199 articles from MONDAY 12.8.2019

Smoldering spots in the brain may signal severe MS

Aided by a high-powered brain scanner and a 3D printer, researchers peered inside the brains of hundreds of multiple sclerosis patients and found that dark rimmed spots representing ongoing, 'smoldering' inflammation, called chronic active lesions, may be a hallmark of more aggressive and disabling forms of the disease.

Icebergs delay Southern Hemisphere future warming, study shows

Future warming can accelerate the disintegration of the West Antarctic ice sheet. A large fraction of the ice will enter the Southern Ocean in form of icebergs, which melt and provide a cooling and freshening effect to the warmer and denser ocean water. This process will increase the formation of sea-ice and shift winds and ocean currents. The overall effect is a slowdown in the magnitude of...

Maryland panel on lynching begins study of killings

A Maryland commission that will research at least 40 lynchings committed in the state between 1854 and 1933 and make recommendations about reconciliation held its first meeting Monday. The Maryland Lynching Truth and Reconciliation Commission meeting was largely organizational, with members choosing an acting chairman and discussing future meetings. "We have never really looked at it, looked at...

First cells may have emerged because building blocks of proteins stabilized membranes

Scientists have discovered that the building blocks of proteins can stabilize cell membranes. This finding may explain how the first cells emerged from the primordial soup billions of years ago: The protein building blocks could have stabilized cell membranes against salt and ions that were present in ancient oceans. In addition, membranes may have been a site for these precursor molecules to...

NASA Mission Selects Final Four Site Candidates for Asteroid Sample Return

Portal origin URL: NASA Mission Selects Final Four Site Candidates for Asteroid Sample Return Portal origin nid: 450199Published: Monday, August 12, 2019 - 15:26Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: After months grappling with the rugged reality of asteroid Bennu’s surface, the team leading NASA’s first asteroid sample return mission has selected four...

Detention basins could catch more than stormwater

Everywhere you go there are stormwater detention basins built near large construction projects intended to control the flow of rainwater and runoff. Now, those basins might help in controlling nitrogen runoff into rivers and lakes, according to Lauren E. McPhillips, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Penn State.

Largest-ever study of coral communities unlocks global solution to save reefs

The largest study ever conducted of its kind has identified where and how to save coral reef communities in the Indo-Pacific, according to an international group of scientists from WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) and other conservation NGOs, government agencies, and universities. The study outlines three viable strategies that can be quickly enacted to help save coral reefs that are threatened...

Tree-damaging pests pose ‘devastating’ threat to 40% of US forests

About 450 overseas pests have been introduced to US forests, a climate crisis resource, due to international trade and travelDead trees line a clearing in the Stanislaus national forest in California, on 22 July 2018. Photograph: Noah Berger/AFP/Getty ImagesAbout 40% of all forests across the US are at risk of being ravaged by an army of harmful pests, undermining a crucial resource in addressing...

Ancient pigs endured a complete genomic turnover after they arrived in Europe

New research led by Oxford University and Queen Mary University of London has resolved a pig paradox. Archaeological evidence has shown that pigs were domesticated in the Near East and as such, modern pigs should resemble Near Eastern wild boar. They do not. Instead, the genetic signatures of modern European domestic pigs resemble European wild boar.

New study finds that race is a factor in investment judgments

According to new research released today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, race influences the investment judgments of asset allocators. Experts believe this may contribute to the stark racial disparities in the world of institutional investing.

Mapping the effects of drought on vulnerable populations

The greater frequency of droughts, combined with underlying economic, social and environmental risks, means that dry spells have an increasingly destructive impact on vulnerable populations, and particularly on children in the developing world. In a new study by researchers from IIASA and the U.S., the team set out to map at-risk populations at the global scale.

An alternate theory for what causes Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease, the most common cause of dementia among the elderly, is characterized by plaques and tangles in the brain, with most efforts at finding a cure focused on these abnormal structures. But a research team has identified alternate chemistry that could account for the various pathologies associated with the disease.

Steve Austin on His New USA Show and the ‘Rocket Scientists’ That Canceled ‘Broken Skull Challenge’

Straight up, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is stoked for his new USA Network series “Straight Up Steve Austin.” Interviewing the WWE legend and former “Broken Skull Challenge” host, you could hear the excitement in his (gravely) voice.“It was fun because with my podcast usually I’m sitting here or right next door in my studio, and it’s just me one-on-one with the guest and I just...