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| COVID-19 test offers solution for population-wide testing, scientists say Posted: 01 Jul 2021 04:53 PM PDT Researchers report real-world results on SwabSeq, a high-throughput testing platform that uses sequencing to test thousands of samples at a time to detect COVID-19. They were able to perform more than 80,000 tests in less than two months, with the test showing extremely high sensitivity and specificity. |
| Cleaner air has boosted US corn and soybean yields Posted: 01 Jul 2021 04:52 PM PDT The analysis estimates pollution reductions between 1999 and 2019 contributed to about 20 percent of the increase in corn and soybean yield gains during that period - an amount worth about $5 billion per year. |
| Brain circuit for spirituality? Posted: 01 Jul 2021 04:52 PM PDT Using datasets from neurosurgical patients and those with brain lesions, researchers mapped lesion locations associated with spiritual and religious belief to a specific human brain circuit. |
| Earth's cryosphere shrinking by 87,000 square kilometers per year Posted: 01 Jul 2021 04:52 PM PDT A new study reports the first global assessment of the extent of snow and ice cover on Earth's surface -- a critical factor cooling the planet through reflected sunlight -- and its response to warming temperatures. |
| Posted: 01 Jul 2021 04:52 PM PDT In a new issue of Science, devoted to the plastics problem, call for new approaches to plastics design, production and use, with the goal of keeping plastics out of landfills and waterways, reusing the valuable resources they represent indefinitely in a 'circular' plastics economy. |
| Skin in the game: Transformative approach uses the human body to recharge smartwatches Posted: 01 Jul 2021 04:52 PM PDT As smart watches are increasingly able to monitor the vital signs of health, including what's going on when we sleep, a problem has emerged: those wearable, wireless devices are often disconnected from our body overnight, being charged at the bedside. |
| Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines prime T cells to fight SARS-CoV-2 variants, study finds Posted: 01 Jul 2021 12:09 PM PDT Researchers have found that T cells from people who have recovered from COVID-19 or received the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are still able to recognize several concerning SARS-CoV-2 variants. |
| How long can a person live? The 21st century may see a record-breaker Posted: 01 Jul 2021 12:09 PM PDT A new study calculates the probability of living past age 110, which, though rare, likely will increase this century. |
| Imaging spectroscopy can predict water stress in wild blueberry fields Posted: 01 Jul 2021 12:09 PM PDT Imaging spectroscopy can help predict water stress in wild blueberry barrens, according to a new study. Researchers deployed a drone with a spectrometer to photograph wild blueberry fields, then process the images to measure reflected light spectra from plants for properties that would help them estimate water potential. Incorporating data from the images into models allowed them predict water stress in the fields. |
| Study ties milder COVID-19 symptoms to prior run-ins with other coronaviruses Posted: 01 Jul 2021 11:09 AM PDT In COVID-19 patients whose symptoms were mild, researchers found that they were more likely than sicker patients to have signs of prior infection by similar, less virulent coronaviruses. |
| How information beyond the genetic sequence is encoded in plant sperm Posted: 01 Jul 2021 11:09 AM PDT Hereditary information is passed from parent to offspring in the genetic code, DNA, and epigenetically through chemically induced modifications around the DNA. New research has uncovered a mechanism which adjusts these modifications, altering the way information beyond the genetic code is passed down the generations. |
| Spatial patterns of gene transcripts captured across single cells of mouse embryo Posted: 01 Jul 2021 11:09 AM PDT A new technique called sci-Space, combined with data from other technologies, could lead to four-dimensional atlases of gene expression across diverse cells during embryonic development of mammals. Such atlases would map how the gene transcripts in individual cells reflect the passage of time, cell lineages, cell migration, and location on the developing embryo. They would also help illuminate the spatial regulation of gene expression. |
| Understanding potential topological quantum bits Posted: 01 Jul 2021 11:09 AM PDT Scientists have been looking for half an electron as a basis for a quantum computer. They investigated a promising experimental setup just to find that the signals they measured were not telling the truth. |
| Scientists discover a new class of memory cells for remembering faces Posted: 01 Jul 2021 11:09 AM PDT Our brains have sensory cells, which process the faces that we see, and memory cells dedicated to storing data from person encounters. But until now, a hybrid neuron capable of linking vision to memory -- and explaining how we recall familiar faces -- remained elusive. |
| The first commercially scalable integrated laser and microcomb on a single chip Posted: 01 Jul 2021 11:09 AM PDT Fifteen years ago, an electrical and materials professor pioneered a method for integrating a laser onto a silicon wafer. The technology has since been widely deployed in combination with other silicon photonics devices to replace the copper-wire interconnects that formerly linked servers at data centers, dramatically increasing energy efficiency -- an important endeavor at a time when data traffic is growing by roughly 25% per year. Now there is a new laser breakthrough. |
