210 articles from FRIDAY 7.8.2020

Highly sensitive dopamine detector uses 2D materials

A supersensitive dopamine detector can help in the early diagnosis of several disorders that result in too much or too little dopamine, according to a group led by Penn State and including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and universities in China and Japan.

Hubble makes the first observation of a total lunar eclipse by a space telescope

Taking advantage of a total lunar eclipse, astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have detected ozone in Earth's atmosphere. This method serves as a proxy for how they will observe Earth-like planets around other stars in the search for life. This is the first time a total lunar eclipse was captured from a space telescope and the first time such an eclipse has been studied in...

Huge ring-like structure on Ganymede's surface may have been caused by violent impact

Image data reanalysis by researchers from Kobe University and the National Institute of Technology, Oshima College have revealed that ancient tectonic troughs are concentrically distributed across almost the entire surface of Ganymede. Computer simulation results suggest that this giant crater could have resulted from the impact of an asteroid with a 150km radius. If so, this the largest impact...

Intranasal vaccine platform has potential for more effective vaccines, fewer side effects

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is shining a spotlight on vaccine development. As numerous vaccines race through clinical trials, physicians and researchers continue to develop new vaccine technologies to generate the most effective vaccines with the fewest side effects.A new proof-of-concept study by researchers at the University of Chicago and Duke University demonstrates the potential for one...

Making N-C bond directly from N2: summary and perspective

N-Containing organic compounds are of vital importance to lives. Practical and catalytic synthesis of valuable N-containing organic compounds directly from dinitrogen (N2), not through ammonia (NH3), is a holy-grail in chemistry and chemical industry. Recently, scientists from Peking University, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (CAS), and Fudan University in China summarize the previous works...

Modifying BACTRAC protocol provides first chance to study local leukocyte populations during stroke

Expanding standard techniques during mechanical thrombectomy -- a procedure that removes a clot from an artery during stroke -- allows researchers to reproducibly obtain and study local leukocyte populations during human stroke, according to a study by the University of Kentucky Department of Neurology, released today at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery's (SNIS) 17th Annual Meeting.

NASA sounding rocket finds helium structures in sun's atmosphere

Helium is the second most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen. But scientists aren't sure just how much there actually is in the Sun's atmosphere. NASA's HERSCHEL sounding rocket has taken the first global measurements of helium in the extended solar atmosphere - a key piece of information for understanding our space environment.

New Zealand's Southern Alps glacier melt has doubled

Glaciers in the Southern Alps of New Zealand have lost more ice mass since pre-industrial times than remains today, according to a new study led by the University of Leeds. The study mapped Southern Alps ice loss from the end of the Little Ice Age -- roughly 400 years ago -- to 2019. It found that relative to recent decades, the Southern Alps lost up to 77% of their total Little Ice Age glacier...

Newly discovered mutation could point to heart disease therapeutic target

New work identifies a potential therapeutic target for clogged arteries and other health risks that stem from an excess of harmful fats in the bloodstream. The study opens the door for the design of more specific MTP inhibitors that could reduce circulating triglyceride levels without the risk of unpleasant and serious side effects in the intestines and liver.

NSD2 enzyme appears to prevent cellular senescence

Using comprehensive genetic analysis, Kumamoto University researchers have found, for the first time, that the NSD2 enzyme blocks cell aging. Inhibition of NSD2 function in normal cells leads to rapid senescence of cells and the amount of NSD2 in senescent cells is significantly reduced. It is hoped that these findings will help clarify the mechanisms of aging, the development of control methods...

Oldest enzyme in cellular respiration isolated

Researchers from Goethe University have found what is perhaps the oldest enzyme in cellular respiration. They have been able to isolate the extremely fragile 'Rnf' protein complex from the heat-loving bacterium Thermotoga maritima. In fact, the genes that encode for the enzyme were already discovered. However, the researchers have now succeeded for the first time in isolating the enzyme and thus...

Origins of life: Chemical evolution in a tiny Gulf Stream

Chemical reactions driven by the geological conditions on the early Earth might have led to the prebiotic evolution of self-replicating molecules. Scientists at Ludwig-Maximilians Universitaet (LMU) in Munich now report on a hydrothermal mechanism that could have promoted the process.

Pinpointing the cells that keep the body's master circadian clock ticking

UT Southwestern scientists have developed a genetically engineered mouse and imaging system that lets them visualize fluctuations in the circadian clocks of cell types in mice. The method, described online in the journal Neuron, gives new insight into which brain cells are important in maintaining the body's master circadian clock. But they say the approach will also be broadly useful for...