292 articles from WEDNESDAY 24.6.2020

Twitter posts reveal polarization in Congress on COVID-19

The rapid politicization of the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen in messages members of the US Congress sent about the issue on the social media site Twitter, a new analysis found. Using artificial intelligence and resources from the Ohio Supercomputer Center, researchers conducted an analysis that covered all 30,887 tweets that members sent about COVID-19 from the first one on Jan. 17 through March...

Genes affecting brains and brawn?

Genes located in 'copy number variants' (CNVs) -- parts of chromosomes that are missing in some individuals and duplicated in others -- that are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders affect more than just brain development, according to new research.

Rogue's gallery of dusty star systems reveals exoplanet nurseries

The Gemini Planet Imager on the Gemini South telescope looked at 104 young, nearby stars, 10-100 million years old, in search of debris disks. It found 26, 25 of which had inner holes indicating a planet. These debris rings, similar to the Kuiper Belt in our solar system, display amazing diversity in size and distance from the star. Such studies help astronomers understand the formation of planets...

Plug-and-play lens simplifies adaptive optics for microscopy

Researchers have developed a new plug-and-play device that can add adaptive optics correction to commercial optical microscopes. Adaptive optics can greatly improve the quality of images acquired deep into biological samples, but has, until now, been extremely complex to implement.

Adirondack boreal peatlands near southern range limit likely threatened by warmer climate

A study documents an invasion happening in the Adirondacks: the black spruce, tamarack, and other boreal species are being overcome by trees normally found in warmer, more temperate forests. Ultimately, researchers predict that these invaders could overtake a variety of northern species, eliminating trees that have long been characteristic of wetlands like Shingle Shanty Preserve in the...

A shorter IQ test for children with special needs

For decades, neuropsychologists have used the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children test as the gold-standard intelligence quotient (IQ) test to determine the intellectual abilities of children with special needs. However, this comprehensive test can take up to 2 hours to complete, and many children with special needs have a difficult time participating in such long tests.

Adirondack boreal peatlands near southern range limit likely threatened by warmer climate

A study published in the journal Wetlands documents an invasion happening in the Adirondacks: the black spruce, tamarack, and other boreal species are being overcome by trees normally found in warmer, more temperate forests. Ultimately, researchers from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) predict that these invaders could overtake a variety of northern species, eliminating...

Study examines media coverage of protests worldwide

As anti-racism solidarity protests continue around the world, new research suggests mainstream media have a tendency to focus on the violence and spectacle of a protest rather than the substance. That mentality and approach need to change according to Summer Harlow, assistant professor of journalism at the University of Houston Jack J. Valenti School of Communication.

Entry point for curbing the evolution of antibiotic resistance discovered

The team of Professor Tobias Bollenbach from the Institute for Biological Physics at the University of Cologne has published a study on a new approach to improving the effectiveness of antibiotics in bacterial infections. The study 'Highly parallel lab evolution reveals that epistasis can curb the evolution of antibiotic resistance,' on ways to controlling antibiotic resistance through targeted...

Study suggests light environment modifications could maximize productivity

The crops we grow in the field often form dense canopies with many overlapping leaves, such that young "sun leaves" at the top of the canopy are exposed to full sunlight with older "shade leaves" at the bottom. In order to maximize photosynthesis, resource-use efficiency, and yield, sun leaves typically maximize photosynthetic efficiency at high light, while shade leaves maximize efficiency at low...

Scientists identify the mechanism that regulates mitochondrial energy production

Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CNIC) have identified the molecular mechanism by which mitochondria, the main source of the cell's energy supply, regulate their function to optimize energy production in order to meet the body's changing needs. The discovery, published in the journal Science Advances, helps to explain how the body regulates its metabolism.

Antarctic penguins happier with less sea ice

Researchers have been surprised to find that Adélie penguins in Antarctica prefer reduced sea ice conditions, not just a little bit, but a lot. As climate models project rapid reduction of the continent's sea ice over the rest of the century, this iconic polar predator could be a rare global warming winner. Their research findings are published on June 24, 2020 in Science Advances.

The Guardian view on scientists in Downing Street: a brief encounter | Editorial

Boris Johnson sometimes uses experts to bolster his authority but his real guide is fear of being held responsible for bad governmentIt is clear from the volume and complexity of new hygiene guidelines that the grand reopening of England’s consumer economy, scheduled for 4 July, marks no return to normality. The long-deferred pleasure of the pub will be diluted by measures to enforce physical...