389 articles from THURSDAY 23.7.2020
China launches unnamed Mars probe – video
China launched an unmanned probe on 23 July to Mars in its first independent mission to visit another planet.China's largest carrier rocket blasted off with the probe at Wenchang Space Launch Centre in the southern island province of Hainan and is expected to reach Mars in February 2021.The Mars-launching season occurs every 26 months when Earth and Mars are at their closest;...
Bee disease spreading via flowers
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 23:22
One in 11 flowers carries disease-causing parasites known to contribute to bee declines, according to a new study that identifies how flowers act as hubs for transmitting diseases to bees and other pollinators.
Some 'inert' drug ingredients may be biologically active
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 23:22
Some supposedly inert ingredients in common drugs -- such as dyes and preservatives -- may potentially be biologically active and could lead to unanticipated side effects, according to a preliminary new study.
Preventing the next pandemic
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 23:22
A new article shows that an annual investment of $30 billion should be enough to offset the costs of preventing another global pandemic such as COVID-19.
Viral Video Shows Lightning Strike Just Behind the Statue of Liberty
It looks like something out of a...
Biologists shed light on how cells move resources
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 23:20
Researchers have new insight into the tiny packages that cells use to move molecules, a structure that is key to cellular metabolism, drug delivery and more.
Study finds decline in emergent hospitalizations during early phase of COVID-19
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 23:20
Researchers report on the decline of emergent medical, surgical and obstetric hospitalizations at the medical center during the six-week period following the week of the declaration of the COVID-19 public health emergency in Boston in mid-March 2020.
Young dolphins pick their friends wisely
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 23:20
Strategic networking is key to career success, and not just for humans. A study of bottlenose dolphins reveals that in early life, dolphins devote more time to building connections that could give them an edge later on. Analyzing nearly 30 years of records for some 1700 dolphins in Australia, researchers find that dolphins under age 10 seek out peers and activities that could help them forge bonds...
Do bicycles slow down cars on low speed, low traffic roads? Latest research says 'no'
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 23:19
New research demonstrates that bicycles do not significantly reduce passenger car travel speeds on low speed, low volume urban roads without bicycle lanes. The research shows that differences in vehicle speeds with and without cyclists were generally on the order of 1 mph or less - negligible from a practical perspective.
Coronavirus: Will lockdown easing see more of us using rivers?
There has been a surge in people visiting waterways after the lockdown was eased, outdoor groups say.
NASA examines Tropical Storm Gonzalo's structural changes
Visible and microwave imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite indicated Tropical Storm Gonzalo was slightly less organized than it was on the previous day.
Boats and ships leave baby reef fish vulnerable to predators
Juvenile fishes have one of the highest mortality rates compared to other life stages. Within two days of settling into a reef almost 60 percent are consumed by predators. Our recent study found noisy boats and ships can also affect the prey response of these young fishes.
NASA finds strength in new Gulf Tropical Depression 8
NASA's Aqua satellite used infrared light to identify the strongest storms and coldest cloud top temperatures in Tropical Depression 8, spinning in the Gulf of Mexico.
Plastic pollution to weigh 1.3 billion tonnes by 2040
An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of plastic is destined for the environment by 2040 unless global action is taken, scientists say.
Spacewatch: Nasa delays James Webb space telescope to October 2021
Delay is result of coronavirus pandemic and technical challenges as troubled project is set to cost £6.8bnNasa has announced that the often delayed James Webb space telescope (JWST) is to be delayed once more. Instead of a launch on 30 March 2021, the mission has now slipped to 31 October 2021.The seven-month delay is the result of impacts from the coronavirus pandemic, as well as technical...
Biologists shed light on how cells move resources
Florida State University researchers have new insight into the tiny packages that cells use to move molecules, a structure that is key to cellular metabolism, drug delivery and more.
UK and US say Russia fired a satellite weapon in space
The UK says the Russian satellite launched "a projectile with the characteristics of a weapon".
Researchers develop a method for predicting unprecedented events
A black swan event is a highly unlikely but massively consequential incident, such as the 2008 global recession and the loss of one-third of the world's saiga antelope in a matter of days in 2015. Challenging the quintessentially unpredictable nature of black swan events, bioengineers at Stanford University are suggesting a method for forecasting these supposedly unforeseeable fluctuations.