| Catalyzing the conversion of biomass to biofuel Posted: 01 Jul 2021 11:09 AM PDT Zeolites are extremely porous materials: Ten grams can have an internal surface area the size of a soccer field. Their cavities make them useful in catalyzing chemical reactions and thus saving energy. An international research team has now made new findings regarding the role of water molecules in these processes. One important application is the conversion of biomass into biofuel. |
| Using AI to predict 3D printing processes Posted: 01 Jul 2021 11:09 AM PDT Metal additive manufacturing (AM) experiments are slow and expensive. Engineers are using physics-informed neural networks to predict the outcomes of complex processes involved in AM. The team trained the model on supercomputers using experimental and simulated data. They recreated the dynamics of two benchmark experiments in metal AM. The method could lead to fast prediction tools for AM in the future. |
| The key role of astrocytes in cognitive development Posted: 01 Jul 2021 11:09 AM PDT Researchers have now uncovered their crucial role in closing the period of brain plasticity that follows birth, finding them to be key to the development of sensory and cognitive faculties. Over the longer term, these findings will make it possible to envisage new strategies for reintroducing brain plasticity in adults, thereby promoting rehabilitation following brain lesions or neurodevelopmental disorders. |
| COVID-19 aggravates antibiotic misuse in India, study finds Posted: 01 Jul 2021 11:06 AM PDT Antibiotic sales soared during India's first surge of COVID-19, suggesting that the drugs were inappropriately used to treat mild and moderate COVID-19 infections, according to new research. The excessive usage is especially concerning because antibiotic overuse increases the risk for drug-resistant infections -- not just in India, but worldwide. |
| Better predicting how plants and animals will weather climate extremes Posted: 01 Jul 2021 10:49 AM PDT A team of scientists has devised a more accurate way to predict the effects of climate change on plants and animals -- and whether some will survive at all. |
| In a supramolecular realm: Advances in intracellular spaces with de novo designed peptide Posted: 01 Jul 2021 10:49 AM PDT Scientists have set out to harness the potential of self-assembling peptides (SAPs) in intracellular spaces. They present a de novo designed peptide, Y15, which displays a strong tendency to assemble in cellular environments. The addition of Y15-tagged bioactive proteins can functionalize these assemblies, enhancing their utility and relevance by leaps and bounds. |
| Reducing plastic waste will require fundamental change in culture Posted: 01 Jul 2021 10:49 AM PDT Plastic waste is considered one of the biggest environmental problems of our time. Researchers surveyed consumers in Germany about their use of plastic packaging. Their research reveals that fundamental changes in infrastructures and lifestyles, as well as cultural and economic transformation processes, are needed to make zero-waste shopping the norm. |
| From meadow to plate: The cultured meat that replaces animals with grass Posted: 01 Jul 2021 10:49 AM PDT An affordable lab system uses grass blades to turn cells into cultured meat, by creating a scaffold that animal stem cells can attach to and grow on. |
| Scientists resurrect 'forgotten' genus of algae living in marine animals Posted: 01 Jul 2021 10:49 AM PDT Scientists resurrected the genus Philozoon by using modern technologies to thoroughly characterize two of the species of algae that biologist Patrick Geddes had investigated in the mid-to-late 19th century, along with six new related ones. |
| Novel microscopy method provides look into future of cell biology Posted: 01 Jul 2021 10:49 AM PDT What if a microscope allowed us to explore the 3D microcosm of blood vessels, nerves, and cancer cells instantaneously in virtual reality? What if it could provide views from multiple directions in real time without physically moving the specimen and worked up to 100 times faster than current technology? |
| SARS-CoV-2 replication targets nasal ciliated cells early in COVID-19 infection Posted: 01 Jul 2021 09:07 AM PDT The establishment of nasal mucosal immunity against SARS-CoV-2 through a nasal vaccine could be the most efficient way to combat COVID-19 infection. |
| Study identifies risk factors for severe COVID-19 in individuals with sickle cell disease Posted: 01 Jul 2021 09:06 AM PDT New research finds that certain factors, such as a history of severe pain episodes and coexisting organ conditions, increase the risk of severe COVID-19 illness, including hospitalization, in individuals living with sickle cell disease (SCD). According to researchers, the study results underscore the need for COVID-19 risk reduction strategies and vaccination for this medically vulnerable population. |
| Good food in a nice setting: Wild bees need diverse agricultural landscapes Posted: 01 Jul 2021 09:06 AM PDT Mass-flowering crops such as oilseed rape or faba bean provide valuable sources of food for bees, which, in turn, contribute to the pollination of both the crops and nearby wild plants. But not every arable crop that produces flowers is visited by the same bees. A team investigated how the habitat diversity of the agricultural landscape and the cultivation of different mass-flowering crops affect wild bees. |
| New data science platform speeds up Python queries Posted: 01 Jul 2021 09:06 AM PDT Data queries written in Python, a commonly used programming language, can grind data analytics platforms to a crawl, but a new platform may finally solve the Python efficiency problem. |
