstrate a modular app
On secondary atomization and blockage of surrogate cough droplets in single- and multilayer face masks
1hFace masks prevent transmission of infectious respiratory diseases by blocking large droplets and aerosols during exhalation or inhalation. While three-layer masks are generally advised, many commonly available or makeshift masks contain single or double layers. Using carefully designed experiments involving high-speed imaging along with physics-based analysis, we show that high-momentum, large-s
Plasmonic nanoreactors regulating selective oxidation by energetic electrons and nanoconfined thermal fields
1hOptimizing product selectivity and conversion efficiency are primary goals in catalysis. However, efficiency and selectivity are often mutually antagonistic, so that high selectivity is accompanied by low efficiency and vice versa. Also, just increasing the temperature is very unlikely to change the reaction pathway. Here, by constructing hierarchical plasmonic nanoreactors, we show that nanoconf
The mycoplasma surface proteins MIB and MIP promote the dissociation of the antibody-antigen interaction
1hMycoplasma immunoglobulin binding (MIB) and mycoplasma immunoglobulin protease (MIP) are surface proteins found in the majority of mycoplasma species, acting sequentially to capture antibodies and cleave off their V H domains. Cryo–electron microscopy structures show how MIB and MIP bind to a Fab fragment in a "hug of death" mechanism. As a result, the orientation of the V L and V H domains is tw
Longitudinal antibody repertoire in "mild" versus "severe" COVID-19 patients reveals immune markers associated with disease severity and resolution
1hLimited knowledge exists on immune markers associated with disease severity or recovery in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, we elucidated longitudinal evolution of SARS-CoV-2 antibody repertoire in patients with acute COVID-19. Differential kinetics was observed for immunoglobulin M (IgM)/IgG/IgA epitope diversity, antibody binding, and affinity maturation in "severe" vers
Prefusion structure of human cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B and structural basis for membrane fusion
1hHuman cytomegalovirus (HCMV) causes congenital disease with long-term morbidity. HCMV glycoprotein B (gB) transitions irreversibly from a metastable prefusion to a stable postfusion conformation to fuse the viral envelope with a host cell membrane during entry. We stabilized prefusion gB on the virion with a fusion inhibitor and a chemical cross-linker, extracted and purified it, and then determi
Real-time GW-BSE investigations on spin-valley exciton dynamics in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide
1hWe develop an ab initio nonadiabatic molecular dynamics (NAMD) method based on GW plus real-time Bethe-Salpeter equation ( GW + rtBSE-NAMD) for the spin-resolved exciton dynamics. From investigations on MoS 2 , we provide a comprehensive picture of spin-valley exciton dynamics where the electron-phonon (e-ph) scattering, spin-orbit interaction (SOI), and electron-hole (e-h) interactions come into
Quantifying the influence of short-term emission reductions on climate
1hThe COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic has resulted in a marked slowdown in greenhouse gas and aerosol emissions. Although the resulting emission reductions will continue to evolve, this will presumably be temporary. Here, we provide estimates of the potential effect of such short-term emission reductions on global and regional temperature and precipitation by analyzing the response of
Mars arrivals and Etna eruption — February's best science images
1hNature, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00485-2 The month’s sharpest science shots, selected by Nature's photo team.
Small volcanic lakes tapping giant underground reservoirs
1hIn its large caldera, Newberry volcano (Oregon, U.S.) has two small volcanic lakes, one fed by volcanic geothermal fluids (Paulina Lake) and one by gases (East Lake). These popular fishing grounds are small windows into a large underlying reservoir of hydrothermal fluids, releasing carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) with minor mercury (Hg) and methane into East Lake.
Blind trust in social media cements conspiracy beliefs
1hThe ability to identify misinformation only benefits people who have some skepticism toward social media, according to a new study from Washington State University.
The story behind our new national park and its unique legacy
1hThe New River Gorge National Park and Preserve managed to uphold the outdoor traditions of the region while also getting top billing as a tourist destination. (Nick Kelley /) This story originally featured on Outdoor Life . The last time I visited the New River , it was deserted. My buddies and I had planned a multi-day fishing trip, and we set off without bumping into anyone at the put-in. We ca
Startup Creates Tiny Drill to Burrow Through Your Brain With Magnets
1hA startup called Bionaut Labs has an unusual plan for fighting brain tumors: injecting tiny metallic drills into your body and dragging them around with a powerful magnet, from outside the body. The microrobots are essentially millimeter-sized screws that can shuttle and administer drugs to precise targets, The Los Angeles Times reports . The tech would give doctors a way to deliver drugs without
The Daily Grind Championship | Street Outlaws
1hStream Full Episodes of Street Outlaws: https://discovery.com/tv-shows/street-outlaws/ Subscribe to Discovery: http://bit.ly/SubscribeDiscovery Follow Us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@Discovery Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Discovery https://www.facebook.com/StreetOutlaws Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Discovery https://twitter.com/StreetOutlaws We're on Instagram! ht
Publisher Correction: The duality between particle methods and artificial neural networks
1hScientific Reports, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41598-021-85463-4
Hearing aids: How they work and which type is best for you
1hHearing aids are small electronic devices that a person wears in or behind their ears. Here's how the different types of hearing aids work and which one might be best for you.
