291 articles from MONDAY 27.7.2020

Make your own greenhouse gas logger

Researchers have developed a simple logger for greenhouse gas flows. It is built using inexpensive and easily available parts, and provides data on levels of methane, carbon dioxide, temperature and humidity.

Moderna is enrolling 30,000 volunteers for its biggest covid-19 vaccine trial

Biotech company Moderna has been making some pretty promising strides in developing and testing its covid-19 vaccine. The company just announced it was working with the US National Institutes of Health to launch what will be one of the largest covid-19 vaccine trials, a phase 3 study enrolling tens of thousands of American volunteers to assess whether the vaccine could truly protect people from...

Unparalleled inventory of the human gut ecosystem

Scientists gathered and published over 200,000 genomes from the human gut microbiome. The catalogue reveals that more than 70% of bacterial species in the human gut have never been grown in the lab. This new data resource could be extremely useful to investigate how the bacterial community in the human gut influences human health and disease.

Hedonism leads to happiness

Relaxing on the sofa or savoring a delicious meal: Enjoying short-term pleasurable activities that don't lead to long-term goals contributes at least as much to a happy life as self-control, according to new research. The researchers therefore argue for a greater appreciation of hedonism in psychology.

Antibiotics alone successfully treat uncomplicated appendicitis in children

Of 1,068 patients from 10 health centers enrolled in the study, 67.1% of those who elected to initially manage their care through antibiotics alone experienced no harmful side effects and did not later require an appendectomy by their one-year follow-up appointment. Patients in the non-operative group experienced an average of 6.6 disability days, compared to the 10.9 days in the surgery group.

Glacial stream insect may tolerate warmer waters

An endangered aquatic insect that lives in icy streams fed by glaciers might not mind if the water grows warmer due to climate. A new study found that mountain stoneflies can tolerate warmer water temperatures at least temporarily. In fact, they might even be stressed in their current extremely cold environments.

'Inchworm' pattern of Indonesian earthquake rupture powered seismic 'boom'

A sonic boom-like seismic phenomenon of supershear rupture occurred during the 2018 Palu earthquake in Indonesia. Researchers investigated the relationship between this phenomenon and the complex geometry of the Palu-Koro fault. An 'inchworm-like' pattern of repeated rupture deceleration and acceleration along the fault was detected, associated with bends in the fault trace. This slip evolution...

Heat smarter, not harder: How microwaves make catalytic reactions more efficient

Scientists demonstrate a synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy-based method by which the local temperatures of metal nanoparticles can be measured under microwaves. This approach provides insight into the role that their temperature has on their catalytic performance and sheds light on how local particle heating using microwaves could become a critical strategy for improving the energy efficiency of...

Despite debate, even the world's oldest trees are not immortal

The oldest trees on Earth have stood for nearly five millennia, and researchers have long wondered to what extent these ancient organisms undergo senescence, physically deteriorating as they age. Plant biologist now argue that although signs of senescence in long-lived trees may be almost imperceptible to people, this does not mean that they're immortal.

Soft robot actuators heal themselves

Repeated activity wears on soft robotic actuators, but these machine's moving parts need to be reliable and easily fixed. Now a team of researchers has a biosynthetic polymer, patterned after squid ring teeth, that is self-healing and biodegradable, creating a material not only good for actuators, but also for hazmat suits and other applications where tiny holes could cause a danger.

Brain cell types identified that may push males to fight and have sex

Two groups of nerve cells may serve as ''on-off switches'' for male mating and aggression, suggests a new study in rodents. These neurons appear to send signals between two parts of the brain - the back tip, or posterior, of the amygdala and the hypothalamus - that together regulate emotions including fear, anxiety, and aggression.