401 articles from THURSDAY 12.11.2020
COVID-19 fatality rate down 30% since April, study finds
In the United States, COVID-19 now kills about 0.6% of people infected with the virus, compared with around 0.9% early in the pandemic, IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray told Reuters. Experts have struggled to accurately measure a crucial metric in the pandemic: the fatality rate, or percentage of people infected with the pathogen who are likely to die. IHME said it had been using an...
Teacher quality scores change depending on students, school
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 22:58
School districts across the U.S. are increasingly using student test scores to rate the effectiveness of teachers, but a new study found that the scores have less to do with individual teachers and more to do with their students and the schools.
Once-discounted binding mechanism may be key to targeting viruses
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 22:58
Researchers detail subtle stabilizing effects in cells' ability to recognize coronaviruses that compromise the immune system. The discovery could lead to new targets to prevent disease.
Novel insights on cellular suicide could provide new avenues for cancer therapies
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 22:58
When it comes to complex life -- that of the multicellular variety -- cell death can be just as important as survival. It allows organisms to clean house and prevent the proliferation of damaged cells that could compromise tissue function.
Teacher quality scores change depending on students, school, study finds
School districts across the U.S. are increasingly using student test scores to rate the effectiveness of teachers, but a new Portland State University study found that the scores have less to do with individual teachers and more to do with their students and the schools.
Dogs are sensitive to their owners' choice despite their own preference
Inspired by work on infants, researchers at the Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE ) investigated whether dogs' behaviors are guided by human displays of preference or by the animals' own choices. They found that dogs' looking times, but not fetching behavior, were influenced by the owner's expression of preference. Although the studies did not demonstrate that dogs override their own preferences...
Study finds success in Charlotte-Mecklenburg's efforts to end homelessness
A new comprehensive study from UNC Charlotte's Urban Institute, College of Health and Human Services and School of Social Work shows an effective approach to ending chronic homelessness that helps those in need and benefits communities.
Sustainable tourism—or a selfie? Ecotourism's fans may be in it for the 'gram
Ecotourism offers a specific travel experience: It focuses on nature, education and sustainability. Often, these destinations highlight endangered or threatened species and engage visitors in making socially responsible choices.
Advancing fusion energy through improved understanding of fast plasma particles
Unlocking the zig-zagging dance of hot, charged plasma particles that fuel fusion reactions can help to harness on Earth the fusion energy that powers the sun and stars. At the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), an experimentalist and two theorists have developed a new algorithm, or set of computer rules, for tracking volatile particles that could advance...
Chemists discover the structure of a key coronavirus protein
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 21:58
Chemists have determined the molecular structure of a protein found in the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This protein forms a cation-selective channel and plays a key role in the virus's ability to replicate itself. If researchers could devise ways to block this channel, they may be able to reduce the pathogenicity of the virus and interfere with viral replication.
Some U.S. states hit harder by COVID-19 food insecurity
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 21:58
Food insecurity in America is reaching an all-time high during the COVID-19 pandemic. But large regional differences exist in the severity of the impact.
Key advance for printing circuitry on wearable fabrics
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 21:58
Electronic shirts that keep the wearer comfortably warm or cool, as well as medical fabrics that deliver drugs, monitor the condition of a wound and perform other tasks, may one day be manufactured more efficiently thanks to a key research advance.
Stretchable 'skin' sensor gives robots human sensation
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 21:58
Cornell University researchers have created a fiber-optic sensor that combines low-cost LEDs and dyes, resulting in a stretchable ''skin'' that detects deformations such as pressure, bending and strain. This sensor could give soft robotic systems - and anyone using augmented reality technology - the ability to feel the same rich, tactile sensations that mammals depend on to navigate the natural...
Exercise classes can reduce loneliness, social isolation in seniors
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 21:58
Seniors who joined group exercise classes experienced decreased loneliness and social isolation, according to a new study conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic. The classes have continued virtually since March, and early results suggest the online versions are also effective.