Negative regulation of plastidial isoprenoid pathway by herbivore-induced {beta}-cyclocitral in Arabidopsis thaliana [Plant Biology]
1hInsect damage to plants is known to up-regulate defense and down-regulate growth processes. While there are frequent reports about up-regulation of defense signaling and production of defense metabolites in response to herbivory, much less is understood about the mechanisms by which growth and carbon assimilation are down-regulated. Here we demonstrate…
Homozygous IL37 mutation associated with infantile inflammatory bowel disease [Immunology and Inflammation]
1hInterleukin (IL)-37, an antiinflammatory IL-1 family cytokine, is a key suppressor of innate immunity. IL-37 signaling requires the heterodimeric IL-18R1 and IL-1R8 receptor, which is abundantly expressed in the gastrointestinal tract. Here we report a 4-mo-old male from a consanguineous family with a homozygous loss-of-function IL37 mutation. The patient presented…
Computational studies of anaplastic lymphoma kinase mutations reveal common mechanisms of oncogenic activation [Biophysics and Computational Biology]
1hKinases play important roles in diverse cellular processes, including signaling, differentiation, proliferation, and metabolism. They are frequently mutated in cancer and are the targets of a large number of specific inhibitors. Surveys of cancer genome atlases reveal that kinase domains, which consist of 300 amino acids, can harbor numerous (150…
A multiplier peroxiporin signal transduction pathway powers piscine spermatozoa [Physiology]
1hThe primary task of a spermatozoon is to deliver its nuclear payload to the egg to form the next-generation zygote. With polyandry repeatedly evolving in the animal kingdom, however, sperm competition has become widespread, with the highest known intensities occurring in fish. Yet, the molecular controls regulating spermatozoon swimming performance…
Superoxide is promoted by sucrose and affects amplitude of circadian rhythms in the evening [Plant Biology]
1hPlants must coordinate photosynthetic metabolism with the daily environment and adapt rhythmic physiology and development to match carbon availability. Circadian clocks drive biological rhythms which adjust to environmental cues. Products of photosynthetic metabolism, including sugars and reactive oxygen species (ROS), are closely associated with the plant circadian clock, and sugars…
Primordial GATA6 macrophages function as extravascular platelets in sterile injury
1hMost multicellular organisms have a major body cavity that harbors immune cells. In primordial species such as purple sea urchins, these cells perform phagocytic functions but are also crucial in repairing injuries. In mammals, the peritoneal cavity contains large numbers of resident GATA6 + macrophages, which may function similarly. However, it is unclear how cavity macrophages suspended in the
Multidecadal climate oscillations during the past millennium driven by volcanic forcing
1hPast research argues for an internal multidecadal (40- to 60-year) oscillation distinct from climate noise. Recent studies have claimed that this so-termed Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation is instead a manifestation of competing time-varying effects of anthropogenic greenhouse gases and sulfate aerosols. That conclusion is bolstered by the absence of robust multidecadal climate oscillations in c
Combined liver-cytokine humanization comes to the rescue of circulating human red blood cells
1hIn vivo models that recapitulate human erythropoiesis with persistence of circulating red blood cells (RBCs) have remained elusive. We report an immunodeficient murine model in which combined human liver and cytokine humanization confer enhanced human erythropoiesis and RBC survival in the circulation. We deleted the fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase ( Fah ) gene in MISTRG mice expressing several hum
Scaling behavior of stiffness and strength of hierarchical network nanomaterials
1hStructural hierarchy can enhance the mechanical behavior of materials and systems. This is exemplified by the fracture toughness of nacre or enamel in nature and by human-made architected microscale network structures. Nanoscale structuring promises further strengthening, yet macroscopic bodies built this way contain an immense number of struts, calling for scalable preparation schemes. In this w
Redox-active antibiotics enhance phosphorus bioavailability
1hMicrobial production of antibiotics is common, but our understanding of their roles in the environment is limited. In this study, we explore long-standing observations that microbes increase the production of redox-active antibiotics under phosphorus limitation. The availability of phosphorus, a nutrient required by all life on Earth and essential for agriculture, can be controlled by adsorption
A nearby transiting rocky exoplanet that is suitable for atmospheric investigation
1hSpectroscopy of transiting exoplanets can be used to investigate their atmospheric properties and habitability. Combining radial velocity (RV) and transit data provides additional information on exoplanet physical properties. We detect a transiting rocky planet with an orbital period of 1.467 days around the nearby red dwarf star Gliese 486. The planet Gliese 486 b is 2.81 Earth masses and 1.31 E
Fewer butterflies seen by community scientists across the warming and drying landscapes of the American West
1hUncertainty remains regarding the role of anthropogenic climate change in declining insect populations, partly because our understanding of biotic response to climate is often complicated by habitat loss and degradation among other compounding stressors. We addressed this challenge by integrating expert and community scientist datasets that include decades of monitoring across more than 70 locati
Cygnus X-1 contains a 21-solar mass black hole–Implications for massive star winds
1hThe evolution of massive stars is influenced by the mass lost to stellar winds over their lifetimes. These winds limit the masses of the stellar remnants (such as black holes) that the stars ultimately produce. We used radio astrometry to refine the distance to the black hole x-ray binary Cygnus X-1, which we found to be kiloparsecs. When combined with archival optical data, this implies a black
Toroidal polar topology in strained ferroelectric polymer
1hPolar topological texture has become an emerging research field for exotic phenomena and potential applications in reconfigurable electronic devices. We report toroidal topological texture self-organized in a ferroelectric polymer, poly(vinylidene fluoride- ran -trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)], that exhibits concentric topology with anticoupled chiral domains. The interplay among the elastic, el
Tracing orbital images on ultrafast time scales
1hFrontier orbitals determine fundamental molecular properties such as chemical reactivities. Although electron distributions of occupied orbitals can be imaged in momentum space by photoemission tomography, it has so far been impossible to follow the momentum-space dynamics of a molecular orbital in time, for example, through an excitation or a chemical reaction. Here, we combined time-resolved ph
C. elegans discriminates colors to guide foraging
1hColor detection is used by animals of diverse phyla to navigate colorful natural environments and is thought to require evolutionarily conserved opsin photoreceptor genes. We report that Caenorhabditis elegans roundworms can discriminate between colors despite the fact that they lack eyes and opsins. Specifically, we found that white light guides C. elegans foraging decisions away from a blue-pig
Comment on "Increased growing-season productivity drives earlier autumn leaf senescence in temperate trees"
1hZani et al . (Research Articles, 27 November 2020, p. 1066) propose that enhancement of deciduous tree photosynthesis in a CO 2 -enriched atmosphere will advance autumn leaf senescence. This premise is not supported by consistent observations from free-air CO 2 enrichment (FACE) experiments. In most FACE experiments, leaf senescence or abscission was not altered or was delayed in trees exposed to
