69 articles from MONDAY 14.10.2019
Study finds topsoil is key harbinger of lead exposure risks for children
Tracking lead levels in soil over time is critical for cities to determine lead contamination risks for their youngest and most vulnerable residents, according to a new Tulane University study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Investing in love and affection pays off for species that mate for life
The males of species that form long-lasting pair-bonds, like many birds, often continue to make elaborate displays of plumage, colors and dances after they mate with a female. While their time and energy might be better spent taking care of their offspring, these displays also encourage the female to invest more of their energy into the brood.
New environment laws in Queen's speech
Crime and health take centre stage, but opposition parties dismiss the programme as "election manifesto".
Renewables overtake hydrocarbons in UK electricity generation: study
Renewable sources generated more of Britain's electricity than fossil fuels for the first time last quarter, according to analysis by specialist website "Carbon Brief" published Monday. "In the third quarter of 2019, the UK's windfarms, solar panels, biomass and hydro plants generated more electricity than the combined output from power stations fired by coal, oil and gas," said the website....
Could cricket and worm burgers help save the planet?
Insects are being touted as an eco-friendly protein source, but do bug burgers pass the taste test?
Sensory and motor brain plasticity is not limited by location
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 19:33
The new function of unused cortical regions is not necessarily determined by the function of nearby cortical regions, according to new research in adults born without one hand.
Not cross bunnies: can a pet rabbit ever be happy?
A study of more than 6,000 rabbits treated by vets has found that many lead sad lives. Here’s how to make sure they stay healthy and avoid lonelinessThere are thought to be more than 1.5m pet rabbits in the UK, and a large proportion of them could be leading very sad lives. A study of more than 6,000 rabbits treated by vets found alarming health conditions such as overgrown nails and teeth,...
Finding joy in the 'blue hour': A photographer's ocean eye candy is on display in Quebec
When photographer Michael Winsor has his camera in hand, his ideal place to be is on the Atlantic...
Unlocking the biochemical treasure chest within microbes
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 18:26
An international team of scientists has developed a genetic engineering tool that makes producing and analyzing microbial secondary metabolites -- the basis for many important agricultural, industrial, and medical products -- easier than ever before, and could even lead to breakthroughs in biomanufacturing.
Air pollution linked to 'missed' miscarriages in China: study
Exposure to airborne pollutants increases the risk of "missed" miscarriages in which a fetus dies without a pregnant woman experiencing any noticeable symptoms, researchers said Monday.
Air pollution linked to 'missed' miscarriages in China: study
Exposure to airborne pollutants increases the risk of "missed" miscarriages in which a fetus dies without a pregnant woman experiencing any noticeable symptoms, researchers said Monday. Previous studies have shown a correlation between air pollution and pregnancy complications, but the new research -- published in Nature Sustainability journal by a team of researchers from Chinese universities --...
Scientists help immune system find hidden cancer cells
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Cancer cells are masters at avoiding detection, but a new system can make them stand out from the crowd and help the immune system spot and eliminate tumors that other forms of immunotherapies might miss.
Lakes worldwide are experiencing more severe algal blooms
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
The intensity of summer algal blooms has increased over the past three decades, according to a first-ever global survey of dozens of large, freshwater lakes. Researchers used 30 years of data from the Landsat 5 near-Earth satellite and created a partnership with Google Earth Engine to reveal long-term trends in summer algal blooms in 71 large lakes in 33 countries on six continents.
Women have substantially less influence on Twitter than men in academic medicine
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Women who are health policy or health services researchers face a significant disparity in social media influence compared to their male peers, according to a new study. Although the average number of tweets among all researchers tend to be consistent, women trail behind men in follower counts, regardless of how active they are on Twitter.
Microbleeds may worsen outcome after head injury
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Using advanced imaging, researchers have uncovered new information regarding traumatic microbleeds, which appear as small, dark lesions on MRI scans after head injury but are typically too small to be detected on CT scans. The findings published in Brain suggest that traumatic microbleeds are a form of injury to brain blood vessels and may predict worse outcomes. The study was conducted in part by...
How mucus tames microbes
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
New research reveals that glycans -- branched sugar molecules found in mucus -- can prevent bacteria from communicating with each other and forming infectious biofilms, effectively rendering the microbes harmless.
How to control friction in topological insulators
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Topological insulators are innovative materials that conduct electricity on the surface, but act as insulators on the inside. Physicists have begun investigating how they react to friction. Their experiment shows that the heat generated through friction is significantly lower than in conventional materials. This is due to a new quantum mechanism, the researchers report.