Study reveals how to improve natural gas production in shale
A new hydrocarbon study contradicts conventional wisdom about how methane is trapped in rock, revealing a new strategy to more easily access the valuable energy resource.
Researchers make key advance for printing circuitry on wearable fabrics
Electronic shirts that keep the wearer comfortably warm or cool, as well as medical fabrics that deliver drugs, monitor the condition of a wound and perform other tasks, may one day be manufactured more efficiently thanks to a key advance by Oregon State University researchers.
Some US states hit harder by COVID-19 food insecurity
Food insecurity in America is reaching an all-time high during the COVID-19 pandemic. But large regional differences exist in the severity of the impact.
Disaster database cements itself as go-to hub for natural hazard information
In Seattle, "the big one"—a massive earthquake that could devastate the region—represents an ominous threat. So widespread are the concerns that city leaders there created standards to fortify new skyscrapers using data from studies forecasting the impact of a big earthquake in the region.
Weather-proof chip aims to take self-driving tech, wireless communications to next level
Modern communications technology, regardless of use, relies on a similar formula: devices send signals and information through data centers, towers and satellites en route to their final destination. The effectiveness of the communication relies on how well that information travels, and there are a variety of factors that can slow down that journey—geography, weather and more.
Discovery of mechanism that controls gene regulators could lead to new ways to fight disease
UT Southwestern researchers have discovered a mechanism that cells use to degrade microRNAs (miRNAs), genetic molecules that regulate the amounts of proteins in cells.
Escape from Mars: How water fled the red planet
Mars once had oceans but is now bone-dry, leaving many to wonder how the water was lost. University of Arizona researchers have discovered a surprisingly large amount of water in the upper atmosphere of Mars, where it is rapidly destroyed, explaining part of this Martian mystery.
In a warming climate, can birds take the heat?
We don't know precisely how hot things will get as climate change marches on, but there's reason to believe animals in the tropics may not fare as well as their temperate relatives. Many scientists think tropical animals, because they're accustomed to a more stable thermal environment, may be pushed beyond their limits quickly as temperatures soar. And that could lead to massive species loss.
A cosmic amethyst in a dying star
On Earth, amethysts can form when gas bubbles in lava cool under the right conditions. In space, a dying star with a mass similar to the Sun is capable of producing a structure on par with the appeal of these beautiful gems.
Research produces intense light beams with quantum correlations
The properties of quantum states of light are already leveraged by such highly sophisticated leading-edge technologies as those of the latest sensitivity upgrades to LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, deployed to detect gravitational waves since September 2015, or the encryption keys used for satellite on-board security.
New study outlines steps higher education should take to prepare a new quantum workforce
A new study outlines ways colleges and universities can update their curricula to prepare the workforce for a new wave of quantum technology jobs. Three researchers, including Rochester Institute of Technology Associate Professor Ben Zwickl, suggested steps that need to be taken in a new paper in Physical Review Physics Education Research after interviewing managers at more than 20 quantum...
How U.S. universities responded to the COVID-19 pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic began in the United States, universities were forced to make difficult operational decisions to help slow the spread of the disease and protect their students, faculty, staff, and community members. Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, the World Health Organization (WHO), and other agencies informed these decisions about non-pharmaceutical...
Team designs a prototype fuel gauge for orbit
Liquids aren't as well behaved in space as they are on Earth. Inside a spacecraft, microgravity allows liquids to freely slosh and float about.
Advanced atomic clock makes a better dark matter detector
JILA researchers have used a state-of-the-art atomic clock to narrow the search for elusive dark matter, an example of how continual improvements in clocks have value beyond timekeeping.
Scientists developed a novel bone implant manufacturing method
Scientists from the Skoltech Center for Design, Manufacturing, and Materials (CDMM) have developed a method for designing and manufacturing complex-shaped ceramic bone implants with a controllable porous structure, which largely enhances tissue fusion efficiency. Their research was published in the journal Applied Sciences.