Silicon core fishbone waveguide extends frequency comb
Frequency combs are becoming one of the great enabling technologies of the 21st century. High-precision atomic clocks, and high-precision spectroscopy are just two technologies that have benefited from the development of highly precise frequency combs. However, the original frequency comb sources required a room full of equipment. And it turns out that if you suggest that a room full of delicate...
Hubble Space Telescope captures summertime on Saturn
Saturn is truly the lord of the rings in this latest snapshot from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, taken on July 4, 2020, when the opulent giant world was 839 million miles from Earth. This new Saturn image was taken during summer in the planet's northern hemisphere.
Genome-mapping reveals 'supermutation' resulting in cryptic coloration in stick insects
Traits that form an organism's appearance, including color, are determined by many different genes and the creature's environment.
U.S. Congress approves conservation bill
Congress has passed sweeping legislation allocating $900 million a year for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and an additional $9.5 billion over five years to address an urgent backlog of maintenance projects at the nation's parks and other public lands.
Near-field light research advances particle manipulation, high resolution microscopy, and more
There are many types of light—some visible and some invisible to the human eye. For example, our eyes and brain don't have the tools to process ultraviolet light when it hits our eyes, making it invisible. But there is another type of light that is invisible simply because it never reaches our eyes. When light hits certain surfaces, part of it sticks and remains behind rather than being...
New native Hawaiian land snail species discovered, first in 60 years
Scientists have described a new native Hawaiian land snail species, sounding a rare, hopeful note in a story rife with extinction.
New CRISPR DNA base editor expands the landscape of precision genome editing
New genome-editing technologies developed by researchers in J. Keith Joung's laboratory at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have the potential to help understand disease-associated genetic mutations that are based on C-to-G (cytosine to guanine) single base changes. The new base editors are also designed to minimize unintended ("off-target") mutations that could potentially cause...
Highly stable amyloid protein aggregates may help plant seeds last longer
Highly stable polymeric "amyloid" proteins, best known for their role in Alzheimer's disease, have been mostly studied in animals. But a new study on the garden pea publishing July 23, 2020 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, by Anton Nizhnikov of All-Russia Research Institute for Agricultural Microbiology (ARRIAM) and colleagues, shows that they also occur in plants, and they may be an...
Noise from human activity that vibrates the Earth dropped by 50% after COVID-19 restrictions: study
An international team of researchers used data from seismic stations in 117 countries to determine that restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 led to an unprecedented drop in...
Getting a grip on near-field light
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 21:23
Researchers have developed a system to mold near-field light -- opening the door to unprecedented control over this powerful, largely unexplored type of light.
New CRISPR C-to-G DNA base editor expands the landscape of precision genome editing
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 21:23
The new base editing platform may help researchers understand and correct genetic diseases by selective editing of single DNA 'letters' across nucleobase classes.
New native Hawaiian land snail species discovered, first in 60 years
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 21:23
Auriculella gagneorum, a small candy-striped snail from Oahu's Waianae Mountains, represents the first new species of a living Hawaiian land snail described in 60 years.
New technology makes homes more energy independent, helps divert power during power outages
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 21:23
Researchers have designed a smart technology that can help utility companies better serve communities affected by power outages. The researchers said their single device works by improving energy delivery between home solar-power systems and the electrical grid.
COVID-19 tracing app starts beta testing after three-week delay
The federal government says a smartphone app meant to warn users if they've been in close contact with someone who tests positive for COVID-19 is now in beta...
Teen museum educators increase engagement, learning, in tween visitors
Do you want to get the most out of a museum and encourage your child's interest in STEM? Try interacting with a teenaged museum docent. Research led by investigators from North Carolina State University and the University of Exeter in the U.K. has found that youth docents have an overall positive effect on visitors' experiences, learning and information retention at informal learning sites. The...
PolyA-miner assesses the effect of alternative polyadenylation on gene expression
Researchers with an interest in unraveling gene regulation in human health and disease are expanding their horizons by closely looking at alternative polyadenylation (APA), an under-charted mechanism that regulates gene expression.
Where are arctic mosquitoes most abundant in Greenland and why?
