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| Iodine in desert dust destroys ozone Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST When winds loft fine desert dust high into the atmosphere, iodine in that dust can trigger chemical reactions that destroy some air pollution, but also let greenhouse gases stick around longer. The finding may force researchers to re-evaluate how particles from land can impact the chemistry of the atmosphere. |
| These fish work together by the hundreds of thousands to make waves Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST In the sports arena, spectators sometimes create a spectacle known as a wave, as successive groups stand up in unison to yell with arms in the air. Now, researchers have shown that small freshwater fish known as sulphur mollies do a similar thing, and for life or death reasons. The collective wave action produced by hundreds of thousands of fish working together helps to protect them from predatory birds. |
| Ancient DNA reveals the world’s oldest family tree Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST Analysis of ancient DNA from one of the best-preserved Neolithic tombs in Britain has revealed that most of the people buried there were from five continuous generations of a single extended family. By analysing DNA extracted from the bones and teeth of 35 individuals entombed at Hazleton North long cairn in the Cotswolds-Severn region, the research team was able to detect that 27 of them were close biological relatives. The group lived approximately 5700 years ago -- around 3700-3600 BC - around 100 years after farming had been introduced to Britain. |
| 70 new rogue planets discovered in our galaxy Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:31 PM PST Rogue planets are elusive cosmic objects that have masses comparable to those of the planets in our Solar System but do not orbit a star, instead roaming freely on their own. Not many were known until now, but a team of astronomers, using data from several European Southern Observatory (ESO) telescopes and other facilities, have just discovered at least 70 new rogue planets in our galaxy. This is the largest group of rogue planets ever discovered, an important step towards understanding the origins and features of these mysterious galactic nomads. |
| How do our organs know when to stop growing? Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST The smallest fish in the world, the Paedocypris, measures only 7 millimeters. This is nothing compared to the 9 meters of the whale shark. The small fish shares many of the same genes and the same anatomy with the shark, but the dorsal and caudal fins, gills, stomach and heart, are thousands of times smaller! How do organs and tissues of this miniature fish stop growing very quickly, unlike those of their giant cousin? A multidisciplinary team was able to answer this fundamental question by studying its physics and using mathematical equations. |
| Astronomers capture black hole eruption spanning 16 times the full Moon in the sky Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST Astronomers have produced the most comprehensive image of radio emission from the nearest actively feeding supermassive black hole to Earth. The emission is powered by a central black hole in the galaxy Centaurus A, about 12 million light years away. When viewed from Earth, the eruption from Centaurus A now extends eight degrees across the sky -- the length of 16 full Moons laid side by side. |
| Solar flare throws light on ancient trade between the Islamic Middle East and the Viking Age Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST An interdisciplinary Danish team of researchers has used new astronomical knowledge to establish an exact time anchor for the arrival of trade flows from the Middle East in Viking-age Scandinavia. The results are published in the leading international journal Nature. |
| Tracking down the forces that shaped our Solar System’s evolution Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST Meteorites are remnants of the building blocks that formed Earth and the other planets orbiting our Sun. Recent analysis of their isotopic makeup led settles a longstanding debate about the geochemical evolution of our Solar System and our home planet. |
| Earth and Mars were formed from inner Solar System material Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST Cosmochemists now present the most comprehensive comparison to date of the isotopic composition of Earth, Mars and pristine building material from the inner and outer Solar System. |
| Scientists demonstrate a novel rocket for deep-space exploration Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:30 PM PST The growing interest in deep-space exploration has sparked the need for powerful long-lived rocket systems to drive spacecraft through the cosmos. Scientists have developed a tiny version of a Hall thruster propulsion system that increases the lifetime of the rocket and produces high power. |
| Semiconductors reach the quantum world Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:29 PM PST Quantum effects in superconductors could give semiconductor technology a new twist. Researchers have identified a composite material that could integrate quantum devices into semiconductor technology, making electronic components significantly more powerful. |