Widespread haploid-biased gene expression enables sperm-level natural selection
1hSperm are haploid but must be functionally equivalent to distribute alleles equally among progeny. Accordingly, gene products are shared through spermatid cytoplasmic bridges that erase phenotypic differences between individual haploid sperm. Here, we show that a large class of mammalian genes are not completely shared across these bridges. We call these genes "genoinformative markers" (GIMs) and
A structure of human Scap bound to Insig-2 suggests how their interaction is regulated by sterols
1hThe sterol regulatory element–binding protein (SREBP) pathway controls cellular homeostasis of sterols. The key players in this pathway, Scap and Insig-1 and -2, are membrane-embedded sterol sensors. The 25-hydroxycholesterol (25HC)–dependent association of Scap and Insig acts as the master switch for the SREBP pathway. Here, we present cryo–electron microscopy analysis of the human Scap and Insi
Response to Comment on "Increased growing-season productivity drives earlier autumn leaf senescence in temperate trees"
1hOur study showed that increases in seasonal productivity drive earlier autumn senescence of temperate trees. Norby argues that this finding is contradicted by observations from free-air CO 2 enrichment (FACE) experiments, where elevated CO 2 has been found to delay senescence in some cases. We provide a detailed answer showing that the results from FACE studies are in agreement with our conclusio
Parallel molecular mechanisms for enzyme temperature adaptation
1hThe mechanisms that underly the adaptation of enzyme activities and stabilities to temperature are fundamental to our understanding of molecular evolution and how enzymes work. Here, we investigate the molecular and evolutionary mechanisms of enzyme temperature adaption, combining deep mechanistic studies with comprehensive sequence analyses of thousands of enzymes. We show that temperature adapt
Characterization of a common progenitor pool of the epicardium and myocardium
1hThe mammalian heart is derived from multiple cell lineages; however, our understanding of when and how the diverse cardiac cell types arise is limited. We mapped the origin of the embryonic mouse heart at single-cell resolution using a combination of transcriptomic, imaging, and genetic lineage labeling approaches. This mapping provided a transcriptional and anatomic definition of cardiac progeni
Targeting a neoantigen derived from a common TP53 mutation
1hTP53 (tumor protein p53) is the most commonly mutated cancer driver gene, but drugs that target mutant tumor suppressor genes, such as TP53 , are not yet available. Here, we describe the identification of an antibody highly specific to the most common TP53 mutation (R175H, in which arginine at position 175 is replaced with histidine) in complex with a common human leukocyte antigen–A (HLA-A) alle
Infectious diseases and social distancing in nature
1hSpread of contagious pathogens critically depends on the number and types of contacts between infectious and susceptible hosts. Changes in social behavior by susceptible, exposed, or sick individuals thus have far-reaching downstream consequences for infectious disease spread. Although "social distancing" is now an all too familiar strategy for managing COVID-19, nonhuman animals also exhibit pat
Call me, maybe? UNLV study probes how people connected during the pandemic
2hUNLV social media expert Natalie Pennington shares the top 10 takeaways of research on the impact of video chats, email, online gaming, and other communication tech on stress, loneliness, and relationships.
Food security: Irradiation and essential oil vapors for cereal treatment
2hA combined treatment of irradiation and essential oil vapors could effectively destroy insects, bacteria and mold in stored grains. A team from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), led by Professor Monique Lacroix, has demonstrated the effect of this process on insects affecting rice. The study was published in Radiation Physics and Chemistry.
'I want to ride my bicycle!' People set to change mobility choices post-lockdown
2hNew research suggests a significant proportion of Trinity's staff and student population that formerly relied on public transport will now choose to walk or cycle to campus when it fully re-opens after lockdown.
Making sense of commotion under the ocean to locate tremors near deep-sea faults
2hResearchers from Japan and Indonesia have pioneered a new method for more accurately estimating the source of weak ground vibrations in areas where one tectonic plate is sliding under another in the sea. Applying the approach to Japan's Nankai Trough, the researchers were able to estimate previously unknown properties in the region, demonstrating the method's promise to help probe properties neede
How Mount Tambora and Other Volcanic Eruptions Inspired Artistic Masterpieces
2hDramatic sunsets after volcanic eruptions resonated with artists like William Turner, Caspar David Friedrich and Edvard Munch. Their paintings can provide scientists with a clearer picture of the atmospheric changes that occurred.
China announces major boost for R&D, but plan lacks ambitious climate targets
2hResearch spending set to grow by at least 7% annually through 2025
A technique to track Earth’s subtle movements with orbiting radars is heating up
2hInterferometric synthetic aperture radar data have transformed earth science
IU researchers discover new potential for functional recovery after spinal cord injury
2hResearchers at Indiana University School of Medicine have successfully reprogrammed a glial cell type in the central nervous system into new neurons to promote recovery after spinal cord injury–revealing an untapped potential to leverage the cell for regenerative medicine.
Canadian scientists and Swiss surgeons discover the cause of excess post-surgical scarring
2hCanadian Scientists and Swiss Surgeons discover the cause of excess post-surgical scarring.The finding could improve recovery from abdominal and pelvic surgery. The research published in Science , was conducted in mice and shows the excess scarring is caused by macrophages. The researchers also discovered two ways to inhibit this natural response. Macrophages are also present in humans. The team h
Author Correction: Near-surface softening and healing in eastern Honshu associated with the 2011 magnitude-9 Tohoku-Oki earthquake
2hNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22026-1
Author Correction: Ionic shape-morphing microrobotic end-effectors for environmentally adaptive targeting, releasing, and sampling
2hNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21986-8
Author Correction: Deep muscle-proteomic analysis of freeze-dried human muscle biopsies reveals fiber type-specific adaptations to exercise training
2hNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22015-4
Author Correction: Potential health and economic impacts of dexamethasone treatment for patients with COVID-19
2hNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-22038-x
Ecosystem services: Species are our livelihoods
2hFunctioning ecosystems provide the basis for security, basic material needs, health, social interaction and individual liberty. This is how the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005 described it, dividing ecosystem services into the following categories: The provisioning services; goods such as food, water, firewood and timber, the regulating services; pollination, water filtering function of the s
How a soft robot survived the deepest ocean on earth
2hNature, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00605-y Deep-sea fish inspires robot that can withstand the crushing pressures of the Mariana trench
Road map for domesticating multi-genome rice using gene editing
2hNature, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00589-9 Having more than two sets of chromosomes can help plants to adapt and evolve, but generating new crops with this type of genome is challenging. A road map for doing just that has now been developed using wild rice.