Researchers explore spinal discs' early response to injury and ways to improve it
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Researchers showed in animal models that the default injury response of spinal discs can be temporarily stopped to allow for better treatment.
The nano-guitar string that plays itself
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Scientists have created a nano-electronic circuit which vibrates without any external force. Just as a guitar string vibrates when plucked, the wire -- 100,000 times thinner than a guitar string -- vibrates when forced into motion by an oscillating voltage. The surprise came when they repeated the experiment without the forcing voltage. Under the right conditions, the wire oscillated of its own...
Dementia spreads via connected brain networks
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Scientists used maps of brain connections to predict how brain atrophy would spread in individual patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), adding to growing evidence that the loss of brain cells associated with dementia spreads via the synaptic connections between established brain networks.
Shipment tracking for 'fat parcels' in the body
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Without fat, nothing works in the body: These substances serve as energy suppliers and important building blocks -- including for the envelopes of living cells. Numerous diseases are related to disorders in the fat metabolism, such as obesity or cancer. Researchers are now demonstrating how the fat metabolism can be monitored down to the individual liver cell of a mouse with the greatest...
Evolutionary history of oaks
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Oaks have a complex evolutionary history that has long eluded scientists. New research, however, provides the most detailed account to date of the evolution of oaks, recovering the 56-million-year history that has made the oaks one of the most diverse, abundant and important woody plant groups to the ecology and economy of the northern hemisphere.
Unique sticky particles formed by harnessing chaos
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
New research shows that unique materials with distinct properties akin to those of gecko feet - the ability to stick to just about any surface -- can be created by harnessing liquid-driven chaos to produce soft polymer microparticles with hierarchical branching on the micro- and nanoscale.
Scientists pinpoint cause of harmful dendrites and whiskers in lithium batteries
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Scientists have uncovered a root cause of the growth of needle-like structures -- known as dendrites and whiskers -- that plague lithium batteries, sometimes causing a short circuit, failure, or even a fire. Such defects are a major factor holding back the batteries from even more widespread use and further improvement.
Astronomers use giant galaxy cluster as X-ray magnifying lens
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Astronomers have used a massive cluster of galaxies as an X-ray magnifying glass to peer back in time, to nearly 9.4 billion years ago. In the process, they spotted a tiny dwarf galaxy in its very first, high-energy stages of star formation.
Cheaper catalyst can generate hydrogen in a commercial device
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Researchers have shown for the first time that a cheap catalyst can split water and generate hydrogen gas for hours on end in the harsh environment of a commercial electrolyzer -- a step toward clean, large-scale hydrogen production for fuel, fertilizer and industry.
Scientists reveal mechanism of electron charge exchange in molecules
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Through a new scanning transmission electron microscopy method, researchers are able to observe electron distribution between atoms and molecules and uncover clues to the origins of ferroelectricity, the capacity of certain crystals to possess spontaneous electric polarization that can be switched by the application of an electric field. The research also revealed the mechanism of charge transfer...
Reading the past like an open book: Researchers use text to measure 200 years of happiness
- ScienceDaily
- 19/10/14 17:17
Using innovative new methods researchers have built a new index that uses data from books and newspaper to track levels of national happiness from 1820. Their research could help governments to make better decisions about policy priorities.
Study proposes greater emphasis on dangers of alcohol in overdose prevention campaigns
A new American study suggests that ingesting large quantities of alcohol often leads to the intake of other psychotropic substances such as cannabis and opioids, also pointing out that mixing alcohol with drugs amplifies the risks of severe accidents and death. Since the start of the opioid crisis sweeping across the United States, a large part of national harm-reduction campaigns have been...
Allen Institute kicks brain wave recording into overdrive with Neuropixels probe
Seattle's Allen Institute for Brain Science is sharing 70 trillion bytes' worth of data documenting electrical activity in mouse brains, collected by a new type of silicon probe that can monitor hundreds of neurons simultaneously. The Neuropixels system, developed by an international collaboration that includes the Allen Institute, could be adapted to record brain activity in human...
Shipment tracking for 'fat parcels' in the body
Without fat, nothing works in the body: Fats serve as energy suppliers and important building blocks, including for the envelopes of living cells. Numerous diseases are related to disorders in fat metabolism such as obesity and cancer. Researchers from the LIMES Institute at the University of Bonn are now demonstrating how fat metabolism can be monitored down to the individual liver cell of a...
Interstellar comet just like ones from our solar system – astronomers
Scientists tracking 2I/Borisov say some formation processes may be common between stars The first interstellar comet to be tracked by astronomers as it hurtles through the solar system is unremarkable in every way apart from where it comes from, researchers have said.Scientists reached the conclusion after observing 2I/Borisov with two of the most powerful telescopes on Earth. They decided that it...