Bzz! It's mosquito season in Greenland. June and July marks the period when Arctic mosquitoes (Aedes nigripes) are in peak abundance, buzzing about the tundra. While Arctic mosquitoes serve as an important food source to other animals, they are notorious for their role as pests to humans and wildlife, including caribou, whose populations can be affected by their attacks. Yet, these mosquitoes...
Learning how to battle harmful algae blooms
Throughout the world's oceans in global nutrient cycles, food chains, and climate, as well as increasingly in human-made industrial processes, a diverse set of planktonic microbes, such as algae, play an integral role. For nearly all of these planktonic microbes, however, little is known about them genetically beyond a few marker sequences, while their morphology, biological interactions,...
Understanding the microbial community hiding in our showers
In Benedum Hall at the University of Pittsburgh, nine shower heads in three brand new shower stalls run for eight minutes every day.
Two distinct circuits drive inhibition in the sensory thalamus of the brain
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:38
The thalamus is a 'Grand Central Station' for sensory information coming to our brains. Almost every sight, sound, taste and touch travels to our brain's cortex via the thalamus. Researchers now report that the somatosensory part of the thalamic reticular nucleus is divided into two functionally distinct sub-circuits that have their own types of genetically defined neurons that are topographically...
PolyA-miner assesses the effect of alternative polyadenylation on gene expression
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:38
Meet PolyA-miner, a new computational tool that enables scientists to evaluate the contribution of alternative polyadenylation to gene regulation in health and disease.
Hubble sees summertime on Saturn
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:37
Saturn is truly the lord of the rings in this latest snapshot from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, taken on July 4, 2020, when the opulent giant world was 839 million miles from Earth. A new Saturn image was taken during summer in the planet's northern hemisphere.
Researchers develop a method for predicting unprecedented events
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:37
Researchers combined avalanche physics with ecosystem data to create a computational method for predicting extreme ecological events. The method may also have applications in economics and politics.
Highly stable amyloid protein aggregates may help plant seeds last longer
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:37
Highly stable polymeric ''amyloid'' proteins, best known for their role in Alzheimer's disease, have been mostly studied in animals. But a new study on the garden pea shows that they also occur in plants, and they may be an important adaptation for prolonging seed viability.
Tracking antibody profiles for influenza exposures across the lifespan
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:37
Immune responses to influenza exposures increase early in life, then decline in middle age, according to a new study.
A new MXene material shows extraordinary electromagnetic interference shielding ability
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:37
Researchers have discovered a MXene material that presents exceptional electromagnetic interference shielding abilities.
Vikings had smallpox and may have helped spread the world's deadliest virus
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:37
Scientists have discovered extinct strains of smallpox in the teeth of Viking skeletons - proving for the first time that the killer disease plagued humanity for at least 1400 years. Smallpox spread via infectious droplets, killed around a third of sufferers and left another third permanently scarred or blind. Around 300 million people died from it in the 20th century alone before it was...
Genome-mapping reveals 'supermutation' resulting in cryptic coloration in stick insects
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:37
Biologists discuss findings from an investigation of genetic mutations in seven species of North American stick insects (Timema) resulting in cryptic coloration.
New technique to capture carbon dioxide could greatly reduce power plant greenhouse gases
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:37
Removing carbon dioxide from power plant emissions is ever more urgent to limit the damage from climate change. Chemists have come up with an efficient and less expensive technique for removing CO2 from natural gas plant emissions. The technique could be tweaked for more polluting plants that use coal. The chemists took a magnesium-based metal-organic framework and added a tetraamine that...
COVID-19 lockdown caused 50 percent global reduction in human-linked Earth vibrations
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:37
The lack of human activity during lockdown caused human-linked vibrations in the Earth to drop by an average of 50 percent between March and May 2020.
'Self-eating' process of stem cells may be the key to new regenerative therapies
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:37
The self-eating process in embryonic stem cells known as chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA) and a related metabolite may serve as promising new therapeutic targets to repair or regenerate damaged cells and organs, researchers show.
Boats and ships leave baby reef fish vulnerable to predators
- ScienceDaily
- 20/7/23 20:37
Scientists say the noise from boats and ships slows down the activity of baby fish on coral reefs, which leaves them more vulnerable to their predators.