307 articles from TUESDAY 19.5.2020
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Venezuela in bid to force Bank of England to transfer $1bn of gold
Legal claim launched to help fund Covid-19 response in South American countryCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageVenezuela’s central bank has made a legal claim to try to force the Bank of England to hand over £930m ($1.13bn) of gold so the government of Nicolás Maduro can fund its coronavirus response, according to the document submitted in a London court.The claim...
Potential drug treatment targets for alcohol-related liver disease
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 22:58
A team of researchers has uncovered key molecular step stones in ALD that may provide targets for drug therapy development.
Protein shapes matter in Alzheimer's research
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 22:58
Even a small change may cause long-term consequences. For amyloid beta peptides, a major hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, a common chemical modification at a particular location on the molecule has a butterfly effect that leads to protein misfolding, aggregation and cellular toxicity.
But it's a dry heat: Climate change and the aridification of North America
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 22:58
Discussions of drought often center on the lack of precipitation. But among climate scientists, the focus is shifting to include the growing role that warming temperatures are playing as potent drivers of greater aridity and drought intensification.
NASA's Curiosity rover finds clues to chilly ancient Mars buried in rocks
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 22:58
By studying the chemical elements on Mars today -- including carbon and oxygen -- scientists can work backwards to piece together the history of a planet that once had the conditions necessary to support life.
Scientists use light to accelerate supercurrents, access forbidden light, quantum world
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 22:58
Scientists are using light waves to accelerate supercurrents to access the unique and potentially useful properties of the quantum world.
Landmark recommendations on development of artificial intelligence and the future of global health
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 22:58
A landmark review of the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the future of global health calls on the global health community to establish guidelines for development and deployment of new technologies and to develop a human-centered research agenda to facilitate equitable and ethical use of AI.
Is your job killing you? Stress, lack of autonomy, ability can lead to depression, death
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 22:58
A new study finds that our mental health and mortality have a strong correlation with the amount of autonomy we have at our job, our workload and job demands, and our cognitive ability to deal with those demands.
Fishing rod 'selfie stick' and scientific sleuthing turn up clues to extinct sea reptile
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 22:58
A paleontologist visiting the Natural History Museum in London desperately wanted a good look at the skeleton of an extinct aquatic reptile, but its glass case was too far up the wall. So he attached his digital camera to a fishing rod and -- with several clicks -- snagged a big one, scientifically speaking.
Global CO2 emissions to drop 4-7% in 2020, but will it matter?
Global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels are set to drop by up to seven percent in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but even this dramatic decline—the sharpest since WWII—would barely dent longterm global warming, researchers reported Tuesday.
UAE to launch first Arab probe to Mars
After sending its first astronaut to space last year, the United Arab Emirates is to launch a probe to Mars in July, state news agency WAM announced Tuesday.
Flooding hits parts of Midwest, with evacuations in Michigan
People living along two mid-Michigan lakes and parts of a river were evacuated Tuesday following several days of heavy rain that produced flooding and put pressure on dams in the area.
Fishing rod 'selfie stick' and scientific sleuthing turn up clues to extinct sea reptile
A Russian paleontologist visiting the Natural History Museum in London desperately wanted a good look at the skeleton of an extinct aquatic reptile, but its glass case was too far up the wall. So he attached his digital camera to a fishing rod and—with several clicks—snagged a big one, scientifically speaking.
Scientists use light to accelerate supercurrents, access forbidden light, quantum world
Scientists are using light waves to accelerate supercurrents and access the unique properties of the quantum world, including forbidden light emissions that one day could be applied to high-speed, quantum computers, communications and other technologies.
Over a 15-year period, a small percentage of industrial facilities emit the majority of toxic pollution year after year
Call them "super polluters"—the handful of industrial facilities that emit unusually high levels of toxic chemical pollution year after year. There are only a few of them, but together they account for the majority of annual industrial pollution.
Curiosity rover finds clues to chilly ancient Mars buried in rocks
By studying the chemical elements on Mars today—including carbon and oxygen—scientists can work backwards to piece together the history of a planet that once had the conditions necessary to support life.