Species traded legally through Hong Kong with inadequate traceability
2hBiodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate, due primarily to human activity. Illegal and unsustainable wildlife trade is one of the major drivers of these declines, while much wildlife trade is legal, and the quantity of trade provides the opportunity to launder illegally sourced and traded species and products.
Sports information on social networks leaves out women, disabled and minority disciplines
2hResearchers from the University of Seville and Pompeu Fabra University argue that sports information on social media is dominated by men and football. This leaves out women's sports, sports featuring athletes with disabilities and minority disciplines, thus repeating the reality of the traditional media. That is the main conclusion of a study analyzing more than 7,000 tweets published by the profi
Study finds no link between gender and physics course performance
2hA new data-driven study from Texas A&M University casts serious doubt on the stereotype that male students perform better than female students in science—specifically, physics.
Huntington's disease driven by slowed protein-building machinery in cells
2hThe gene for Huntington's disease was found nearly 40 years ago, yet there are no approved treatments. A new study shows the problem may lie with slowed protein assembly.
African American breast cancer survivor cardiovascular disease risk high but knowledge low
2hNew research led by George Mason University's College of Health and Human Services faculty Dr. Michelle Williams assessed African American breast cancer survivors' risk factors and knowledge about CVD in the Deep South. They found that although African American breast cancer survivors have a higher prevalence of CVD risk factors, their knowledge about CVD is low.
Why aren’t people good at thinking just for fun?
3hIf you find it harder to be pleasantly lost in your thoughts or daydreams these days, you’re not alone. “This is part of our cognitive toolkit that’s underdeveloped, and it’s kind of sad,” says Erin Westgate, a psychology professor at the University of Florida. The ability to think for pleasure is important, and you can get better at it, Westgate says. The first step is recognizing that while it
Nearly a Year into the Pandemic, Nursing Home Deaths Decline
3hPandemic conditions are improving in nursing homes across the country. A report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, released last week, found that deaths among nursing home residents had begun to drop in December amid a vaccination campaign, even as Covid-19 death rates rose elsewhere.
Traces of psychedelics make you feel good, but so does placebo, finds unusual ‘self-blinding’ study
3hMethod of studying “microdosing” could offer new routes for drug research
Coronapod: COVID's origins and the 'lab leak' theory
3hNature, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00599-7 Where did the coronavirus come from?
Using a radical to break C-F bonds one at a time
3hA team of researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China and the University of California has found a way to use radicals to break C-F bonds one at a time when working with trifluoroacetamides and acetates. In their paper published in the journal Science, the group describes how they found the right radical for such reactions and how their technique might be used in future appl
Instrument at BESSY II shows how light activates molybdenum disulfide layers to become catalysts
3hMoS2 thin films of superposed alternating layers of molybdenum and sulfur atoms form a two-dimensional semiconducting surface. However, even a surprisingly low-intensity blue light pulse is enough to alter the properties of the surface and make it metallic. This has now been demonstrated by a team at BESSY II.
After old age, intellectual disability is greatest risk factor for death from COVID-19
3hA study of national data shows the devastating impact the pandemic has had on those with intellectual disabilities and their caregivers.
Species are our livelihoods
3hAssessments of ecosystem services should take greater account of species diversity, scientists from the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) are calling for. Large-scale assessments, however, only address some of these services, such as water filtration and carbon storage. In contrast, ecosystem services directly linked
Switzerland's energy transition
3hCan Switzerland, as planned, cut its CO2 emissions to zero by 2050? In a study, researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI have investigated what measures would be necessary to achieve this reduction and how much it might cost per person.
Monoclonal antibody "cocktail" blocks COVID-19 variants: Study
3hA monoclonal antibody "cocktail" developed at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) to neutralize the COVID-19 virus is effective against all known strains, or variants, of the virus, according to a report published in the journal Nature Medicine .
Automatic adverse drug reaction extraction from electronic health records
3hResearchers from the IXA group at the UPV/EHU are collaborating with Osakidetza (the Basque Regional Health Service) to create a system for automatically extracting adverse drug reactions from electronic health records written in Spanish. The researchers have conducted different tests using both machine learning and deep learning, with the aim of building a robust model for extracting relations be
Eight ways chemical pollutants harm the body
3hA new review of existing evidence proposes eight hallmarks of environmental exposures that chart the biological pathways through which pollutants contribute to disease: oxidative stress and inflammation, genomic alterations and mutations, epigenetic alterations, mitochondrial dysfunction, endocrine disruption, altered intercellular communication, altered microbiome communities, and impaired nervou
Researchers find AI can predict new atrial fibrillation, stroke risk
3hA team of scientists from Geisinger and Tempus have found that artificial intelligence can predict risk of new atrial fibrillation (AF) and AF-related stroke.
Research may offer another avenue to tackling sexually aggressive behavior
3hA new study led by the University of Iowa surveyed college-aged men to test a new approach designed to reduce the risk that they engage in sexually aggressive acts or risky sexual behavior.
Research identifies impact of teenage screen use
3hTwo thirds of children use more than one screen at the same time after school, in the evenings and at weekends as part of increasingly sedentary lifestyles, according to new research at the University of Leicester.
Publisher Correction: Predicting Subtype Selectivity for Adenosine Receptor Ligands with Three-Dimensional Biologically Relevant Spectrum (BRS-3D)
3hScientific Reports, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41598-021-85024-9
Ny björndjursart döpt efter Greta
3hVad har spindlar på Madagaskar, hoppstjärtar i Antarktis och sniglar på Borneo gemensamt med björndjur från Kristianstad? Jo, alla har fått namn efter klimataktivisten Greta Thunberg. Lilla Xerobiotus gretae upptäcktes samtidigt med ytterligare tre fram till nu okända björndjursarter. Forskare från Högskolan Kristianstad har i samarbete med italienska kollegor letat efter björndjur, så kallade ta
Cultural values and demographics impact COVID-19 pandemic
3hNew research by UT professors shows how measuring relatively stable features of society, such as culture and demographics, can help predict the spread of COVID-19.
Neurologic involvement in children, adolescents hospitalized in US for COVID-19 or multisystem inflammatory syndrome
3hIn this study, many children and adolescents hospitalized for COVID-19 or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children had neurologic involvement, mostly transient symptoms. A range of life-threatening and fatal neurologic conditions associated with COVID-19 infrequently occurred. Effects on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes are unknown.
