233 articles from MONDAY 14.9.2020
Ancient volcanoes once boosted ocean carbon, but humans are now far outpacing them
- ScienceDaily
- 20/9/14 23:29
A new study of an ancient period that is considered the closest natural analog to the era of modern human carbon emissions has found that massive volcanism sent great waves of carbon into the oceans over thousands of years -- but that nature did not come close to matching what humans are doing today.
Predicting the slow death of lithium-ion batteries
- ScienceDaily
- 20/9/14 23:29
A new model offers a way to predict the condition of a battery's internal systems in real-time with far more accuracy than existing tools. In electric cars, the technology could improve driving range estimates and prolong battery life.
Human activities promote disease-spreading mosquitoes; more study needed for prevention
- ScienceDaily
- 20/9/14 23:29
Disease-spreading mosquitoes may be more likely to occupy areas impacted by human activities like pesticide use and habitat destruction, than they are areas less disturbed by humans, a recent study found.
'Surrogate sires' could create specially bred livestock, say scientists
Trials on mice show how sterile animals can produce sperm deriving from elite breedersScientists have used gene-editing to create pigs, goats and cattle that can serve as so-called “surrogate sires” – male animals providing sperm that carry the genetic traits of elite donor animals – in a bid to tackle global food insecurity.For thousands of years, farmers have selectively bred livestock...
New rules for algae species classification
- ScienceDaily
- 20/9/14 22:55
A team of evolutionary biologists and ecologists has a new idea for how scientists should classify algae species.
Why NASA won't send humans to Venus
Although Venus is easier to reach than Mars, scientists and space agencies around the world show little interest in exploring the...
Hurricane Sally threatens Gulf Coast with a slow drenching
Hurricane Sally, one of five storms lined up as if on a conveyor belt across the Atlantic, churned toward the Louisiana-Mississippi coast Monday with rapidly strengthening winds of at least 90 mph (145 kph) and the potential for as much as 2 feet (0.6 meters) of rain that could bring severe flooding.
Virtual reality trains public to reverse opioid overdoses
- ScienceDaily
- 20/9/14 22:07
The United States has seen a 200% increase in the rate of deaths by opioid overdose in the last 20 years. But many of these deaths were preventable. Naloxone, also called Narcan, is a prescription drug that reverses opioid overdoses, and in more than 40 states there is a standing order policy, which makes it available to anyone, without an individual prescription from a healthcare provider.
The two cultures within science outlined
- ScienceDaily
- 20/9/14 22:07
Researchers trace the outlines of two cultures within science, one of which promotes greater equity and inclusivity.
Gene-edited livestock 'surrogate sires' successfully made fertile
- ScienceDaily
- 20/9/14 22:07
For the first time, scientists have created pigs, goats and cattle that can serve as viable 'surrogate sires,' male animals that produce sperm carrying only the genetic traits of donor animals. The advance could speed the spread of desirable characteristics in livestock and improve food production for a growing global population.
How formative assessments drive instructional decision making in the classroom
An Analysis of High School Mission Statements in Massachusetts from 2001 to 2019, research conducted by team from Boston College and Wesleyan University, found that 95 percent of Mass. high schools altered or changed their mission statement during the timeframe. Examined in the context of local, state, and federal educational reform efforts, these results indicate that schools can fluidly add and...
How do giraffes and elephants alter the African Savanna landscape?
As they roam around the African savanna in search for food, giraffes and elephants alter the diversity and richness of its vegetation. By studying the foraging patterns of these megaherbivores across different terrains in a savanna in Kenya, scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and collaborating institutions discovered that these large mammals prefer to eat their...
Toxic metals can affect student health performance, say scientists
A group of medical and environmental researchers from RUDN University evaluated the level of heavy metals in the organism of first-year university students from different countries of the world. The results of the screening helped the scientists to reveal a relationship between a region of residence and the level of toxic metal in organism. According to their opinion, increased heavy metal levels...
Nearly 100 earthquakes swarm Yellowstone in 24 hours. Here's what experts are saying
A swarm of 91 earthquakes rattled the Yellowstone National Park region in just 24 hours on Thursday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quakes trembled southwest of Yellowstone Lake between Heart Lake and West Thumb.
