242 articles from WEDNESDAY 4.12.2019

First experimental genetic evidence of the human self-domestication hypothesis

A new University of Barcelona study reveals the first empirical genetic evidence of human self-domestication, a hypothesis that humans have evolved to be friendlier and more cooperative by selecting their companions depending on their behaviour. Researchers identified a genetic network involved in the unique evolutionary trajectory of the modern human face and prosociality, which is absent in the...

Sexually transmitted diseases reduce the willingness of female baboons to mate

Sexually transmitted diseases are widespread among animals and humans. Humans, however, know a multitude of protective and hygienic measures to protect themselves from infection. An international research team led by scientists at the German Primate Center (DPZ)-Leibniz Institute for Primate Research has investigated whether primates change their sexual behavior to minimize the risk of contracting...

Researchers uncover early adherence step in intestinal transit of Shigella

The bacterial pathogen Shigella, often spread through contaminated food or water, is a leading cause of mortality in both children and older adults in the developing world. Although scientists have been studying Shigella for decades, no effective vaccine has been developed, and the pathogen has acquired resistance to many antibiotics. The recent discovery of an early adherence step in the...

Chip-based optical sensor detects cancer biomarker in urine

For the first time, researchers have used a chip-based sensor with an integrated laser to detect very low levels of a cancer protein biomarker in a urine sample. The new technology is more sensitive than other designs and could lead to non-invasive and inexpensive ways to detect molecules that indicate the presence or progression of a disease.

A new gene involved in strawberry fruiting time is identified

Their great taste and their health benefits have made them one of the most popular fruits. The world market for strawberries, rich in antioxidants and vitamin C, was greater than 9 millon tons in 2016. According to the latest report by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Spain is the top producer of this food within the European Union, while China and the U.S. are the largest...

Silverswords may be gone with the wind

Silversword plants of Hawai'i—known by their Hawai'ian name 'ahinahina which translates to very grey—are unique to the Maui's Haleakalā volcano summit area and to the Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa volcanoes on the Big Island. Each volcanic mountain has its own unique type of silversword. The Haleakalā species is highly threated and is considered by many to be the most beautiful. But they are...

Sun yields its secrets to Parker Solar Probe

NASA's Parker Solar Probe, having survived its closest encounter so far with the Sun, has sent back a "spectacular trove" of data on its corona, the super-hot outer edge of its atmosphere, scientists said Wednesday. The car-sized probe, launched in August last year, will come within some four million miles (six million kilometres) of the sun's surface during a series of fly-bys at other distances...

First giant planet around white dwarf found

Researchers using ESO's Very Large Telescope have, for the first time, found evidence of a giant planet associated with a white dwarf star. The planet orbits the hot white dwarf, the remnant of a Sun-like star, at close range, causing its atmosphere to be stripped away and form a disc of gas around the star. This unique system hints at what our own Solar System might look like in the distant...

Nasa's Parker Solar Probe beams back first insights from sun's edge

Flying closer than any other mission, spacecraft set to unravel the sun’s mysteriesNasa’s Parker Solar Probe, which has flown closer to the sun than any spacecraft, has beamed back its first observations from the edge of the sun’s scorching atmosphere.The first tranche of data offers clues to long-standing mysteries, including why the sun’s atmosphere, known as the corona, is hundreds of...

NASA's Parker Solar Probe Sheds New Light on the Sun

Portal origin URL: NASA's Parker Solar Probe Sheds New Light on the SunPortal origin nid: 456023Published: Wednesday, December 4, 2019 - 13:00Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: Since its 2018 launch, NASA's Parker Solar Probe (record-holder for closest-ever spacecraft to the Sun) has finished three of 24 planned passes through never-before-explored...

Researchers decipher small Dead Sea mammal's vocal communication

In nature social living is strongly connected to the ability to communicate with others. Maintaining social ties and coordinating with group mates require frequent communication. Therefore, complex social systems are usually associated with well-developed communication abilities. The apex of communication complexity is undoubtedly human language. However, intensive and informationally rich...

How tiny enzymes reign supreme in worldwide carbon recycling

The recycling of most of the carbon in nature depends on the breakdown of two polymers in woody matter, notably cellulose and lignin. In a paper just published in the journal Biochemistry, Richard Wolfenden, Ph.D., and colleague Charles Lewis, Ph.D., both in the UNC Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, show the extent to which enzymes from woodland fungi accelerate the breakdown of lignin, a...

Short-term radon test kits are not effective in measuring radon gas exposure

A new study finds the only reliable way to measure exposure to radon gas is with a long-term testing kit, 90 or more days. Researchers placed two test kits, a short term (five-day) and long term (90-day) in the same homes. Tests were conducted during summer and winter months. Findings showed the short-term kits were imprecise up to 99 percent of the time when compared to a long term test.