Study suggests aggressive carbon taxation could help US meet targets in Paris agreement
Nearly all the countries of the world ratified the Paris Agreement in 2016. The accord aims to limit the increase of the world's temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures. To do this, global greenhouse gas emissions would have to decrease roughly 25% below 2010 levels by 2030 and reach almost zero by 2070. As one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, the...
But it's a dry heat: Climate change and the aridification of North America
Discussions of drought often center on the lack of precipitation. But among climate scientists, the focus is shifting to include the growing role that warming temperatures are playing as potent drivers of greater aridity and drought intensification.
Field courses boost student success, support STEM diversity efforts, study reveals
The challenge of diversifying STEM fields may get a boost from the results of a new study that show field courses help build self-confidence among students—especially those from underrepresented groups.
NASA examines tropical storm Arthur's rainfall as it transitions
When the Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite passed over the western North Atlantic Ocean, it captured rainfall data on Tropical Storm Arthur as the storm was transitioning into an extra-tropical storm.
NASA-NOAA satellite sees Amphan's eye obscured
Early on May 18, 2020, Tropical Cyclone Amphan was a Category 5 storm in the Northern Indian Ocean. On May 19, satellite data from NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite revealed that the storm has weakened and the eye was covered by high clouds.
Ribs evolved for movement first, then co-opted for breathing
When early tetrapods transitioned from water to land the way they breathed air underwent an evolutionary revolution. Fish use muscles in their head to pump water over their gills. The first land animals utilized a similar technique—modern frogs still use their head and throat to force air into their lungs. Then another major transformation in vertebrate evolution took place that shifted...
What if we could design powerful drugs without unwanted side effects?
Psychedelics such as LSD and magic mushrooms have proven highly effective in treating depression and post-traumatic stress disorders, but medical use of these drugs is limited by the hallucinations they cause.
The same few industrial facilities emit majority of toxic pollution year after year
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 21:35
Call them 'super polluters' -- the handful of industrial facilities that emit unusually high levels of toxic chemical pollution year after year. There are only a few of them, but together they account for the majority of annual industrial pollution.
Ribs evolved for movement first, then co-opted for breathing
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 21:35
A major transformation in vertebrate evolution took place when breathing shifted from being driven by head and throat muscles -- like in fish and frogs -- to the torso -- like in reptiles and mammals. But what caused the shift? A new study posits that the intermediate step was locomotion. When lizards walk, they bend side-to-side. The ribs and vertebrae are crucial to this movement, and the...
Annie Glenn, Famed Astronaut’s Widow, Dies of Coronavirus Complications at Age 100
(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — Annie Glenn, wife of the late astronaut and U.S. Sen. John Glenn who overcame a childhood stutter to become an advocate for others with speech disorders, died Tuesday of complications from COVID-19. She was 100.
Glenn died at a nursing home near St. Paul, Minnesota, where she’d moved in recent years to be near her daughter, said Hank Wilson, a spokesman for the...
Electrons break rotational symmetry in exotic low-temp superconductor
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:44
This odd behavior may promote the material's ability upon cooling to perfectly conduct electricity in a way unexplained by standard theories.
Observing the freely behaving brain in action
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:44
Scientists working at Caesar have developed a small head-mounted microscope that allows access to the inner workings of the brain. The new system enables measurement of activity from neuronal populations located in the deep cortical layer with single-cell resolution, in an animal that is freely behaving.
Cooperation can be contagious particularly when people see the benefit for others
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:44
Seeing someone do something good for someone else motivates witnesses to perform their own helpful acts, an insight that could help drive cooperative behavior in communities navigating through the health crisis.
Field courses boost student success, support STEM diversity efforts
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:44
The challenge of diversifying STEM fields may get a boost from the results of a new study that show field courses help build self-confidence among students -- especially those from underrepresented groups.
Aggressive carbon taxation could help US meet targets in Paris agreement
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:44
A new study looked at US tax policy as it relates to carbon dioxide (CO2), from 2015 through 2030. The study found only limited short-term opportunities for decarbonization (reducing greenhouse gas emissions) outside the electricity sector. The result is substantial CO2 tax revenue. The findings shed light on future tax policy decisions.
