254 articles from TUESDAY 14.7.2020
Particulate plutonium released from the Fukushima Daiichi meltdowns
Small amounts of plutonium (Pu) were released from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) reactors into the environment during the site's 2011 nuclear disaster. However, the physical, chemical, and isotopic form of the released Pu has remained unknown. Now, recent work published in the journal "Science of the Total Environment" has shown that Pu was included inside cesium-rich...
Perovskite solar cells developed by NTU Singapore scientists record highest power conversion
A team of researchers at the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) has created a perovskite solar mini module that has recorded the highest power conversion efficiency of any perovskite-based device larger than 10 cm2.
Pesticide mixtures a bigger problem than previously thought
New research led by The University of Queensland has provided the first comprehensive analysis of pesticide mixtures in creeks and rivers discharging to the Great Barrier Reef.
Predation by Caspian terns on young steelhead means fewer return as adults
Caspian terns feeding on young fish have a significant impact on runs of steelhead in the Columbia River, new research suggests.
Quantum body scanner? What happens when vector vortex beams meet scattering media
As explained in their report, the team implemented a flexible platform to generate VVBs and Gaussian beams, and investigated their propagation through a medium that mimics the features of biological tissue.
Rapid genome sequencing and screening help hospital manage COVID-19 outbreaks
Cambridge researchers have shown how rapid genome sequencing of virus samples and enhanced testing of hospital staff can help to identify clusters of healthcare-associated COVID-19 infections.
Report calls for government to 'level up' Stoke-on-Trent economy
Stoke-on-Trent faces an increased threat of poverty and destitution due to the COVID-19 crisis, a new report reveals. The research has been carried out by Staffordshire University Business School for the Stoke-on-Trent Hardship Commission and highlights the considerable work to be still done by central government to 'level-up' the Stoke-on-Trent economy.
Researchers cast doubt on earlier COVID-19 origins study citing dogs as possible hosts
A study published earlier this year claiming the coronavirus may have jumped from dogs to humans is scientifically flawed, offering no direct evidence to support its conclusions, according to a collaborative group of international researchers, including scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
Researchers found a link between genes and preeclampsia
Researchers have showed that HLA-G gene regulates male-to-female ratio at birth. The study strengthens earlier findings of the vulnerability of male fetuses to preeclampsia.
Robert Graham Center: First steps towards gender parity in academic authorship
Researchers affiliated with the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care conducted a descriptive bibliometric analysis to determine the gender ratio of scholarly authorship on publications by its researchers between 2008 and 2018.
Robot jaws shows medicated chewing gum could be the future
Medicated chewing gum has been recognised as a new advanced drug delivery method but currently there is no gold standard for testing drug release from chewing gum in vitro. New research by the University of Bristol has shown a chewing robot with built-in humanoid jaws could provide opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to develop medicated chewing gum.
Scientists achieve first complete assembly of human X chromosome
Although the current human reference genome is the most accurate and complete vertebrate genome ever produced, there are still gaps in the DNA sequence, even after two decades of improvements. Now, for the first time, scientists have determined the complete sequence of a human chromosome from one end to the other ('telomere to telomere') with no gaps and an unprecedented level of accuracy.
Scientists at USC and other institutions develop new method to improve police lineups
For the first time, scientists have developed a way to measure the reliability of an eyewitness trying to pick a culprit from a police lineup. The findings could help reduce the number of innocent people convicted of crimes.
Scientists find new link between delirium and brain energy disruption
Scientists have discovered a new link between impaired brain energy metabolism and delirium -- a disorienting and distressing disorder particularly common in the elderly and one that is currently occurring in a large proportion of patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The research suggests that therapies focusing on brain energy metabolism may offer new routes to mitigating delirium.
Scientists found a way to identify diseases by blood serum
Researchers developed a new dynamic light scattering method to determine the sizes of circulating immune complexes in blood serum. The results of the study were published in the first quartile Biology Journal, MDPI Publishing House. Scientists mentioned, that this method is fast, contactless, safe and cheap.
Scientists ID gene responsible for deadly glioblastoma
The discovery of the oncogene responsible for glioblastoma could be the brain cancer's Achilles' heel, one researcher says.
Short gamma ray burst leaves most-distant optical afterglow ever detected
New research shows that neutron stars in a 'teenage' universe could merge relatively quickly.
Space to grow, or grow in space -- how vertical farms could be ready to take-off
Vertical farms with their soil-free, computer-controlled environments may sound like sci-fi. But there is a growing environmental and economic case for them, according to new research laying out radical ways of putting food on our plates.
Study finds hidden emotions in the sound of words
In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, it's common to feel stress levels rise every time we hear the word "virus." But new Cornell-led research reveals that the sound of the word itself was likely to raise your blood pressure - even before "corona" was added to it.
Study shows how our brains remain active during familiar, repetitive tasks
New research, based on earlier results in mice, suggests that our brains are never at rest, even when we are not learning anything about the world around us.
Study: RNA repair shows promise in reversing mutations underlying a neurological disorder
Scientists successfully edited RNA in a living animal in such a way that the repaired RNA then corrected a mutation in a protein that gives rise to a debilitating neurological disorder in people known as Rett syndrome. The new study targeted and repaired the MeCP2 protein across a variety of cell types, a scientific first.
Supercomputer reveals atmospheric impact of gigantic planetary collisions
The giant impacts that dominate late stages of planet formation have a wide range of consequences for young planets and their atmospheres, according to new research.
Tale of the tape: Sticky bits make better batteries
Rice University scientists use an industrial laser to turn adhesive tape into a component for safer, anode-free lithium metal batteries.
Tech sector job interviews assess anxiety, not software skills
A new study finds that the technical interviews currently used in hiring for many software engineering positions test whether a job candidate has performance anxiety rather than whether the candidate is competent at coding. The interviews may also be used to exclude groups or favor specific job candidates.
The earliest cat on the Northern Silk Road
Dr. Irina Arzhantseva and Professor Heinrich Haerke from the Centre for Classical and Oriental Archaeology (IKVIA, Faculty of Humanities, HSE University) have been involved in the discovery of the earliest domestic cat yet found in northern Eurasia.