Microsoft helps found an industry alliance to advance DNA data storage systems
Microsoft is teaming up with other companies to form an alliance to advance the field of DNA data storage, which promises to revolutionize the way vital records are kept for the long haul. The founding members of the DNA Data Storage Alliance, unveiled today at the Flash Memory Summit, include Microsoft as well as Twist Bioscience, Illumina and Western Digital. Twist Bioscience has been partnering...
How to improve natural gas production in shale
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 21:13
A new hydrocarbon study contradicts conventional wisdom about how methane is trapped in rock, revealing a new strategy to more easily access the valuable energy resource.
Ecotourism fans may be in it for the social posts
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:54
A new study suggests ecotourism's altruistic attractions may be overshadowed by another benefit: photos for social media.
Pollution and pandemics: A dangerous mix
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:54
Pollution may bear part of the blame for the rapid proliferation in the United States of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the spread of COVID-19, according to new research.
Weather-proof chip aims to take self-driving tech, wireless communications to next level
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:54
A new device can overcome challenges like bad weather to deliver more secure, reliable communications. This could aid military communications in challenging areas, improve the ability of self-driving cars to see the environment around them and speed up wireless data for potential 6G networks.
Predicting the risk of severe side effects of cancer treatment
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:40
The risk of serious adverse effects on the blood status and bone marrow of patients during chemotherapy can be predicted by a new model. This research may make it possible to use genetic analysis to identify patients with a high probability of side effects.
Soccer players' head injury risk could be reduced with simple adjustments to the ball
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:40
To reduce risk of soccer player head injury, a new study recommends preventing how hard a ball hits the head by inflating balls to lower pressures and subbing them out when they get wet.
Common SARS-CoV-2 mutation may make COVID-19 more susceptible to a vaccine
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:40
A common strain of coronavirus has mutated to help it spread quickly, but the spike mutation may make SARS-CoV-2 more susceptible to vaccines under development, according to a new study.
In a warming climate, can birds take the heat?
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:40
We don't know precisely how hot things will get as climate change marches on, but animals in the tropics may not fare as well as their temperate relatives. Many scientists think tropical animals, because they're accustomed to a more stable thermal environment, may be pushed beyond their limits quickly as temperatures soar. Yet researchers show both temperate and tropical birds can handle acute...
Advancing fusion energy through improved understanding of fast plasma particles
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:40
Scientists have developed a unique program to track the zig-zagging dance of hot, charged plasma particles that fuel fusion reactions.
Breaking it down: How cells degrade unwanted microRNAs
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:40
Researchers have discovered a mechanism that cells use to degrade microRNAs (miRNAs), genetic molecules that regulate the amounts of proteins in cells.
Escape from Mars: How water fled the red planet
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:40
Mars once had oceans but is now bone-dry, leaving many to wonder how the water was lost. Researchers have discovered a surprisingly large amount of water in the upper atmosphere of Mars, where it is rapidly destroyed, explaining part of this Martian mystery.
New prediction algorithm identifies previously undetected cancer driver genes
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:40
A new study has deepened the understanding of epigenetic mechanisms in tumorigenesis and revealed a previously undetected repertoire of cancer driver genes.
Mimicking SARS-CoV-2 nasal infection in monkeys
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:40
A new rhesus macaque animal model recapitulates the clinical and pathological manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) observed in humans by mimicking natural infection via the nasal route, according to a new study.
Environmentally friendly method could lower costs to recycle lithium-ion batteries
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:40
A new process for restoring spent cathodes to mint condition could make it more economical to recycle lithium-ion batteries. The process, developed by nanoengineers, is more environmentally friendly than today's methods; it uses greener ingredients, consumes 80 to 90% less energy, and emits about 75% less greenhouse gases.
Cysteine synthesis was a key step in the origin of life
- ScienceDaily
- 20/11/12 20:40
All proteins are built from the same 20 amino acids. One of these, cysteine, was assumed not to have been present at the origin of life. In a new study, scientists have recreated how cysteine was formed at the origins of life. Additionally, they have observed how, once formed, cysteine catalyses the fusion of peptides in water - a fundamental step in the path towards protein enzymes.