291 articles from TUESDAY 4.8.2020

Scientists suggest device to make breast MRI more effective

Magnetic resonance imaging is becoming increasingly popular as a method of diagnosing diseases. Standard scanners are multifunctional, making it possible to cut down on the costs of specialized equipment. On the other hand, this leads to images of lower quality, especially when relatively small areas need to be examined. A group of Russian scientists, including ITMO University researchers, has...

Stars rich in phosphorus: Seeds of life in the universe

The journal Nature Communications today is publishing the discovery of a new type of stars, very rich in phosphorus, which could help to explain the origin of this chemical element in our Galaxy. This achievement has been made by astronomers of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and researchers in computer science from the Centre for Research in Information and Communication...

Study reveals impact of powerful CEOs and money laundering on bank performance

Banks with powerful CEOs and smaller boards are more likely to take risks and be susceptible to money laundering.The study tested for a link between bank risk and enforcements issued by US regulators for money laundering in almost 1,000 publicly listed US banks.The results show that money laundering enforcements are associated with an increase in bank risk. The impact of money laundering is...

Study suggests embryos could be susceptible to coronavirus

Genes that are thought to play a role in how the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects our cells have been found to be active in embryos as early as during the second week of pregnancy, say scientists at the University of Cambridge and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). The researchers say this could mean embryos are susceptible to COVID-19 if the mother gets sick, potentially affecting the...

Study: Enzyme could prove effective in treating tumors and inflammatory diseases in lung

Findings from a research study led by scientists at Henry Ford suggest an enzyme could play an important role in the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases in the airway. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are enzymes that help modulate gene expression by removing acetyl groups from histone or non-histone proteins. Inhibition of HDACs is emerging as a promising approach to treat various types of...

Sulfur-containing polymer generates high refractive index and transparency?

Researchers reported a novel technology enhancing the high transparency of refractive polymer film via a one-step vapor deposition process. The sulfur-containing polymer (SCP) film produced by Professor Sung Gap Im's research team at KAIST's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering has exhibited excellent environmental stability and chemical resistance, which is highly desirable for its...

Surprisingly dense exoplanet challenges planet formation theories

New detailed observations with NSF's NOIRLab facilities reveal a young exoplanet, orbiting a young star in the Hyades cluster, that is unusually dense for its size and age. Weighing in at 25 Earth-masses, and slightly smaller than Neptune, this exoplanet's existence is at odds with the predictions of leading planet formation theories.

The problem with microwaving tea

Through convection, as the liquid toward the bottom of a container warms up, it becomes less dense and moves to the top, allowing a cooler section of the liquid to contact the heating source. This ultimately results in a uniform temperature. Inside a microwave, however, the electric field acting as the heating source exists everywhere and the convection process does not occur. Researchers studied...

The wrong track: How papillomaviruses trick the immune system

Specific antibodies protect us against viral infections - or do they not? Researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) studied the immune response to papillomaviruses in mice and discovered a hitherto unknown mechanism by which the pathogens outwit the immune system: At the beginning of the infection cycle, they produce a longer version of a protein that surrounds the viral genome. The...

Ultrafast lasers probe elusive chemistry at the liquid-liquid interface

Real-time measurements captured by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory provide missing insight into chemical separations to recover cobalt, a critical raw material used to make batteries and magnets for modern technologies. Results published in ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces track the dynamics of molecules designed to grab cobalt from solutions containing...