| Quantum marbles in a bowl of light Posted: 22 Dec 2021 12:11 PM PST Which factors determine how fast a quantum computer can perform its calculations? Physicists have devised an elegant experiment to answer this question. |
| Team succeeds in culturing the pygmy zebra octopus Posted: 22 Dec 2021 07:49 AM PST Researchers report culturing methods for the pygmy zebra octopus, an emerging laboratory research organism. |
| Posted: 22 Dec 2021 07:08 AM PST Scientists predict that continued global warming under current trends could lead to an elevation of the sea level by as much as five meters by the year 3000 CE. |
| For some Greenlanders, eating sugar is healthy Posted: 22 Dec 2021 07:08 AM PST A genetic variation among some Greenlanders makes sugar healthy -- significantly more than for most people. According to a new study, gut bacteria and a unique diet that has nourished Greenlanders for millennia have provided them with a genetic variation that offers an incredible advantage. |
| Novel biosensors set to revolutionize brain-controlled robotics Posted: 22 Dec 2021 07:08 AM PST A novel carbon-based biosensor is set to drive new innovations in brain-controlled robotics. The biosensor adheres to the skin of the face and head in order to detect electrical signals being sent by the brain. These signals can be translated into commands to control autonomous robotic systems. The sensor, made of epitaxial graphene grown onto a silicon carbide on silicon substrate, overcomes three major challenges of graphene-based biosensing: corrosion, durability and skin-contact resistance. |
| People with IBD have more microplastics in their feces Posted: 22 Dec 2021 05:40 AM PST Microplastics -- tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in length -- are everywhere, from bottled water to food to air. According to recent estimates, people consume tens of thousands of these particles each year, with unknown health consequences. Now, researchers have found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have more microplastics in their feces than healthy controls, suggesting that the fragments could be related to the disease process. |
| Toxoplasma parasites manipulate brain cells to survive Posted: 21 Dec 2021 06:24 PM PST Researchers have discovered that Toxoplasma parasites lay dormant and undetected inside neurons (brain cells) and muscle cells by releasing proteins that switch off the cells' ability to alert the immune system. |
| Wise old elephants keep the young calm Posted: 21 Dec 2021 06:24 PM PST Male elephants are more aggressive when fewer older males are present, new research suggests. |
| Tsunamis’ magnetic fields are detectable before sea level change Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:35 AM PST A new study finds the magnetic field generated by a tsunami can be detected a few minutes earlier than changes in sea level and could improve warnings of these giant waves. |
| Promising new target for tuberculosis treatment Posted: 21 Dec 2021 10:31 AM PST Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the hardy bacterial species that causes tuberculosis (TB), has an unexpected vulnerability that future drugs may be able to exploit, according to a new study. |
| Anesthesia: Double chalice breaks the blockade Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:42 AM PST Under anesthesia, patients are often given muscle-relaxing neuromuscular blockers to make intubations easier and reduce the skeletal muscle tone during surgery. Using a drug to remove the blocking agent after the operation improves patient recovery and reduces the risk of complications. A research team has now reported a novel broad-spectrum antidote. It consists of two 'chalices' that are linked together and cover the two ends of the blocker. |
| Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:42 AM PST The cochlear implant (CI) is the most successful neural prosthesis worldwide. Thanks to direct stimulation of the auditory nerve, it enables more than half a million people worldwide to hear, even though those affected were born deaf or deafened. Researchers have developed a method to convert the stimulation electrodes of common CIs into electrochemical sensors. With the help of this novel sensor function, the functionality of cochlear implants could be monitored directly in the inner ear in the long term. |
| Researchers develop new measurements for designing cooler electronics Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:42 AM PST Researchers have observed interfacial phonon modes which only exist at the interface between silicon (Si) and germanium (Ge). This discovery shows experimentally that decades-old conventional theories for interfacial heat transfer are not complete and the inclusion of these phonon modes are warranted. |
| Brain mechanisms involved in learning also drive social conformity Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:42 AM PST Some of the same brain systems known to play a role in learning from trial and error also are engaged when people conform to social norms, scientists report in a new study. The findings are important, the researchers said, because changing one's behavior to align with one's peers can contribute to community-building or -- depending on the goals and values of the group -- societal breakdown. |