Health care use among undocumented patients
3hResearchers examined the association of increased anti-immigrant rhetoric during the 2016 presidential campaign with changes in the use of health care services among undocumented patients.
Racial/ethnic disparities in autism
3hSurvey data were used to estimate changes in racial/ethnic disparities in rates of autism spectrum disorder among U.S. children and adolescents from 2014 through 2019.
Outcomes, mortality among adults hospitalized with COVID-19 at US medical centers
3hThe objectives of this study were to examine the characteristics and outcomes among adults hospitalized with COVID-19 at U.S. medical centers and analyze changes in mortality over the initial six months of the pandemic.
Putting a protein into overdrive to heal spinal cord injuries
3hUsing genetic engineering, researchers at UT Southwestern and Indiana University have reprogrammed scar-forming cells in mouse spinal cords to create new nerve cells, spurring recovery after spinal cord injury. The findings, published online today in Cell Stem Cell, could offer hope for the hundreds of thousands of people worldwide who suffer a spinal cord injury each year.
Humans evolved to be the water-saving ape
3hAn ancient shift in our body's ability to conserve water may have enabled early humans to venture farther from lakes and streams in search of food. So say the authors of a study that, for the first time, measures precisely how much water humans lose and replace each day compared with our primate cousins. The research shows that the human body uses 30% to 50% less water per day than chimpanzees, go
Light in concert with force reveals how materials become harder when illuminated
4hSemiconductor materials play an indispensable role in our modern information-oriented society. For reliable performance of semiconductor devices, these materials need to have superior mechanical properties: they must be strong as well as resistant to fracture, despite being rich in nanoscale structures.
The Books Briefing: Gender Equality Is Valuable but Vague
4hEditor’s note: This week’s newsletter is a rerun. We’ll be back with a fresh newsletter next week. Every year on March 8, International Women’s Day promotes gender equality —a term that leaves room for many interpretations, some of them contradictory. For example, the historian Paula J. Giddings describes how America’s early feminist organizations excluded women of color, including the journalist
Built to last: New copolymer binder to extend the life of lithium ion batteries
4hThe capacity of lithium-ion batteries decreases over time partly due to the degradation of the binder that protects the graphite anode. To address this problem, scientists from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology are investigating a new copolymer binder that can preserve the capacity of the anode at 95% of its original value even after >1700 charge cycles. Their findings can sig
Life-Changing Online Therapy: 7 Points to Note Before Starting
4hWhat is online therapy? How does it work? What are the key features? Where to get reliable and convenient help? Find out all about it & more here.
How your brain backs off bad solutions to a problem
4hIf you’ve ever got stuck trying to solve a puzzle only to back up and start over, that’s your brain recognizing that your current strategy isn’t working, and that you need a new way to solve the problem, according to new research. With the help of about 200 puzzle-takers, a computer model, and functional MRI (fMRI) images, researchers have learned more about the processes of reasoning and decisio
Gel injection could fix heart damage in a less invasive way
4hInjecting hydrogels containing stem cell or exosome therapeutics directly into the pericardial cavity could offer a less invasive, less costly, and more effective way to treat cardiac injury, according to new research. Stem cell therapy holds promise as a way to treat cardiac injury, but delivering the therapy directly to the site of the injury and keeping it in place long enough to be effective
Charting our changing cities
4hThe global outbreak has resulted in remarkable shifts in city living. Researchers can take the lead in kickstarting conversations on public policies for cities of the future, say SMU professors.
Significant gender disparities revealed in COVID-19 clinical trial leadership
4hLess than one-third of COVID-19 clinical trials are led by women, which is half the proportion observed in non-COVID-19 trials, according to research led by Queen Mary University of London, University of St Andrews, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
Compression or strain – the material expands always the same
4hAn international research team led by chemist Prof. Thomas Heine of TU Dresden has discovered a new two-dimensional material with unprecedented properties: regardless if it is strained or compressed, it always expands. This so-called half-auxetic behavior has not been observed before and is therefore very promising for the design of new applications, especially in nano-sensorics.
CVIA has just published a new issue, Volume 5 Issue 3
4hBeijing, 26 February 2021: the journal Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications ( CVIA ) has just published the third issue of Volume 5. This issue brings together important research from authors in the USA and China, including several very important papers concerned with the various cardiological implications of COVID-19.
Author Correction: Physicochemical properties, droplet size and volatility of dicamba with herbicides and adjuvants on tank-mixture
4hScientific Reports, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41598-021-84555-5
'Falling insect' season length impacts river ecosystems
4hInsects that fall from the surrounding forest provide seasonal food for fish in streams. Researchers at Kobe University and The University of Tokyo have shown that the lengthening of this period has a profound effect on food webs and ecosystem functions present in streams.
BCAS3-C16orf70 complex is a new actor on the mammalian autophagic machinery
4hAutophagy is an intracellular degradation process of cytosolic materials and damaged organelles. Researchers at Ubiquitin Project of TMIMS have been studying the molecular mechanism of mitophagy, the selective autophagy process to eliminate damaged mitochondria. PINK1 (a serine/threonine kinase) and Parkin (an ubiquitin ligating enzyme: E3) work together to ubiquitylate the outer membrane proteins
The negative effects of powerful political connections
4hOne of the motivations for the recently published Journal of Accounting Research paper "Politically Connected Governments" was the daily experience with the subway system in New York City.
Engineered 'off the shelf' stem cells target breast cancer that metastasizes to the brain
5hIn a new study, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and collaborators engineered a bimodal tumor-suppressing and killing molecule that can be delivered to the brain by stem cells. They tested the therapy in three new mouse models of BLBC-BM that imitate human cancers and found that it successfully prolonged the lifespan of the mice.
Instrument at BESSY II shows how light activates MoS2 layers to become catalysts
5hThin films of molybdenum and sulfur belong to a class of materials that can be considered for use as photocatalysts. Inexpensive catalysts such as these are needed to produce hydrogen as a fuel using solar energy. However, they are still not very efficient as catalysts. A new instrument at the Helmholtz-Berlin Zentrum's BESSY II now shows how a light pulse alters the surface properties of the thin
The future of contactless care: robotic systems gain patient approval
5hIn a JAMA Network Open article, Traverso and colleagues report the results of a national survey and a cohort study in an emergency department (ED), which analyzed patients' satisfaction with an initial evaluation conducted by a robotic system. Overall, 92.5 percent of patients were accepting of and satisfied with their experience.