Health warnings issued as smoke from Bobcat fire chokes L.A. air quality
With the Bobcat fire in the Angeles National Forest at nearly 32,000 acres Sunday, smoke from the blaze continues to create poor air quality across the Los Angeles Basin.
Flu outbreaks may be linked to COVID-19; arthritis drug benefit seen
Influenza outbreaks may be linked with the spread of COVID-19 infections, according to a European study. The researchers created a mathematical model of transmission of the novel coronavirus in Belgium, Italy, Norway and Spain. It calculates that higher rates of influenza infections would be associated with increased coronavirus transmission in each of the countries, Matthieu Domenech de Cellès...
Perfectly preserved Ice Age cave bear found in Arctic Russia
Reindeer herders in a Russian Arctic archipelago have found an immaculately preserved carcass of an Ice Age cave bear, researchers said...
Antarctica: Cracks in the ice
- ScienceDaily
- 20/9/14 21:11
West Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier and Thwaites Glacier have been undergoing rapid changes, with potentially major consequences for rising sea levels. However, the processes that underlie these changes and their impact on these ice sheets have not been fully charted. One of these processes has now been described in detail: the emergence and development of damage/cracks in part of the glaciers...
New Asian mosquito could bring malaria to African cities, warn scientists
Unlike endemic species, An. stephensi is adapted to urban areas, putting another 126 million people in dangerAlready grappling with the highest incidence of malaria with more than 90% of global cases, Africa should be wary of an Asian mosquito species that has the potential to spread the disease into the continent’s urban areas – subjecting an additional 126 million people to risk – a new...
Researchers trace the outlines of two cultures within science
In the world of scientific research today, there's a revolution going on—over the last decade or so, scientists across many disciplines have been seeking to improve the workings of science and its methods.
Ancient volcanoes once boosted ocean carbon, but humans are now far outpacing them
A new study of an ancient period that is considered the closest natural analog to the era of modern human carbon emissions has found that massive volcanism sent great waves of carbon into the oceans over thousands of years—but that nature did not come close to matching what humans are doing today. The study estimates that humans are now introducing the element three to eight times faster, or...
Antarctica: Cracks in the ice
In recent years, the Pine Island Glacier and the Thwaites Glacier in west Antarctica has been undergoing rapid changes, with potentially major consequences for rising sea levels. However, the processes that underlie these changes and their precise impact on the weakening of these ice sheets have not yet been fully charted. A team of researchers including some from TU Delft have now investigated...
Gene-edited livestock 'surrogate sires' successfully made fertile
For the first time, scientists have created pigs, goats and cattle that can serve as viable "surrogate sires," male animals that produce sperm carrying only the genetic traits of donor animals.
Northern hemisphere breaks record for hottest ever summer
Past three months were 1.17C above 20th-century average2020 on track to be one of five warmest years, Noaa findsThis summer was the hottest ever recorded in the northern hemisphere, according to US government scientists. Related: Bigger than London, bigger than New York City: visualizing the size of fires in the US Continue...
Privatized prisons lead to more inmates, longer sentences, study finds
When states turn to private prisons, the number of criminals incarcerated rises and the length of sentences increases.
NASA catches development of eastern Atlantic's tropical storm Vicky
NASA's Aqua satellite analyzed a low-pressure area in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean, and it showed the system becoming more organized. Soon after Aqua passed overhead, the low became Tropical Depression 21. Hours later, the storm strengthened into Tropical Storm Vicky.
Full-face readings can optimize fever screening with infrared thermographs
Thermography has been a hot topic this year, due to the need for quicker diagnostics to detect and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Noncontact infrared thermometers (NCITs) are currently a primary tool for fever screening, but their widespread use has been prone to inaccuracy. A related medical technology, thermography using infrared thermographs (IRTs), enables increased options for temperature...
Why it's okay to eat the brown part of an avocado
Is brown avocado safe to eat? How about brown guacamole? Well, it depends on how long you've let it sit out...
Astronomers Find Potential Sign of Life in Venus’ Atmosphere
Astronomers have found a potential sign of life high in the atmosphere of neighboring Venus: hints there may be bizarre microbes living in the sulfuric acid-laden clouds of the hothouse planet.
Two telescopes in Hawaii and Chile spotted in the thick Venutian clouds the chemical signature of phosphine, a noxious gas that on Earth is only associated with life, according to a study in...