| Study finds artificial intelligence accurately detects fractures on x-rays, alert human readers Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:28 AM PST Emergency room and urgent care clinics are typically busy and patients often have to wait many hours before they can be seen, evaluated and receive treatment. Waiting for x-rays to be interpreted by radiologists can contribute to this long wait time because radiologists often read x-rays for a large number of patients. A new study has found that artificial intelligence (AI) can help physicians in interpreting x-rays after an injury and suspected fracture. |
| Face detection in untrained deep neural networks? Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST Researchers have found that higher visual cognitive functions can arise spontaneously in untrained neural networks. A research team has shown that visual selectivity of facial images can arise even in completely untrained deep neural networks. This new finding has provided revelatory insights into mechanisms underlying the development of cognitive functions in both biological and artificial neural networks, also making a significant impact on our understanding of the origin of early brain functions before sensory experiences. |
| Where does the special scent of thyme and oregano come from? Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST Thyme and oregano are not only popular herbs for cooking, but also valuable medicinal plants. Their essential oils contain thymol and carvacrol which impart the typical flavors and are medically important. A team has now fully identified how the plants produce these two substances. The results could simplify the breeding process and improve the pharmaceutical value of thyme and oregano. |
| Trees are important for cleaner air in cities Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST Air pollution levels vary greatly between different places in a city. This is the finding of a new study which concludes that trees contribute to cleaner air in cities. |
| The Hitchhiker’s guide to the soil Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST The interaction of fungi and bacteria in the transport of viruses in the soil ecosystem has been examined in a recent study. The scientists showed a novel mechanism of viral transport by bacterial shuttles traveling along fungal hyphae. Bacteria thereby benefit from taking along viruses on the conquest of new habitats. |
| How transparency in butterflies and moths helps ward off predators Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST Transparent wing patches may do more than allow butterflies and moths to hide -- they may also warn predators to leave them alone, suggests a new study. |
| Star cells in the brain render memory flexible Posted: 21 Dec 2021 07:27 AM PST Star cells in the brain render memory flexible. Hippocampal astrocytes co-release D-serine and glutamate for the regulation of synaptic plasticity and cognitive flexibility. |
| First genetic risk factors identified for sudden unexplained death in children after age one Posted: 20 Dec 2021 04:06 PM PST A new study, the largest of its kind to date, finds the first genetic causes of sudden unexplained death in children (SUDC). |
| Scientists identify gut-derived metabolites that play a role in neurodegeneration Posted: 20 Dec 2021 04:06 PM PST A New York-based, multi-institutional research team has found high levels of three toxic metabolites produced by gut bacteria in the cerebrospinal fluid and plasma samples of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The important findings further scientists' understanding of how gut bacteria can impact the course of neurological diseases by producing compounds that are toxic to nerve cells. |
| Breakthrough identification of proteins necessary for muscle regeneration Posted: 20 Dec 2021 11:49 AM PST A researcher has identified the proteins necessary for efficient regeneration of skeletal muscles after acute injury and in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) clearing the way for drug development for skeletal muscle diseases. |
| Step forward in quest to develop living construction materials and beyond Posted: 20 Dec 2021 10:13 AM PST Some engineered living materials can combine the strength of run-of-the-mill building materials with the responsiveness of living systems. Think self-healing concrete or paint that changes color when a specific chemical is detected. Critical early research sheds new light on this exciting advancement, which would revolutionize construction and maintenance, with wide-reaching economic and environmental implications and potential for biomedical applications. |
| Fast and durable batteries to come: A promising anode material for lithium-ion batteries Posted: 20 Dec 2021 09:07 AM PST To overcome the slow charging times of conventional lithium-ion batteries, scientists have developed a new anode material that allows for ultrafast charging. Produced via a simple, environmentally sound and efficient approach involving the calcination of a bio-based polymer, this novel material also retained most of its initial capacity over thousands of cycles. The findings of this study will pave the way to fast-charging and durable batteries for electric vehicles. |
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