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| Having a strong life purpose eases loneliness of COVID-19 isolation, study finds Posted: 16 Jun 2021 12:42 PM PDT Why can some people weather the stress of social isolation better than others, and what implications does this have for their health? New research found that people who felt a strong sense of purpose in life were less lonely during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| Bats in Switzerland harbor diverse viruses, some potentially zoonotic Posted: 16 Jun 2021 12:42 PM PDT An analysis of 18 species of stationary and migratory bats living in Switzerland has discovered that they harbor viruses from 39 different viral families -- including some viruses with the potential risk of jumping to other animals, including humans, and causing disease. |
| Exploring the shallow underground world with a burrowing soft robot Posted: 16 Jun 2021 12:42 PM PDT We've seen robots take to the air, dive beneath the waves and perform all sorts of maneuvers on land. Now, researchers are exploring a new frontier: the ground beneath our feet. Taking their cues from plants and animals that have evolved to navigate subterranean spaces, they've developed a fast, controllable soft robot that can burrow through sand. |
| How a supermassive black hole originates Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT How do supermassive black holes in the early universe originate? A team led by a theoretical physicist has come up with an explanation: a massive seed black hole that the collapse of a dark matter halo could produce. |
| Researchers uncover unique properties of a promising new superconductor Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT A study led by physics researchers has discovered that a unique superconducting metal is more resilient when used as a very thin layer. |
| The give and take of mega-flares from stars Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT The long relationships between stars and the planets around them - including the Sun and the Earth - may be even more complex than previously thought. This is one conclusion of a new study involving thousands of stars using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. |
| A quarter of adults don't want children -- and they're still happy Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT Is parenting life's greatest joy? New research from psychologists examines life satisfaction of adults who don't want children, revealing no differences compared to adults who are parents. |
| Genetically engineered nanoparticle delivers dexamethasone directly to inflamed lungs Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT Nanoengineers have developed immune cell-mimicking nanoparticles that target inflammation in the lungs and deliver drugs directly where they're needed. As a proof of concept, the researchers filled the nanoparticles with the drug dexamethasone and administered them to mice with inflamed lung tissue. Inflammation was completely treated in mice given the nanoparticles, at a drug concentration where standard delivery methods did not have any efficacy. |
| Pioneering chemistry approach could lead to more robust soft electronics Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT A new approach to studying conjugated polymers made it possible for researchers to measure the individual molecules' mechanical and kinetic properties during polymerization reaction. The insights gained could lead to more flexible and robust soft electronic materials, such as health monitors and soft robotics. |
| Computers predict people's tastes in art Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT A new study showing that computers can predict what paintings people will like offers insight into how our brains make aesthetic judgments. |
| Inducing and tuning spin interactions in layered material Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT Magnetic-spin interactions that allow spin-manipulation by electrical control allow potential applications in energy-efficient spintronic devices. Researchers now describe the induction of such interactions in a layered material tantalum-sulfide by addition of iron atoms, and tuning by insertion of protons. |
| Several persistent chemicals found in fetal organs Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT Researchers found industrial chemicals in the organs of fetuses conceived decades after many countries had banned the substances. The researchers urge decision makers to consider the combined impact of the mix of chemicals that accumulate in people and nature. |
| Icebergs drifting from Canada to southern Florida Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT Climate modelers have found evidence that massive icebergs from roughly 31,000 years ago drifted more than 5,000km (> 3,000 miles) along the eastern United States coast from Northeast Canada all the way to southern Florida. |
| Pursuing safer, cheaper pharmaceuticals via electromagnetic control at the atomic level Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT Commonplace pharmaceuticals can carry with them an inherent flaw in their atomic structure, which pairs the active, beneficial ingredient with a potentially ineffective -- or even toxic -- counterpart. New research could hold the key to more easily isolating the good while removing the unwanted. |
| Yeast mating -- more than meets the eye Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT Researchers have discovered a surprising asymmetry in the mating behavior of unicellular yeast that emerges solely from molecular differences in pheromone signaling. Their results might shed new light on the evolutionary origins of sexual dimorphism in higher eukaryotes. |