Researchers puzzled by group of 'crazy' killer whales attacking boats near Spain
Researchers are befuddled by a group of killer whales that are attacking boats off the coasts of Spain and Portugal.
Fifteen scientists launch critique of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine data
A group of scientists sent a formal letter to the Lancet on Monday outlining doubts about the accuracy of early data on Russia's COVID-19 vaccine, one of the authors said, adding further fuel to a dispute surrounding the "Sputnik-V" shot. Fifteen scientists from five countries signed the letter presenting their concerns to the international medical journal, Enrico Bucci, biologist adjunct...
Blue Origin and partners pass key milestone for lunar lander design
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin space venture says the aerospace team that it's leading has completed its first "gated milestone" in a NASA-funded effort to develop a lunar lander for crewed missions. The milestone — known as the system requirement review, or SRR — involves specifying the baseline requirements for the missions, the space vehicles and the landing...
Astronomers found a gas in Venus' clouds that could signal alien life
Scientists discovered trace amounts of phosphine gas in clouds on Venus. On Earth, this gas is typically produced by...
People in England's 10 worst-hit Covid hotspots unable to get tests
Mobile testing unit fails to show up in Bolton, despite highest infection rate in UKCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coveragePeople in England’s 10 worst-hit coronavirus hotspots were unable to get tests on Monday, leading to claims of a “shambles”.Those trying to arrange a test in the areas with the highest infection rates were told that none were available at walk-in...
How the brain creates the experience of time
- ScienceDaily
- 20/9/14 19:19
On some days, time flies by, while on others it seems to drag on. A new study from JNeurosci reveals why: time-sensitive neurons get worn out and skew our perceptions of time.
Dams exacerbate the consequences of climate change on river fish
- ScienceDaily
- 20/9/14 19:19
A potential response of river fish to environmental changes is to colonize new habitats. But what happens when dams and weirs restrict their movement? And are native and alien species similarly affected?
Immune system affects mind and body, study indicates
- ScienceDaily
- 20/9/14 19:19
Researchers have discovered that a molecule produced by the immune system acts on the brain to change the behavior of mice.
Botox for TMJ disorders may not lead to bone loss in the short term, but more research is needed
- ScienceDaily
- 20/9/14 19:19
Botox injections to manage jaw and facial pain do not result in clinically significant changes in jaw bone when used short term and in low doses, according to researchers. However, they found evidence of bone loss when higher doses were used.
A magnetic field with an edge
A team of Indian and Japanese physicists have overturned the six-decade old notion that the giant magnetic field in a high intensity laser produced plasma evolves from the small, nanometre scale in the bulk plasma. They show that instead the field actually originates at macroscopic scales defined by the boundaries of the electron beam that is propagating in the plasma. The new mechanism seeks to...
Pandemic recovery plans neglecting green economy: OECD
The OECD on Monday faulted governments for neglecting the green economy in multi-trillion recovery plans against the impact of COVID-19, thus threatening to leave the planet worse off than before.
'Evidence is crucial' for philanthropists to determine charity donations, says new research
Research from the University of Birmingham has concluded that the process of giving to charity has to be grounded in evidence rather than reaction.
Eli Lilly's drug cuts COVID-19 recovery time in remdesivir-combo study
The drug baricitinib, branded as Olumiant, cut the median recovery time by about a day when added to remdesivir, compared to patients treated with the antiviral alone, Lilly said. Remdesivir was granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) in May after trial data showed it helped shorten hospital recovery time by 31%. Lilly said it plans to discuss the potential for an EAU for baricitinib with...
Improving the resistance of crops to combined climatic stresses
The Ecophysiology and Biotechnology Group of the Jaume I University of Castellón has studied the essential mechanisms to obtain plants of agronomic interest with greater capacity to face high temperatures, high solar irradiation, drought or pollution.
DNA damage caused by migrating light energy
Ultraviolet light endangers the integrity of human genetic information and may cause skin cancer. For the first time, researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have demonstrated that DNA damage may also occur far away from the point of incidence of the radiation. They produced an artificially modeled DNA sequence in new architecture and succeeded in detecting DNA damage at a distance...
The world's first digital snow guide
The bilingual Snow Competence website gathers together all available knowledge on how to ensure good snow conditions in the future, in the most efficient and sustainable way possible. The research-based website is available in Norwegian and English.