245 articles from TUESDAY 12.5.2020

Inexpensively locating friendly (and unfriendly) radio waves

Electrical engineers at Duke University have devised a low-cost method for passively locating sources of radio waves such as Wi-Fi and cellular communication signals. The technique could lead to inexpensive devices that can find radio wave devices like cellular phones or Wi-Fi emitters and cameras that can capture images using the radio waves already bouncing around the world all around us.

Johns Hopkins: What we can't see can help us find things

Anyone who's ever tried to find something in a hurry knows how helpful it is to think about the lost item's color, size and shape. But surprisingly, traits of an object that you can't see also come into play during a search, Johns Hopkins University researchers found.

Learning what's dangerous is costly, but social animals have a way of lowering the price

For social animals, such as humans, being able to recognize the presence of a threat in the behavior of others could literally be a life-saver. Yet, animals do not instinctively know that when a group member displays freezing -- one of the three universal defense responses -- it means trouble. In a new study, scientists demonstrate how animals acquire this ability and identify the neural circuitry...

Lighting the path for cells

ETH researchers have developed a new method in which they use light to draw patterns of molecules that guide living cells. The approach allows for a closer look at the development of multicellular organisms -- and in the future may even play a part in novel therapies.

Little skates could hold the key to cartilage therapy in humans

Unlike humans and other mammals, the skeletons of sharks, skates, and rays are made entirely of cartilage and they continue to grow that cartilage throughout adulthood. New research published this week in eLife finds that adult skates go one step further than cartilage growth: They can also spontaneously repair injured cartilage. This is the first known example of adult cartilage repair in a...

Lung cancer screening in primary care

The benefits of routine lung cancer screenings have been hotly debated in the medical community. A new lung cancer screening cohort study conducted at a large integrated health system suggests that lung cancer screening in primary care is feasible. The study demonstrated low adverse event rates, and 70% of diagnosed lung cancer cases were detected at early stages in their development.

Machine learning cracks quantum chemistry conundrum

A new machine learning tool can calculate the energy required to make -- or break -- simple molecules with higher accuracy than conventional methods. Extensions to more complicated molecules may help reveal the inner workings of the chemical reactions that nourish the global ecosystem.

Measuring methane from space

A group of researchers from Alaska and Germany is reporting for the first time on remote sensing methods that can observe thousands of lakes and thus allow more precise estimates of methane emissions. The study, in which several researchers from the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences were involved, is published in the journal Nature Climate Change. According to the results, the total...

More than the sum of their genes

Reproducing efficiently in captivity is crucial for the survival of many wildlife species, yet reproductive success is often lower than in the wild. Currently, many zoo population management strategies prioritize the genetic diversity of captive populations. Scientists now argue that a broader perspective is required which also includes behavior, life-history, husbandry and environmental...

Nanofiber membranes transformed into 3D scaffolds

Researchers combined gas foaming and 3D molding technologies to quickly transform electrospun membranes into complex 3D shapes for biomedical applications. The new approach demonstrates significant improvements in speed and quality compared with other methods, and is the first successful demonstration of formation of 3D neural tissue constructs with an ordered structure through differentiation of...

New measure of broad psychopathology can predict future care requirement

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden show that different measures of psychopathology can be combined into a single factor, 'p', which predicts the patient's prognosis and need of extra support. The general factor of psychopathology reflects the overall risk of adverse psychiatric outcomes with an accuracy equal to that currently used for intelligence, they report in a paper published in...

New paper helps advance myopia management strategies

'Myopia Control 2020: Where are we and where are we heading?' has been published in Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics, the peer-reviewed journal of The College of Optometrists, giving eye care practitioners a comprehensive analysis of evidence-based information needed to help manage myopia.

New software supports decision-making for breeding

Researchers at the University of Göttingen have developed an innovative software program for the simulation of breeding programmes. The "Modular Breeding Program Simulator" (MoBPS) enables the simulation of complex breeding programmes in animal and plant breeding and is designed to assist breeders in their everyday decisions. In addition to economic criteria in breeding, the research team...

New study could help better predict rainfall during El Niño

Researchers at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science have uncovered a new connection between tropical weather events and US rainfall during El Niño years. The results can help explain why California received significantly less rainfall than predicted during the 2015 El Niño event while massive flooding occurred in the Mississippi River basin.

New weapon identified in arsenal against disease

New research describes the structure and composition of supramolecular attack particles (SMAPs) and their role in killing targeted cells. Identified as having a core of cytotoxic proteins surrounded by a glycoprotein shell the SMAPs are released by killer T cells and can be left in the environment like a landmine to await and destroy infected and cancerous cells.

Not all psychopaths are violent; a new study may explain why some are 'successful' instead

Psychopathy is widely recognized as a risk factor for violent behavior, but many psychopathic individuals refrain from antisocial or criminal acts. Understanding what leads these psychopaths to be 'successful' has been a mystery.A new study conducted by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University sheds light on the mechanisms underlying the formation of this 'successful' phenotype.