| New super-resolution microscopy method approaches the atomic scale Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:32 AM PDT Scientists have developed a computational technique that greatly increases the resolution of atomic force microscopy, a specialized type of microscope that 'feels' the atoms at a surface. The method reveals atomic-level details on proteins and other biological structures under normal physiological conditions, opening a new window on cell biology, virology and other microscopic processes. |
| Machine learning can now reduce worry about nanoparticles in food Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:31 AM PDT While crop yield has achieved a substantial boost from nanotechnology in recent years, the alarms over the health risks posed by nanoparticles within fresh produce and grains have also increased. In particular, nanoparticles entering the soil through irrigation, fertilizers and other sources have raised concerns about whether plants absorb these minute particles enough to cause toxicity. |
| 'Wonder material' can be used to detect COVID-19 quickly, accurately Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:31 AM PDT Researchers have successfully used graphene -- one of the strongest, thinnest known materials -- to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in laboratory experiments. |
| Omega-3s may hold key to unlocking blood-brain barrier Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:31 AM PDT A molecule that shuttles omega-3 fatty acids into the brain may open a doorway for delivering neurological therapeutics to the brain. |
| Graphene 'camera' captures real-time electrical activity of beating heart Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:31 AM PDT Scientists today track electrical signals and voltage changes in neurons and muscle cells by labeling individual cells or probing with electrodes. Scientists have now developed a new type of sensor that employs a sheet of graphene to get a continuous measure of electric field in these tissues. Electric fields change graphene's reflectance. The physicists found a way to amplify and measure the changes caused by action potentials in a beating embryonic chicken heart. |
| Light in darkness: An experimental look at Paleolithic cave lighting Posted: 16 Jun 2021 11:30 AM PDT A recreation of three common types of Paleolithic lighting systems (torches, grease lamps, and fireplaces) illuminates how Paleolithic cave dwellers might have traveled, lived, and created in the depths of their caves, according to a new study. |
| Electrohydraulic arachno-bot a fascinating lightweight Posted: 16 Jun 2021 09:16 AM PDT Goodbye, bulky components and connectors: A team of scientists has now found a new way to exploit the principles of spiders' joints to create lightweight robots. |
| Bruisable artificial skin could help prosthetics, robots sense injuries Posted: 16 Jun 2021 09:16 AM PDT When someone bumps their elbow against a wall, they not only feel pain but also might experience bruising. Robots and prosthetic limbs don't have these warning signs, which could lead to further injury. Now, researchers have developed an artificial skin that senses force through ionic signals and also changes color from yellow to a bruise-like purple, providing a visual cue that damage has occurred. |
| Scientists demonstrate promising new approach for treating cystic fibrosis Posted: 16 Jun 2021 09:15 AM PDT A new CF treatment strategy involves small, nucleic acid molecules called oligonucleotides that can correct some of the gene defects that underlie CF but are not addressed by existing modulator therapies. The researchers used a new delivery method that overcomes traditional obstacles of getting oligonucleotides into lung cells. |
| Developing countries pay steep economic and health costs because of high car air pollution Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT Some of the world's most vulnerable cities suffer disproportionate economic losses because of the health consequences of in-car air pollution, finds a new study. |
| Contraception data 'blind spot' could hide pandemic impact on women's reproductive health Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT Limited data on the uptake of contraception prior to and during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic could mean unforeseen issues for sexual and reproductive health services, new research concludes. |
| Most rivers run dry -- now and then Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT A new study found that between 51-60% of the 64 million kilometres of rivers and streams on Earth that they investigated stop flowing periodically, or run dry for part of the year. It is the first-ever empirically grounded effort to quantify the global distribution of non-perennial rivers and streams. The research, which was published today in Nature, calls for a paradigm shift in river science and management. |
| Mystery solved: Dust cloud led to Betelgeuse's 'Great Dimming' Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT When Betelgeuse, a bright orange star in the constellation of Orion, lost more than two-thirds of its brightness in late 2019 and early 2020, astronomers were puzzled. |
| When testing Einstein's theory of general relativity, small modeling errors add up fast Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT Small modeling errors may accumulate faster than previously expected when physicists combine multiple gravitational wave events (such as colliding black holes) to test Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, suggest researchers. |
| Human infant brains, bodies are active during new sleep stage Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT A team has found that babies twitch during a sleep stage called quiet sleep, not just during REM sleep. The results may show there's more communication between snoozing infants' brains and motor systems than previously known. |