RNA molecules in maternal blood may predict pregnancies at risk for preeclampsia
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:44
Researchers have identified small molecules in the blood of asymptomatic pregnant women that may predict risk for preeclampsia, responsible for a significant proportion of maternal and neonatal deaths, low birth weight and is a primary cause of premature birth.
New rules streamline procedures for licensing commercial space imaging systems
The Commerce Department has released a new set of rules aimed at making the procedure for licensing Earth-imaging satellite systems more in tune with what's technically possible and commercially available on the global market. The regulatory streamlining effort was one of the initiatives sparked by Space Policy Directive 2 back in 2018. The need for such streamlining came to the fore earlier...
Subcellular chatter regulates longevity
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:04
As people get older, they often feel less energetic, mobile or active. This may be due in part to a decline in mitochondria, the tiny powerhouses inside of our cells, which provide energy and regulate metabolism. In fact, mitochondria decline with age not only in humans, but in many species. Why they do so is not well understood. Scientists set out to understand how mitochondrial function is...
Sustainable palm oil? How environmental protection and poverty reduction can be reconciled
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:04
Palm oil is often associated with tropical deforestation above all else. However, this is only one side of the story, as agricultural scientists show in a new study. The rapid expansion of oil palm has also contributed considerably to economic growth and poverty reduction in local communities, particularly in Asia.
Algorithmic autos
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:04
Connected and automated vehicles use technology such as sensors, cameras and advanced control algorithms to adjust their operation to changing conditions with little or no input from drivers. A research group optimized vehicle dynamics and powertrain operation using connectivity and automation, while developing and testing a control framework that reduced travel time and energy use in a connected...
Rapid screening method targets fatty acids in yeast; Key to sustainable bioproducts
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:04
Scientists engineering valuable microbes for renewable fuels and bioproducts have developed an efficient way to identify the most promising varieties. Researchers have developed a high-throughput screening technique to rapidly profile medium-chain fatty acids produced in yeast -- part of a larger group of free fatty acids that are key components in essential nutrients, soaps, industrial chemicals,...
Galactic cosmic rays now available for study on Earth
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:04
To better understand and mitigate the health risks faced by astronauts from exposure to space radiation, we ideally need to be able to test the effects of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) here on Earth under laboratory conditions.
Lab engineers 3D-functional bone tissues
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:04
Scientists have developed a highly printable bioink as a platform to generate anatomical-scale functional tissues.
Combined production of fish and vegetables can be profitable
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:04
When it comes to future food production, the combined farming of fish and vegetables through aquaponics is currently a hotly debated topic. But how realistic is the idea? Researchers have just published an extensive profitability analysis of a facility that already produces fish and vegetables on a large scale. The result: aquaponics may have both environmental and cost benefits -- if produced...
Emerging viral diseases causing serious issues in west Africa
- ScienceDaily
- 20/5/19 20:04
In a new study, researchers call attention to the emergence of mosquito-borne viral outbreaks in West Africa, such as dengue (DENV), chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses.
Galactic cosmic rays now available for study on Earth, thanks to NASA
To better understand and mitigate the health risks faced by astronauts from exposure to space radiation, we ideally need to be able to test the effects of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) here on Earth under laboratory conditions. An article publishing on May 19, 2020 in the open access journal PLOS Biology from Lisa Simonsen and colleagues at the NASA Langley Research Center, USA, describes how NASA...
A new $12 billion US chip plant sounds like a win for Trump. Not quite.
On Friday, May 15, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, announced that it will build a $12 billion plant in Arizona, to open by 2024. It expects the facility to employ roughly 1,600 people and indirectly generate thousands of other jobs.
At first blush, the announcement looks like a victory for the Trump administration, which has been...
Global CO2 emissions could drop by as much as 7% in 2020 due to pandemic, researchers suggest
Global carbon dioxide emissions could fall by as much as seven per cent this year, depending on continuing restrictions and social distancing measures during the coronavirus pandemic, research published in the journal Nature Climate Change...