245 articles from WEDNESDAY 8.7.2020
NeMO-Net Citizen Science Project Gets a 4.9 Star Rating
Users have submitted over 56K classifications of coral at the new, highly rated, NeMO-Net app.
NASA's new citizen science project, NeMO-Net is making waves! NeMO-Net is a game where players help NASA classify coral reefs by painting 3D and 2D images of coral. Players embark on a virtual research vessel and travel the oceans by analyzing actual images of corals on the sea floor. As you...
Experimental drug shows early promise against inherited form of ALS, trial indicates
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/8 23:43
A clinical trial has found evidence that the experimental drug tofersen lowers levels of a disease-causing protein in people with an inherited form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, caused by mutations in the gene SOD1.
New bird checklists from Coiba National Park, Panama
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/8 23:43
A trip to Jicarón Island during the Coiba Bioblitz led to a published bird checklist.
Indigenous Americans had contact with Polynesians 800 years ago, DNA reveals
Study shows groups crossed vast ocean in about the year 1200 Proof of encounter found in DNA of present-day populations Indigenous Americans and Polynesians bridged vast expanses of open ocean around the year 1200 and mingled, leaving incontrovertible proof of their encounter in the DNA of present-day populations, new studies have revealed.Whether peoples from what is today Colombia or Ecuador...
How good gut bacteria help reduce the risk for heart disease
Scientists have discovered that one of the good bacteria found in the human gut has a benefit that has remained unrecognized until now: The potential to reduce the risk for heart disease.
Researchers develop mobile rapid test to assess coral thermotolerance
Coral death is impacting oceans worldwide as a consequence of climate change. The concern is that corals cannot keep pace with the rate of ocean warming. In particular, because a temperature increase of only one degree Celsius can make the difference between healthy and dying coral reefs. Some corals, however, are more resistant to increasing temperatures. In order to effectively protect coral...
"Protect 30% of the planet for nature," scientists urge in new report
In the most comprehensive report to date on the economic implications of protecting nature, over 100 economists and scientists find that the global economy would benefit from the establishment of far more protected areas on land and at sea than exist today. The report considers various scenarios of protecting at least 30% of the world's land and ocean to find that the benefits outweigh the costs...
Lung, immune function in kids could protect from severe COVID-19
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/8 21:55
Differences in lung physiology and immune function in children could be why they are more often spared from severe illness associated with COVID-19 than adults.
Stress testing 'coral in a box'
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/8 21:55
Coral death is impacting oceans worldwide as a consequence of climate change. The concern is that corals cannot keep pace with the rate of ocean warming. In particular, because a temperature increase of only one degree Celsius can make the difference between healthy and dying coral reefs. Some corals, however, are more resistant to increasing temperatures. In order to effectively protect coral...
Critical early step of the visual process uncovered
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/8 21:55
The key components of electrical connections between light receptors in the eye and the impact of these connections on the early steps of visual signal processing have been identified for the first time, according to new research.
Facebook civil rights audit finds 'serious setbacks,' including hate speech and misinformation
A two-year audit of Facebook's civil rights record found 'serious setbacks' that have marred the social network's progress on matters such as hate speech, misinformation and...
Ultrasonic ‘tweezers’ can remove huge kidney stones without invasive surgery
Coming soon to a kidney near...
Study reveals how bacteria build essential carbon-fixing machinery
Scientists from the University of Liverpool have revealed new insight into how cyanobacteria construct the organelles that are essential for their ability to photosynthesise. The research, which carried out in collaboration with the University of Science and Technology of China, has been published in PNAS.
NASA analyzes Tropical Cyclone Damien's water vapor concentration
When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Tropical Storm Cristina in the Eastern Pacific Ocean on July 8, it gathered water vapor data that provided information about the intensity of the storm.
Fossil jawbone from Alaska is a rare case of a juvenile Arctic dromaeosaurid dinosaur
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/8 21:06
A small piece of fossil jawbone from Alaska represents a rare example of juvenile dromaeosaurid dinosaur remains from the Arctic, according to a new study.
