277 articles from WEDNESDAY 20.5.2020

Untangling a key step in photosynthetic oxygen production

Photosystem II is a protein complex in plants, algae and cyanobacteria that is responsible for splitting water and producing the oxygen we breathe. Over the past few years, an international collaboration between scientists at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and several other institutions have been able to observe various steps...

Nasa space treaty to allow establishment of lunar 'safety zones'

US accused by Russia of trying to circumvent 1967 treaty banning ownership of areas of the moonCountries joining Nasa’s exploration of the moon will be asked to sign up to a series of guiding principles known as the Artemis accords. Announced on 15 May, the accords are a set of broad themes that the agency hopes will form the basis of agreements to be negotiated with each country involved in the...

Epigenetic mechanisms of blood cell differentiation

In the bone marrow, blood stem cells via precursor cells give rise to a variety of blood cell types with various functions: white blood cells, red blood cells, or blood platelets. In which cell type a cell develops depends on various factors. The correct dosage of the enzyme MOF at the right time triggers developmental programs in blood stem cells and precursor cells, and the cells differentiate...

Next generation of soft robots inspired by a children's toy

Buckling, the sudden loss of structural stability, is usually the stuff of engineering nightmares. But, as anyone who has ever played with a toy popper knows, buckling also releases a lot of energy. When the structure of a popper buckles, the energy released by the instability sends the toy flying through the air. Researchers have harnessed that energy and used buckling to their advantage to build...

The Scientist Behind Some of the World’s Best Coronavirus Images

From her laboratory in the far western reaches of Montana, Elizabeth Fischer is trying to help people see what they’re up against in COVID-19. Over the past three decades, Fischer, 58, and her team at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories, part of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have captured and created some of the more...

Healthcare staff to get coronavirus antibody tests from next week

Exclusive: experts warn of risk of positive results producing false sense of security Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageNHS and social care staff will be given antibody tests revealing whether they have had coronavirus from next week, ministers are to announce on Thursday.In a move designed to reduce frontline workers’ anxiety and provide data on how many people have...

Laser-based technique captures 3-D images of impressionist-style brushstrokes

Researchers have developed a new strategy that uses optical coherence tomography (OCT) to acquire both the surface and underlying details of impressionist style oil paintings. This information can be used to create detailed 3-D reconstructions to enhance the viewing experience and offer a way for the visually impaired to experience paintings.

Oldest connection with Native Americans identified near Lake Baikal in Siberia

Using human population genetics, ancient pathogen genomics and isotope analysis, a team of researchers assessed the population history of the Lake Baikal region, finding the deepest connection to date between the peoples of Siberia and the Americas. The current study also demonstrates human mobility, and hence connectivity, across Eurasia during the Early Bronze Age.

Team builds hybrid quantum system by entangling molecule with atom

Physicists have boosted their control of the fundamental properties of molecules at the quantum level by linking or 'entangling' an electrically charged atom and an electrically charged molecule, showcasing a way to build hybrid quantum information systems that could manipulate, store and transmit different forms of data.

Family environment affects adolescent brain development

Childhood environment and socioeconomic status affect cognitive ability and brain development during adolescence independently of genetic factors, researchers report. The study demonstrates how important the family environment is, not just during early infancy but also throughout adolescence.

Legal cannabis hemp oil effectively treats chronic neuropathic pain

Researchers examine the effectiveness of consuming hemp oil extracted from the whole cannabis plant using a chronic neuropathic pain animal model. Researchers showed that legal cannabis hemp oil reduced mechanical pain sensitivity 10-fold for several hours in mice with chronic post-operative neuropathic pain.

More vaccines have protected monkeys against covid-19, suggesting they might work in people

Studies on macaques suggest that infection with the coronavirus grants some immunity to catching it again—and that vaccines also seem to offer some protection. The questions: Does getting infected by the coronavirus make you immune? And can a vaccine do the same job? In two studies published today in Science, a group led by researchers at Harvard University’s Beth Israel Deaconess...

Apple and Google’s covid-tracing tech has been released to 22 countries

Apple and Google are releasing their much-anticipated “exposure notification” technology to help global health authorities track the coronavirus pandemic. Governments around the world can now use the technology in their own contact tracing apps, subject to approval by the two tech giants.  Contact tracing—tracking down those who may have been exposed to an infectious person—is an...

Breakthrough in research on production of 2-D crystals with excellent optical properties

For the first time, monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides with excellent optical properties were grown. A team of physicists from the University of Warsaw managed to overcome the technical difficulties faced by industry and scientists from around the world—namely the very limited size, heterogeneity, and broadening of the spectral lines of fabricated materials. Monolayers without these...

Heating poppy seeds, but not baking them in muffins, reduces opiate levels

You might have heard the advice to avoid eating a poppy seed bagel or muffin before a drug screen, lest you test positive for opiates. This urban legend is rooted in truth because the tiny black seeds contain small amounts of morphine and codeine that can show up in a drug test. Now, researchers have studied how different treatments affect levels of opiates in poppy seeds.

Attosecond physics: Quantum brakes in molecules

Physicists have measured the flight times of electrons emitted from a specific atom in a molecule upon excitation with laser light. This has enabled them to measure the influence of the molecule itself on the kinetics of emission.

'Bee' thankful for the evolution of pollen

Over 80% of the world's flowering plants must reproduce in order to produce new flowers. This process involves the transfer of pollen between plants by wind, water or insects called pollinators -- including bumblebees. In a new study, researchers at the University of Missouri discovered spiny pollen -- from a native wild dandelion species in the southern Rocky Mountains -- has evolved to attach to...

Spring rains are a surprising source of pollen

Spring rains washes away some pollen, but not all. Researchers have found tree pollen fragments can remain airborne for hours after a storm. The tiny pollen particles can exacerbate allergies because they can reach deep in the lungs.

Should tomatoes go in the fridge?

There is much debate about the correct storage of tomatoes. Should tomatoes be in the fridge or kept at room temperature? Researchers investigated whether there are differences in the flavor of ripe tomatoes depending on how they are stored, taking into account the chain of harvesting from farm to fork. No difference was found: the variety of tomato is much more important.

Microplastics found in Florida's birds of prey for first time

A new study has confirmed and quantified, for the first time, the presence of microplastics in terrestrial and aquatic birds of prey in Florida, including hawks, ospreys and owls. The research is important because birds of prey are critical to a functioning ecosystem. The accumulation of microplastics in their digestive systems could lead to poisoning, starvation and death.

ALMA discovers massive rotating disk in early universe

In our 13.8 billion-year-old universe, most galaxies like our Milky Way form gradually, reaching their large mass relatively late. But a new discovery made with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) of a massive rotating disk galaxy, seen when the universe was only ten percent of its current age, challenges the traditional models of galaxy formation.