Lakes worldwide are experiencing more severe algal blooms
The intensity of summer algal blooms has increased over the past three decades, according to a first-ever global survey of dozens of large, freshwater lakes, which was conducted by Carnegie's Jeff Ho and Anna Michalak and NASA's Nima Pahlevan and published by Nature.
Unique sticky particles formed by harnessing chaos
New research from North Carolina State University shows that unique materials with distinct properties akin to those of gecko feet—the ability to stick to just about any surface—can be created by harnessing liquid-driven chaos to produce soft polymer microparticles with hierarchical branching on the micro- and nanoscale.
2I/Borisov: Interstellar comet with a familiar look
A new comet discovered by amateur astronomer Gennady Borisov is an outcast from another star system, yet its properties are surprisingly familiar, a new study led by Jagiellonian University researchers shows. The team's findings are being published in Nature Astronomy on 14 October 2019.
Unlocking the biochemical treasure chest within microbes
Secondary metabolites—the compounds produced by microbes to mediate internal and external messaging, self-defense, and chemical warfare—are the basis for hundreds of invaluable agricultural, industrial, and medical products. And given the increasing pace of discovery of new, potentially valuable secondary metabolites, it's clear that microbes have a great deal more to offer.
Study reveals how mucus tames microbes
More than 200 square meters of our bodies—including the digestive tract, lungs, and urinary tract—are lined with mucus. In recent years, scientists have found some evidence that mucus is not just a physical barrier that traps bacteria and viruses, but it can also disarm pathogens and prevent them from causing infections.
How to control friction in topological insulators
Topological insulators are innovative materials that conduct electricity on the surface, but act as insulators on the inside. Physicists at the University of Basel and the Istanbul Technical University have begun investigating how they react to friction. Their experiment shows that the heat generated through friction is significantly lower than in conventional materials. This is due to a new...
Study shows a much cheaper catalyst can generate hydrogen in a commercial device
Researchers at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have shown for the first time that a cheap catalyst can split water and generate hydrogen gas for hours on end in the harsh environment of a commercial device.
Scientists pinpoint cause of harmful dendrites and whiskers in lithium batteries
Scientists have uncovered a root cause of the growth of needle-like structures—known as dendrites and whiskers—that plague lithium batteries, sometimes causing a short circuit, failure, or even a fire.
The nano-guitar string that plays itself
Scientists at Lancaster University and the University of Oxford have created a nano-electronic circuit which vibrates without any external force.
Interstellar visitor is reddish, new study finds
In a study published on Monday, astronomers have pulled back the curtain on some of the mysteries behind our solar system’s first confirmed interstellar...
Astronomers use giant galaxy cluster as X-ray magnifying lens
Astronomers at MIT and elsewhere have used a massive cluster of galaxies as an X-ray magnifying glass to peer back in time, to nearly 9.4 billion years ago. In the process, they spotted a tiny dwarf galaxy in its very first, high-energy stages of star formation.
Alphabet of 140 puzzle pieces programs origami
How can a single origami crease pattern be folded into two precisely defined target shapes? Researchers at AMOLF and Leiden University have created an "alphabet" of 140 origami "puzzle pieces" that allows them to do just that, as described today in Nature Physics. This discovery could help in the construction of origami robots and toward designing smart programmable materials.
Scientists reveal mechanism of electron charge exchange in molecules
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a new scanning transmission electron microscopy method that enables visualization of the electric charge density of materials at sub-angstrom resolution.
Researchers map the evolutionary history of oaks
How oaks are related has long posed a challenge to scientists. Dr. Andrew Hipp, senior scientist at The Morton Arboretum, led an international team of 24 scientists to unravel the history of global oak diversity for the first time using DNA sequencing of 260 oak species, combined with genomic mapping and fossil data.
The Russian who could have been first to Moon
Alexei Leonov, who died on Friday, could have been the first human to land on the Moon.
Commentary: As a birder, I see the effects of climate change every day. Now, Audubon has quantified the threat
For serious birders who regularly observe birds in the wild, ignoring climate change isn't possible. We have been seeing and documenting the effects of a warming climate since at least the 1950s.
Converting absorbed photons by 2-oxocarboxylic acids into highly reactive singlet oxygen
Researchers at the University of Kentucky found that when aqueous solutions with pyruvic acid, a 2-oxocarboxylic acid, were exposed to light, the generated triplet excited state could efficiently convert dissolved molecular oxygen into highly singlet oxygen. This finding is expected to contribute to areas such as environmental, life, and medical sciences in the future.