Molecular mechanisms identified in chronic skin inflammation
5hFrequently occurring chronic skin inflammation like in atopic dermatitis (AD or neurodermatitis) and psoriasis have different causes. A team at MedUni Vienna has now been able to identify new molecular mechanisms as causes that could provide suitable starting points for new therapies.
The social support for mothers of patients with eating disorders
5hThis study aimed to investigate how social support for mothers who are caregivers of patients with an eating disorder improves the mothers' mental status and, consequently, the symptoms and status of the patients. As a result, high social support for mothers of patients with eating disorders was significantly associated with lower scores for loneliness and depression of these mothers. We found no
How bone marrow regenerates after chemotherapy
5hResearchers from Osaka University identified the molecular mechanism underlying bone marrow regeneration after chemotherapy. By studying group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s), a specific subtype of immune cells, they showed that these cells produce the cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) with the help of chemo-sensitive B cell progenitors to recover the bone marrow.
Multitude of coronavirus variants found in the US — but the threat is unclear
5hNature, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00564-4 Ramped-up sequencing efforts are helping to identify mutations that might boost transmission or help a virus evade immune responses.
Daily briefing: Glow-in-the-dark shark is biggest bioluminescent vertebrate
5hNature, Published online: 04 March 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00603-0 Kitefin shark is the biggest bioluminescent vertebrate known. Plus, Fortran wins vote as code that has most transformed research, and a call for funders to consider the unequal toll of the pandemic on scientists.
How would digital COVID vaccine passports work? And what's stopping people from faking them?
5hAlthough international travel restrictions for Australia have been extended to at least June, there may still be potential for a trans-Tasman bubble with New Zealand (and maybe some other countries), according to reports.
How to build support for ambitious climate action in 4 steps
5hCanada and the United States are suddenly steeped in policy proposals to aggressively cut carbon emissions. In the face of a climate emergency and on the heels of numerous climate disasters, this is welcome news indeed.
How heavy snow reduces road injuries: less bicycling, safer transport
5hUniversity of Tsukuba researchers took an innovative approach to finding ways to increase road safety. Using 10 years of nationwide data on junior high school students commuting by bicycle, they found a sharp drop in road injuries where there's heavy snowfall. This likely owes to the students' 'modal shift' from cycling to, for instance, walking or public transportation. With high prevalence of ro
New test enables rapid detection of mild cognitive impairment as well as dementia
5hResearchers from Kanazawa University developed a new test for dementia and mild cognitive impairment. The computerized assessment battery for cognition (C-ABC) was able to accurately discriminate mild cognitive impairment from normal cognition, and also distinguish dementia from mild cognitive impairment and normal cognition, and took only 5 minutes to complete. This test could increase the early
Key task in computer vision and graphics gets a boost
5hA researcher from Kanazawa University devised a way to speed up a fundamental task in computer vision and graphics known as non-rigid point set registration. Unlike previous registration techniques, the proposed method is computationally efficient even for large data sets. Moreover, the computing times for this method are shorter than those for a state-of-the-art approach. The results of this stud
Bringing AI into the real world
5hFor practical problem-solving, AI researchers need to look beyond their field and collaborate with social scientists and other domain experts, SMU professors concurred at a GYSS 2021 panel.
Oocyte growth relies on physical phenomena that drive smaller cells to dump their contents into a larger cell
5hEgg cells are by far the largest cells produced by most organisms. In humans, they are several times larger than a typical body cell and about 10,000 times larger than sperm cells.
This tiny echidna moves 7 tons of soil a year, helping tackle climate change
5hAfter 200 years of European farming practices, Australian soils are in bad shape – depleted of nutrients and organic matter, including carbon. This is bad news for both soil health and efforts to address global warming.
Calculus instruction methods reveal mechanisms that discourage BIPOC participation in STEM
5hLuis Leyva, assistant professor of mathematics education at Vanderbilt University and director of PRISM (Power, Resistance & Identity in STEM) at Peabody College, led a research team that recently identified mechanisms in undergraduate calculus instruction that contribute to the function of introductory mathematics as a gatekeeper to STEM majors among Black students, Latin students and white women
Study finds campus housing can mirror racial denotations of larger society
5hA new study from the University of Kansas shows that students' experience in campus housing is often marked by racial denotations of who belongs in campus spaces and that the shifting idea of universities as businesses can push students into racially charged spaces that contradict ideas of inclusion.
NFTs Explained: What They Are and Why They’re Selling for Millions of Dollars
5hA couple of days ago, the musician Grimes sold some animations she made with her brother Mac on a website called Nifty Gateway. Some were one-offs, while others were limited editions of a few hundred — and all were snapped up in about 20 minutes, with total takings of more than US$6 million. Despite the steep price tag, anybody can watch or (with a simple right-click) save a copy of the videos, w
What Did the Venus of Willendorf Originally Represent?
5hSimilar Stone Age figurines of women with enlarged breasts, protruding stomachs and ample hips have been found across Europe and Eurasia. Their purpose and who created them have long been archaeological mysteries clouded by bias.
Southwest Iceland is shaking – and may be about to erupt
5hMore than 17,000 earthquakes have been recorded in the southwest of Iceland, in the Reykjanes Peninsula, during the past week. People living in the area have been advised to be extra careful due to dangers of landslides and rockfall. Many of the larger earthquakes have even been felt in Iceland's capital city, Reykjavik (where over half of the population lives), which lies only 27km away.
When Facebook, Twitter flag posts as 'unverified,' readers listen
5hReaders pay attention when social media sites label an article as "unverified" or "suspicious," a new study suggests.
Taking 2D materials for a spin
5hUniversity of Tsukuba and Institute of High Pressure Physics scientists mapped the spin-density distribution of electrons travelling through a molybdenum disulfide transistor cooled to almost absolute zero. This work may help advance the field of spin-based electronics that would be faster and more efficient compared with current devices.