| Drug dissolved net-like structures in airways of severely ill COVID-19 patients Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:27 AM PDT When researchers in Sweden performed advanced analyses of sputum from the airways of severely ill COVID-19 patients, they found high levels of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). It is already a known fact that NETs can contribute to sputum thickness, severe sepsis-like inflammation and thrombosis. After being treated with an already existing drug, the NETs were dissolved and patients improved. |
| Multitalented filaments in living cells Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:27 AM PDT Living cells are constantly exposed to a wide variety of mechanical stresses: heart and lungs must withstand expansion and contraction; our skin must be resistant to tearing whilst retaining elasticity; immune cells are squashy so they can move through the body. 'Intermediate filaments' (special protein structures), play an important role here. Researchers have now measured what determines the properties of individual filaments, and which features only occur through the interaction of filaments in networks. |
| Physicists observationally confirm Hawking's black hole theorem for the first time Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:27 AM PDT Physicists have used gravitational waves to observationally confirm Hawking's black hole theorem. |
| New algorithms give digital images more realistic color Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:27 AM PDT Researchers describe a new approach for digitizing color. It can be applied to cameras and displays -- including ones used for computers, televisions and mobile devices -- and used to fine-tune the color of LED lighting. |
| How children integrate information Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:27 AM PDT Researchers use a computer model to explain how children integrate information during word learning. |
| Last ice-covered parts of summertime Arctic Ocean vulnerable to climate change Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:27 AM PDT Last August, sea ice north of Greenland showed its vulnerability to the long-term effects of climate change. The region, part of what's known as the 'Last Ice Area' that could serve as a refuge for ice-dependent species, may be ice-free in summertime sooner than expected. |
| Why are some fish warm-blooded? Predatory sharks gain speed advantage, study finds Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:27 AM PDT New research from marine biologists offers answers to a fundamental puzzle that had until now remained unsolved: why are some fish warm-blooded when most are not? It turns out that while (warm-blooded) fish able to regulate their own body temperatures can swim faster, they do not live in waters spanning a broader range of temperatures. |
| Global climate dynamics drove the decline of mastodonts and elephants, new study suggests Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT Elephants and their forebears were pushed into wipeout by waves of extreme global environmental change, rather than overhunting by early humans, according to new research. |
| Instant water cleaning method 'millions of times' better than commercial approach Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT A water disinfectant created on the spot using just hydrogen and the air around us is millions of times more effective at killing viruses and bacteria than traditional commercial methods, according to scientists. |
| Discovery of nano-sized molecules that might inhibit Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT Nanosized molecules of a particular chemical element can inhibit the formation of plaque in the brain tissues, according to researchers. The discovery provides renewed hope for novel treatments of, for instance, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease in the long run. |
| Study finds 94 percent of patients with cancer respond well to COVID-19 vaccines Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT More than 9 of 10 patients with cancer showed good immune response to the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines after receiving both doses, but subsets of high-risk patients did not, according to a new study. |
| Scientists find genetic cause, underlying mechanisms of new neurodevelopmental syndrome Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT Scientists have demonstrated that variants in the SPTBN1 gene can alter neuronal architecture, dramatically affecting their function and leading to a rare, newly defined neurodevelopmental syndrome in children. |
| Underwater seismometer can hear how fast a glacier moves Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT Scientists show that an ocean-bottom seismometer deployed close to the calving front of a glacier in Greenland can detect continuous seismic radiation from a glacier sliding, reminiscent of a slow earthquake. |
| Conservation concern as alien aphid detected on Kangaroo Island Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT An invasive species of aphid could put some threatened plant species on Kangaroo Island at risk. Researchers confirm Australia's first sighting of the aphid on the island's Dudley Peninsula. |
| Closing the gap on the missing lithium Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT There is a significant discrepancy between theoretical and observed amounts of lithium in our universe. Now, researchers have reduced this discrepancy by around 10 percent, thanks to a new experiment on the nuclear processes responsible for the creation of lithium. |