Naturally perforated shells one of the earliest adornments in the Middle Paleolithic
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/8 21:06
Ancient humans deliberately collected perforated shells in order to string them together as beads, according to a new study.
'Bystander Effect' not exclusive to humans
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/8 21:06
A rat is less likely to help a trapped companion if it is with other rats that aren't helping, according to new research that showed the social psychological theory of the ''bystander effect'' in humans is present in these long-tailed rodents.
How good gut bacteria help reduce the risk for heart disease
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/8 21:06
Scientists have discovered that one of the good bacteria found in the human gut has a benefit that has remained unrecognized until now: the potential to reduce the risk for heart disease.
COVID-19 brain complications found across the globe
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/8 21:05
Cases of brain complications linked to COVID-19 are occurring across the globe, a new review has shown. The research found that strokes, delirium and other neurological complications are reported from most countries where there have been large outbreaks of the disease.
Investing in conservation generates huge returns for economy, study finds
With Earth's wildlife now facing an extinction crisis, a group of economists and scientists is hoping to persuade governments that it pays to protect...
California condors spotted in Sequoia after nearly 50 years
The giant birds were known to nest inside massive sequoia trees before their near-extinction in the...
Cold Lake air force base recruits army of animal weed-whackers
In a battle against unwelcome weeds, an Alberta air force base is recruiting a small army of cloven-hoofed...
We Persevere
NASA's next Mars rover has a name – Perseverance. Like every exploration mission before, our rover is going to face challenges, and it’s going to make amazing discoveries.
The time at hand is hard. We have already surmounted many obstacles on our way to Red Planet, but as humans we will not give up. We will always persevere.
Targeted for launch in July 2020, NASA’s Mars Perseverance...
How carbon-sucking machines could cut aviation emissions
Two companies have teamed up on a project that could provide a key test of our ability to use synthetic fuel, made from carbon dioxide captured from the air, to cut emissions from aviation.
Carbon Engineering, a direct air capture company based in British Columbia, has signed a deal with Aerion, a startup based in Reno, Nevada, that is developing a supersonic business jet known as the AS2, to...
Helping drug-delivering particles squeeze through a syringe
Microparticles offer a promising way to deliver multiple doses of a drug or vaccine at once, because they can be designed to release their payload at specific intervals. However, the particles, which are about the size of a grain of sand, can be difficult to inject because they can get clogged in a typical syringe.
Bumblebee habitats and diets change over their lifecycle
Bumblebees change their home ranges and dietary preferences after establishing nests, suggesting that diversified landscapes help support bee populations as their needs change during different phases of their lifecycle, according to a study published July 8 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Pablo Cavigliasso of the Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria in Argentina, and colleagues....
Fossil jawbone from Alaska is a rare case of a juvenile Arctic dromaeosaurid dinosaur
A small piece of fossil jawbone from Alaska represents a rare example of juvenile dromaeosaurid dinosaur remains from the Arctic, according to a study published July 8, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza of the Imperial College London, UK, and co-authors Anthony R. Fiorillo, Ronald S. Tykoski, Paul J. McCarthy, Peter P. Flaig, and Dori L. Contreras.
Naturally perforated shells one of the earliest adornments in the Middle Paleolithic
Ancient humans deliberately collected perforated shells in order to string them together as beads, according to a study published July 8, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Daniella Bar-Yosef Mayer (Tel Aviv University, Israel), Iris Groman-Yaroslavski (University of Haifa, Israel), and colleagues.
Study shows 'Bystander Effect' not exclusive to humans
A rat is less likely to help a trapped companion if it is with other rats that aren't helping, according to new research from the University of Chicago that showed the social psychological theory of the "bystander effect" in humans is present in these long-tailed rodents.
Researchers propose novel approach to limit organ damage for patients with severe COVID-19
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/8 19:59
In a new paper, researchers propose that controlling the local and systemic inflammatory response in COVID-19 may be as important as anti-viral and other therapies.