135 articles from FRIDAY 6.12.2019

Study debunks notion that C-section would increase risk of obesity in the child

Women who have C-sections are no more likely to have children who develop obesity than women who give birth naturally, according to a large study. The findings contradict several smaller studies that did find an association between C-section deliveries and offspring obesity but did not consider the numerous maternal and prenatal factors that the researchers did in this study.

New kind of soft elastic material has medical and technological applications

Gel-like materials have a wide range of applications, especially in chemistry and medicine. However, their usefulness is sometimes limited by their inherent random and disordered nature. Researchers have found a way to produce a new kind of gel which overcomes this limitation. It is still malleable and adaptable like existing gels, but it has a more ordered structure, which can open up a new range...

Electronic map reveals 'rules of the road' in superconductor

Using a clever technique that causes unruly crystals of iron selenide to snap into alignment, Rice University physicists have drawn a detailed map that reveals the "rules of the road" for electrons both in normal conditions and in the critical moments just before the material transforms into a superconductor.

No link between caesarian delivery and obesity, research finds

Mode of delivery unrelated to whether a baby is overweight as a young adult, study suggestsDelivery by caesarean section does not increase the chance of a baby ending up overweight or obese as a young adult, researchers have found, contrary to previous research.The authors of the study say their work drew on a huge number of people and more fully takes into account a wide range of possible factors...

Nanocontainer ships titan-size gene therapies and drugs into cells

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine report they have created a tiny, nanosize container that can slip inside cells and deliver protein-based medicines and gene therapies of any size—even hefty ones attached to the gene-editing tool called CRISPR. If their creation—constructed of a biodegradable polymer—passes more laboratory testing, it could offer a way to efficiently ferry larger medical...

Researchers add order to polymer gels

Gel-like materials have a wide range of applications, especially in chemistry and medicine. However, their usefulness is sometimes limited by their inherent random and disordered nature. Researchers from the University of Tokyo's Institute for Solid State Physics have found a way to produce a new kind of gel which overcomes this limitation. It is still malleable and adaptable like existing gels,...

Philippines floods force 66,000 from homes

The Philippines' north has been hit by some of its worst flooding in decades, with torrents of muddy runoff forcing 66,000 from their homes and prompting rescues of trapped locals, authorities said Friday.

EU bans controversial pesticide

A controversial pesticide linked to developmental problems in humans will be definitively banned in the EU in 2020 after a vote on Friday by member states, the European Commission said.

Discovery of a new protein gives insight into a long-standing plant immunity mystery

When a plant senses an invading pathogen, it activates a molecular signaling cascade that switch on its defense mechanisms. One such mechanism involves sacrificing host cells to the pathogen. This is a tightly controlled process that involves the work of plant proteins to ensure that the sacrificial cells are only killed if the pathogen is attacking. This process, called the cell death response,...

Reduced soil tilling helps both soils and yields

By monitoring crops through machine learning and satellite data, scientists have found farms that till the soil less can increase yields of corn and soybeans and improve the health of the soil -- a win-win for meeting growing food needs worldwide.

Simple experiment explains magnetic resonance

Physicists have designed an experiment to explain the concept of magnetic resonance. A versatile technique employed in chemistry, physics, and materials research, magnetic resonance describes a resonant excitation of electron or atomic nuclei spins residing in a magnetic field by means of electromagnetic waves.