| Ten years of ancient genome analysis has taught scientists 'what it means to be human' Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT A ball of 4,000-year-old hair frozen in time tangled around a whalebone comb led to the first ever reconstruction of an ancient human genome a decade ago. The hair, which was preserved in arctic permafrost in Greenland, was collected in the 1980s. It wasn't until 2010 that evolutionary biologists were able to use pioneering shotgun DNA sequencing to reconstruct the genetic history of the hair. It sparked a 'decade of discovery.' |
| Correlated errors in quantum computers emphasize need for design changes Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT Quantum computers could outperform classical computers at many tasks, but only if the errors that are an inevitable part of computational tasks are isolated rather than widespread events. Now, researchers have found evidence that errors are correlated across an entire superconducting quantum computing chip -- highlighting a problem that must be acknowledged and addressed in the quest for fault-tolerant quantum computers. |
| Link found between gut microbes and stroke Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT New findings show that the gut microbiome impacts stroke severity and functional impairment following stroke. The results lay the groundwork for potential new interventions to help treat or prevent stroke. |
| Poison frog tadpoles can survive (almost) anywhere Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT A group of researchers were part of an expedition to French Guiana to study tropical frogs in the Amazon. Various amphibian species of this region use ephemeral pools of water as their nurseries, and display unique preferences for specific physical and chemical characteristics. Researchers were surprised to find tadpoles of the dyeing poison frog surviving in an incredible range of both chemical (pH 3-8) and vertical (0-20 m in height) deposition sites. |
| Measuring the elimination of plastic particles from the body in mice Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT The accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics in the environment continues at an alarming rate. A radiolabeling technique made it possible to monitor the movement and accumulation of plastics in the mouse body, as well as their elimination from it. |
| Particles with 'eyes' allow a closer look at rotational dynamics Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT An international team has developed spherical colloidal particles for the visualization of rotational dynamics. The two-color fluorescent particles have an off-center core that allows tracking of dense suspensions using microscopy. The researchers observed coupling between the rotation of charged particles, correlation between local crystallinity and rotational diffusivity, and 'slip-stick' friction between particles. The findings will enhance the understanding of biological systems and industrial processes. |
| How long-known genes continue to surprise researchers Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:38 AM PDT Proteins are encoded by genes - however, this information is divided into small coding sections, which are only assembled during a process called splicing. Various combinations are possible, some of which are still unknown. |
| 'Overly stringent' criteria early in the pandemic led to missed diagnoses of COVID-19, study finds Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:37 AM PDT New research has identified missed cases of SARS-CoV-2 by retrospective testing of throat swabs. |
| Quantum-nonlocality at all speeds Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:37 AM PDT Researchers report that nonlocality is a universal property of the world, regardless of how and at what speed quantum particles move. |
| Bacteria used to clean diesel-polluted soil in Greenland Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:37 AM PDT Diesel-polluted soil from now defunct military outposts in Greenland can be remediated using naturally occurring soil bacteria according to an extensive five-year experiment in Mestersvig, East Greenland. |
| New research finds ways to improve accuracy of Lateral Flow Tests Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:37 AM PDT Research has provided new understanding of how false-negative results in Lateral Flow Tests occur and provides opportunity for simple improvements to be made. |
| Idea of COVID-19 'immunity passports' decreases people's compliance with restrictions Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:37 AM PDT Researchers have found that when people are presented with the idea of a COVID-19 'immunity passport,' they show less willingness to follow social distancing and face covering guidelines. |
| Convergent mechanism of aging discovered Posted: 16 Jun 2021 08:37 AM PDT Fundamental signaling pathway is crucial for longevity. |
| New study finds fresh evidence for our inevitable death Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT Philosophers, artists and scientists - and probably all the rest of us - have long obsessed over the key to human immortality. We all, no matter our income, culture or religion are bound to die. Even if we escape mortal diseases or accidents, we all face a deadly biological deterioration. While the debate of human longevity has divided the scientific community for centuries, a new study finds fresh evidence for our inevitable death. |
