325 articles from TUESDAY 18.8.2020

New 'nanopores' technique offers proof-of-concept of earlier, safer tumor detection

In recent years, a non-invasive biopsy method called liquid biopsy has shown promise as a potential alternative to tissue biopsy, currently the gold standard in cancer detection and diagnosis. A tissue biopsy sample—traditionally collected through a surgical procedure that may require general anesthesia, accompanied by the risk of complications that may occur from any surgery, from pain through...

Study shows how a single gene drives aggression in wild songbird

A new study shows how differentiation of a single gene changes behavior in a wild songbird, determining whether the white-throated sparrow displays more, or less, aggression. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) published the research, led by neuroscientists at Emory University.

Surprising coral spawning features revealed

When stony corals have their renowned mass spawning events, in sync with the moon's cycle, colonies simultaneously release an underwater 'cloud' of sperm and eggs for fertilization. But how do the sperm and eggs survive several hours as plankton, given threats from predators, microbes and stresses such as warming waters?

Native Hawaiian tiger cowries eat alien invasive species

Researchers at the University of Hawai'i (UH) at Mānoa's Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) have just discovered that the Hawaiian tiger cowrie (Leho-kiko in Hawaiian) is a voracious predator of alien sponges such as the Orange Keyhole sponge, which can overgrow native corals and has become a concern as it spread across reefs within Kāne'ohe Bay. In the study published recently,...

Ultrafast hydrogen bond dynamics of liquid water revealed by THz-induced Kerr effect

Liquid water is considered the cornerstone of life and has many extraordinary physical and biochemical properties. The hydrogen bond network of liquid water is widely recognized to play a crucial role in these properties. Due to the complexity of intermolecular interactions and the large spectral overlap of relevant modes, the study of hydrogen bond dynamics is challenging. In recent years,...

The MOF-based multicolor single-mode microlaser

Since different tissues, cells or biochemicals have different (such as optical, thermal and acoustic) responses to different wavelengths of light, a light source with visible to near-infrared (NIR) multi-color output provides the fundamentals for multi-modal/multi-dimensional sensing/imaging. On the other hand, the polarization properties of light provide an opportunity for the analysis and...

Dynamic full-field optical coherence tomography: 3-D live-imaging of retinal organoids

Optical coherence tomography offers astounding opportunities to image the complex structure of living tissue but lacks functional information. We present dynamic full-field optical coherence tomography as a technique to noninvasively image living human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived retinal organoids. Colored images with an endogenous contrast linked to organelle motility are...

A stepping stone for measuring quantum gravity

A group of theoretical physicists, including two physicists from the University of Groningen, have proposed a 'table-top' device that could measure gravity waves. However, their actual aim is to answer one of the biggest questions in physics: is gravity a quantum phenomenon? The key element for the device is the quantum superposition of large objects. Their design was published in New Journal of...

Tech firms offer carbon tracking software to meet oil-investor demands

More tech companies are launching software that oil and gas producers can use to measure their carbon emissions due to mounting investor pressure to curb greenhouse gases. Top investors, including BlackRock, have put climate change on their agendas, encouraging energy producers to evaluate programs to help track emissions and report on results. Tracking can show investors they are serious about...

The Debate About Reopening Schools Is a Preview of Climate-Related Disruption to Come

The list of guidelines to allow students to go to school safely is long and complicated: new classroom designs to protect students, flexible school calendars to prepare for the unpredictable and additional teachers standing by in the event that a large number of them become incapacitated, to name just a few. This agenda could easily be part of a plan to reopen schools in the middle of the...

Trace vapor generator for detecting explosives, narcotics

Trace vapor detection technologies are crucial for ensuring reliable and safe detection of explosives and illegal drugs. Researchers have developed a compact testing device called the Trace Vapor Generator for Explosives and Narcotics, which is portable and can be used for non-contact sampling of these vapors. The team reports the TV-Gen can accurately generate trace vapors of low vapor pressure...

There is at least 10 times more plastic in the Atlantic than previously thought

Scientists measured 12-21 million tons of three of the most common types of plastic in the top 200 meters of the Atlantic. By assuming the concentration of plastic in the whole Atlantic is the same as that measured at 200 meters deep, the scientists estimated there is around 200 million tons of three of the most common types of plastic alone. Compare this to the previously estimated figure of 17...