FN-rapport: Husholdninger står for størstedelen af verdens madspild
5hI 2019 gik 931 millioner tons mad til spilde, viser en ny rapport fra FN.
Hvorfor er is glat?
5hPLUS. Ny forskning viser, at vandmolekyler tumler rundt på overfladen af is. Det gør op med gamle forklaringer om, hvorfor is er glat.
The Atlantic Daily: When Will Kids Return to the Classroom?
5hEvery 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 . If President Joe Biden has his way, back-to-school season will arrive by May . The administration is pushing to get kids to their desks sooner rather than later as part of his 100-day plan . But
HSC transplants in embryos: Opening the door for hematopoiesis research
5hMouse hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation has involved adult and fetal mice and recipient HSC depletion using irradiation and other DNA damaging approaches. Exploiting their understanding of genetics and hematopoiesis, researchers from the University of Tsukuba have developed a new, embryonic HSC transplantation model that lacks HSCs. They have shown high donor cell chimerism in recipien
Study shows combined liver-cytokine humanization rescues circulating red blood cells
5hIn a new study by the Yale Department of Immunobiology and Yale Cancer Center, researchers report combined liver and growth factor humanization enhances human red blood cell production and survival in circulation the immunodeficient murine host.
Improved tool to help understand the brain, one section at a time
5hIn the brain, billions of neurons reach to each other, exchanging information, storing memories, reacting to danger and more. Scientists have barely scratched the surface of the most complex organ, but a new device to automatically collect tissue for analysis may allow for a quicker, deeper dive into the brain. Their approach was published in IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica , a joint publica
Texas cold snap could be really bad for monarchs
6hThe recent frigid weather in Texas and Mexico will likely hit the monarch butterfly population especially hard, a new study shows. Figures show a dramatic 50% decline in their numbers over the last three years. Recent estimates show 105 million monarchs for 2021, down from 141.5 million in 2020 and 300 million in 2019. But the population has recovered from a record low in 2013-2014 of only 34 mil
Best steam cleaner: For floors and furniture that look close to new
6hClean everything from your floors to furniture. (Nathan Fertig via Unsplash/) If the area under your sink is a hodgepodge of spray bottles and solvents meant to clean your hardwood floors, carpets, appliances, and upholstery, it may be time to downsize by upgrading. One steam cleaner could be all you need to safely and effectively sanitize your home—sans harsh bleaching agents—including all the v
Author Correction: Sex-specific adipose tissue imprinting of regulatory T cells
6hNature, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2251-7
Pandemic ratchets up pressure on people with substance use disorder
6hThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound effect across society, but it has been especially devastating for people with substance use disorder. New research from Oregon Health & Science University concludes that health systems nationwide could benefit from a better understanding of people who struggle with the basics.
SRL focus section explores U.S. Intermountain West earthquakes in 2020
6hDuring the first half of 2020, the U.S. Intermountain West region of the United States experienced four significant earthquake sequences, spanning multiple states. In the new issue of SRL , 15 papers characterize these major earthquakes and discuss how they are helping seismologists gain new insights into the tectonics of the region.
Decreases in exercise closely linked with higher rates of depression during the pandemic
6hExercise has long-been recommended as a cognitive-behavioral therapy for patients of depression, yet new evidence from the University of California of San Diego suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic changed the nature of the relationship between physical activity and mental health.
New study shows Transcendental Meditation reduces teacher burnout and improves resilience
6hTeachers who participated in a meditation-based teacher development program utilizing the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique for four months had significant improvements in emotional exhaustion (the leading factor in burnout), resilience, perceived stress, fatigue, and depression according to a new randomized controlled trial published today in Frontiers in Education . This was the first stu
Texas A&M study finds no link between gender and physics course performance
6hA new data-driven study from Texas A&M University casts serious doubt on the stereotype that male students perform better than female students in science — specifically, physics.
Trans men: Voice is key outcome of testosterone therapy
6hA new study is the first to delve into the subtle effects—beyond vocal pitch—that testosterone therapy has on voices of transgender men. Interviews with trans men undergoing testosterone (T) therapy reveal that the voice is one of the most profound and important physical changes they experience, say the researchers. In spring 2015, Graham Grail, then a sophomore at Boston University, approached o
Frog cakes and Fruchocs: Famous local foods attract valuable tourist dollars
7hFrom the mouth-watering baked goods of the Port Elliot Bakery, to the ocean freshness of Coffin Bay oysters, local foods are fast becoming a major drawcard for domestic tourists, especially amid COVID-19, where the safest and most reliable travel options are within our own State.
Professor seeks to help adults better communicate with children
7hNarissra Punyanunt-Carter co-edited the book 'Communication Begins with Children,' which helps adults who have children or work with children effectively communicate with them.
A mass exodus from California? Not exactly, says new study
7hNew research released today by the UC Berkeley California Policy Lab finds that, contrary to some news media reports suggesting a mass exodus from California, most moves in 2020 happened within the state. Exits from California in 2020 largely mirrored historical patterns, while the biggest change was a decrease in people moving into the state.
Researchers propose novel dichroic laser mirror design with mixture layers and sandwich-like-structure interfaces
7hRecently, a research team from the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) proposed a new design with mixture layers and novel sandwich-like-structure interfaces to meet the challenging requirements of the ideal dichroic laser mirrors. The research article was published in Photonics Research on Jan. 27, 2021, and was highlighted as an Editor's Pick.
PODCAST: Nye stemmeassistenter skal være kønsneutrale
7hI ugens udgave af Transformator kan du høre Accentures bud på en digital stemme, der hverken er mandlig eller kvindelig. Vi går også bag om det udspekulerede Solarwinds-hackerangreb.
Large-scale study uncovers recent genetic connectivity in chimpanzee subspecies, despite isolation
7hChimpanzees are divided into four subspecies separated by geographic barriers like rivers. Previous studies attempting to understand chimpanzee population histories have been limited either by a poor geographic distribution of samples, samples of uncertain origin or different types of genetic markers. Due to these obstacles, some studies have shown clear separations between chimpanzee subspecies w
Nanoprinted high-neuron-density optical linear perceptrons perform near-infrared inference on a CMOS chip
7hToday, machine learning permeates everyday life, with millions of users every day unlocking their phones through facial recognition or passing through AI-enabled automated security checks at airports and train stations. These tasks are possible thanks to sensors that collect optical information and feed it to a neural network in a computer.