| Manufacturing the core engine of cell division Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT By modelling the kinetochore from scratch, researchers get a step closer to creating artificial chromosomes. |
| Dolichomitus meii wasp discovered in Amazonia is like a flying jewel Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT Parasitoid wasps are one of the most species rich animal taxa on Earth, but their tropical diversity is still poorly known. Now, scientist have discovered the Dolichomitus meii and Polysphincta parasitoid wasp species previously unknown to science in South America. The new species found in the rainforests entice with their colors and exciting habits. |
| The sense of smell in older adults declines when it comes to meat, but not vanilla, researchers find Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT Contrary to what science once suggested, older people with a declining sense of smell do not have comprehensively dampened olfactory ability for odors in general -- it simply depends upon the type of odor. Researchers reached this conclusion after examining a large group of older Danes' and their intensity perception of common food odors. |
| Study with healthcare workers supports that immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is long-lasting Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT One year after infection by SARS-CoV-2, most people maintain anti-spike antibodies regardless of the severity of their symptoms, according to a study with healthcare workers. The results suggest that vaccine-generated immunity will also be long-lasting. |
| Eruption of the Laacher See volcano redated Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT The eruption of the Laacher See volcano in the Eifel in Germany is one of Central Europe's largest eruptions over the past 100,000 years. Technical advances in combination with tree remains buried in the course of the eruption now enabled an international research team to accurately date the event. Accordingly, the eruption of the Laacher See volcano occurred 13,077 years ago and thus 126 years earlier than previously assumed. |
| Extracellular matrix guides growth and function of epithelial cells Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:26 AM PDT Scientists have found an essential factor from the extracellular matrix that regulates functionality of the breast tissue for instance during pregnancy. |
| Consuming a diet with more fish fats, less vegetable oils can reduce migraine headaches, study finds Posted: 30 Jun 2021 06:30 PM PDT A diet higher in fatty fish helped frequent migraine sufferers reduce their monthly number of headaches and intensity of pain compared to participants on a diet higher in vegetable-based fats and oils, according to a new study. |
| Where are the Foreigners of the First International Age? Posted: 30 Jun 2021 02:36 PM PDT A new study reports genetic and oxygen and strontium isotopic data for individuals buried at Alalakh, finding little evidence for the foreigners mentioned in texts. |
| Keep your friends close, cortisol levels low for life Posted: 30 Jun 2021 02:36 PM PDT An interdisciplinary team has determined that older adult women converse more effectively with strangers than their younger counterparts; additionally, communicating with female friends decreases stress hormone levels for women across the lifespan. |
| Protein 'big bang' reveals molecular makeup for medicine and bioengineering Posted: 30 Jun 2021 01:37 PM PDT A new study maps the evolutionary history and interrelationships of protein domains, the subunits of protein molecules, over 3.8 billion years. |
| Research lays groundwork for restoring lost oral functions with pacemaker-like devices Posted: 30 Jun 2021 01:37 PM PDT Even the mundane act of swallowing requires a well-coordinated dance of more than 30 muscles of the mouth. The loss of function of even one of these, due to disease or injury, can be extremely debilitating. For these people, nerve stimulation offers a ray of hope to regain some of their lost oral function. |
| Posted: 30 Jun 2021 01:37 PM PDT Researchers propose a scheme to identify and weigh the quantum orbits in strong-field tunneling ionization. |
| Astronauts demonstrate CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing in space Posted: 30 Jun 2021 11:16 AM PDT Researchers have developed and successfully demonstrated a novel method for studying how cells repair damaged DNA in space. |
| Variations in quantitative MRI scanners' measurements Posted: 30 Jun 2021 11:16 AM PDT Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used in medicine to detect, diagnose and treat diseases such as cancer, while relying on experts' interpretation of images. Quantitative MRI, which obtains numerical measurements during the scans, can now potentially offer greater accuracy, repeatability and speed -- but rigorous quality control is needed for it to reach its full potential, according to a new study. |
| 5-minute breathing workout lowers blood pressure as much as exercise, drugs Posted: 30 Jun 2021 10:50 AM PDT A new study shows that a breathing exercise known as Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training can reduce blood pressure in weeks, with benefits on par with daily exercise or medication. |
| How plants quickly adapt to shifting environmental conditions Posted: 30 Jun 2021 10:50 AM PDT Researchers offers a new understanding of how gene activity directs plant growth, and how quickly plants respond to their environment -- with shifting light conditions triggering molecular changes in as little as five minutes. The findings provide insights into how to increase yield and safeguard world food production as climate change shrinks the planet's arable land. |
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