| Keeping strawberries fresh using bioactive packaging Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT Québec produces more strawberries than any other Canadian province. Strawberries are delicate and difficult to keep fresh. In response to this challenge, researchers have developed a packaging film that can keep strawberries fresh for up to 12 days. |
| Compounds derived from hops show promise as treatment for common liver disease Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT Research suggests a pair of compounds originating from hops can help thwart a dangerous buildup of fat in the liver known as hepatic steatosis. |
| Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT Researchers find new mechanism for classical behavior of many-particle quantum systems. |
| Infrared imaging by ultrathin nanocrystal layers Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT Researchers demonstrate the conversion of infrared images to the visible, using ultrathin and transparent semiconductor nanocrystals. |
| Investigating carbonate mineral chemical variations to improve oil recovery Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT A researcher has firsthand experience with the frustrations of oil production. He spent nine years as a hydraulic fracturing engineer with operating and service companies. A few years ago, he started delving into a recurring recovery problem in carbonate reservoirs: why don't they produce oil as predicted? |
| Two COVID-19 vaccines show safety, strong immunity in infant model Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT Pre-clinical research offers evidence that vaccinating young children could help prevent the spread of COVID-19, limit disease severity, and achieve herd immunity. |
| Balanced rocks set design ground motion values for New Zealand dam Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT Researchers have used precariously-balanced rocks to set the formal design earthquake motions for a major existing engineered structure -- the Clyde Dam, the largest concrete dam in New Zealand. |
| At underwater site, research team finds 9,000-year-old stone artifacts Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT Underwater archaeologists have been studying 9,000-year-old stone tool artifacts discovered in Lake Huron that originated from an obsidian quarry more than 2,000 miles away in central Oregon. The obsidian flakes from the underwater archaeological site represent the oldest and farthest east confirmed specimens of western obsidian ever found in the continental United States. |
| That song is stuck in your head, but it's helping you to remember Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT New research suggests that remembering a song in your head is more than a passing nuisance -- it plays an important role in helping memories form, not only for the song, but also related life events. |
| Inkjet printing show promise as new strategy for making e-textiles, study finds Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:41 AM PDT Researchers demonstrated they could print layers of electrically conductive ink on polyester fabric to make an e-textile that could be used in the design of future wearable devices. |
| Ozone pollution has increased in Antarctica Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:40 AM PDT Ozone is a pollutant at ground level, but very high in the atmosphere's 'ozone layer,' it absorbs damaging ultraviolet radiation. Past studies have examined ozone levels in the Southern Hemisphere, but little is known about levels of the molecule in Antarctica over long periods. Now, researchers have analyzed more than 25 years of Antarctic data, finding that concentrations near the ground arose from both natural and human-related sources. |
| Urbanization drives antibiotic resistance on microplastics in Chinese river Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:40 AM PDT Microplastic pollution of waterways has become a huge concern, with the tiny pieces of plastic entering food webs and potentially having harmful effects on animals and people. In addition, microplastics can act as breeding grounds for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Now, researchers have analyzed antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) on five types of microplastics at different locations along the Beilun River in China, finding much higher abundances in urban than rural regions. |
| ALMA discovers earliest gigantic black hole storm Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:40 AM PDT Astronomers have discovered a titanic galactic wind driven by a supermassive black hole 13.1 billion years ago. This is the earliest-yet-observed example of such a wind to date and is a telltale sign that huge black holes have a profound effect on the growth of galaxies from the very early history of the Universe. |
| Space scientists solve a decades-long gamma-ray burst puzzle Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:40 AM PDT Astrophysicists find the magnetic field in gamma-ray bursts is scrambled after the ejected material crashes into, and shocks, the surrounding medium. |
| Fossil research shows woodlice cousins roamed Ireland 360 million years ago Posted: 16 Jun 2021 06:38 AM PDT The old cousins of the common woodlice were crawling on Irish land as long as 360 million years ago, according to new analysis of a fossil found in Kilkenny, Ireland. |
| Researchers 3D print rotating microfilter for lab-on-a-chip applications Posted: 15 Jun 2021 11:56 AM PDT Researchers have fabricated a magnetically driven rotary microfilter that can be used to filter particles inside a microfluidic device. They made the tiny turning filter by creating a magnetic material that could be used with a very precise 3D printing technique known as two-photon polymerization. |
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