An author loses a fifth paper because it “bears the hallmarks of plagiarism”
8hA researcher in France has lost his fifth paper for plagiarism, this one a 2015 article on weakness in the elderly. The study, “Identification of biological markers for better characterization of older subjects with physical frailty and sarcopenia,” appeared in Translational Neuroscience and came from a group in France led by Bertrand Fougère, of the … Continue reading
Nuclear energy, ten years after Fukushima
8hNature, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00580-4 Amid the urgent need to decarbonize, the industry that delivers one-tenth of global electricity must consult the public on reactor research, design, regulation, location and waste.
Nonsense for Elephants: The Houston Zoo Promotes Kinesiology Tape
8hThe Houston Zoo is promoting a bogus therapy as a treatment for aging elephants. The post first appeared on Science-Based Medicine .
Learn How To Communicate In American Sign Language With This Training
8hThere’s a multitude of languages, and even our devices are getting better at speaking them . But, what if you live in a world where you can’t hear or speak perfectly? The All-in-One American Sign Language Bundle gives you a foundation in one of the most popular sign-based languages, and it’s currently $34.99, 94% off its usual price. Why Learn ASL? To give you an idea of how useful ASL is, it’s o
Mountain surface processes and regulation
8hScientific Reports, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41598-021-84784-8 Mountains cover about a quarter of the world’s land surface, and directly support a significant proportion of the world’s population living within mountainous regions. Mountains provide water, timber and non-timber forest products, mineral resources, and many other food, fiber, and fuel products. Mountains also pr
Unveiling Tatun volcanic plumbing structure induced by post-collisional extension of Taiwan mountain belt
8hScientific Reports, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41598-021-84763-z
A centrifugal microfluidic cross-flow filtration platform to separate serum from whole blood for the detection of amphiphilic biomarkers
8hScientific Reports, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41598-021-84353-z
Inverse design of photonic meta-structure for beam collimation in on-chip sensing
8hScientific Reports, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41598-021-84841-2
Albumin platelet product as a novel score for liver fibrosis stage and prognosis
8hScientific Reports, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41598-021-84719-3
The Prostate Health Index aids multi-parametric MRI in diagnosing significant prostate cancer
8hScientific Reports, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41598-020-78428-6
Application of novel nanomagnetic metal–organic frameworks as a catalyst for the synthesis of new pyridines and 1,4-dihydropyridines via a cooperative vinylogous anomeric based oxidation
8hScientific Reports, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41598-021-84005-2
Webinar: Transportministeren diskuterer elbiler og cykler med Ingeniørens læsere
9hHvordan skal regeringen indfri sin ambition om 800.000 elbiler på vejene i 2030? Det kan du blive klogere på i dette webinar, hvor transportminister Benny Engelbrecht (S) stiller op til diskussion med IDAs medlemmer og Ingeniørens læsere.
Insects with 100 million-year-old dinosaur feathers are not ectoparasites
9hNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21751-x
A single inverse-designed photonic structure that performs parallel computing
9hNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21664-9 Optical analog computing has so far been mostly limited to solving a single instance of a mathematical problem at a time. Here, the authors show that the linearity of the wave equation allows to solve several problems simultaneously, and demonstrate it using an MW transmissive cavity.
Selective E to Z isomerization of 1,3-Dienes Enabled by A Dinuclear Mechanism
9hNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21720-4 Geometric E to Z double C=C bond isomerization is challenging as it requires kinetic trapping of the Z-isomer with injection of chemical energy. Here, the authors report a dinuclear Pd(I)−Pd(I) complex that mediates selective isomerization of E-1,3-dienes to the Z-isomers without photoirradiation.
Improving gene function predictions using independent transcriptional components
9hNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21671-w Our understanding of the function of many transcripts is still incomplete, limiting the interpretability of transcriptomic data. Here the authors use consensus-independent component analysis, together with a guilt-by-association approach, to improve the prediction of gene function.
Identifying transposable element expression dynamics and heterogeneity during development at the single-cell level with a processing pipeline scTE
9hNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21808-x How transposable elements (TE) contribute to cell fate changes is unclear. Here, the authors generate a pipeline to quantify TE expression from single cell data. They show the dynamic expression of TEs from gastrulation to somatic cell reprogramming and human disease
Contrasting long-term temperature trends reveal minor changes in projected potential evapotranspiration in the US Midwest
9hNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21763-7 Warming in the US Midwest is believed to increase the water needed to grow crops. This study finds that, on the contrary, due to rising rainfall and minimum temperature, and decreasing maximum temperature, potential crop water demand remains unchanged despite the warming climate.
Point-of-care bulk testing for SARS-CoV-2 by combining hybridization capture with improved colorimetric LAMP
9hNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21627-0 Current SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic methods are sensitive yet poorly suited to testing whole communities on a regular basis. Here the authors present Cap-iLAMP that tests gargle lavage samples with an improved colorimetric RT-LAMP.
Mean sea surface temperature changes influence ENSO-related precipitation changes in the mid-latitudes
9hNature Communications, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21787-z El Niño-driven precipitation profoundly affects the mid-latitudes, but how this impact changes in the future is uncertain. Here, the authors show that changes in the tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures causes an increase in rainfall linked to El Niño events of about 20% over East Asia and North America.
Webcast: How to write a first-class paper
9hNature, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00593-z A scientific editor’s tips for writing titles and abstracts to boost the readership of your manuscripts.
Which are the best pandemic policies? Data trackers are trying to judge
9hNature, Published online: 05 March 2021; doi:10.1038/d41586-021-00590-2 Thousands of scientists and volunteers have charted the way governments have responded to COVID-19.
Samtal slutar sällan när vi önskar
9hForskare bjöd in drygt 250 främlingar till ett labb där de delades in två och två. Därefter fick de prata om vad de ville i enrum, så länge samtalet varade i minst en minut och maximalt i trekvart. Samtalen spelades in, och efteråt samlade forskarna in data från varje deltagare. När kände de för att avsluta samtalet? Om de istället ville fortsätta prata, ungefär hur länge till? Vad trodde de att s
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