365 articles from WEDNESDAY 18.11.2020

The timeless, complimentary taste of oysters and champagne -- explained

Matching prices aren't the only reason oysters and champagne pair so well. According to a study published by the University of Copenhagen today, an uncanny umami synergy makes the combination of yeast-brewed bubbly and fresh molluscs a match made in heaven for some. Ironically, the new knowledge could help us consume more vegetables in the future.

The ultimate conditions to get the most out of high-nickel batteries

It is common knowledge in battery manufacturing that many cathode materials are moisture sensitive. However, as the popularity of high nickel-based battery components increases, researchers from WMG, University of Warwick have found that the drier the conditions that these cathodes are stored and processed in, then significant improvement in performance of the battery is gained.

Unraveling a mystery surrounding embryonic cells

Last year, researchers at the University of California, Riverside, identified the early origins of neural crest cells -- embryonic cells in vertebrates that travel throughout the body and generate many cell types -- in chick embryos. Now the researchers have used a human model to figure out when neural crest cells acquire distinctive molecular and functional attributes.

UT researchers establish proof of principle in superconductor study

Three physicists in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, together with their colleagues from the Southern University of Science and Technology and Sun Yat-sen University in China, have successfully modified a semiconductor to create a superconductor, which may lead to unforeseen advancements in technology.

UTSA researcher examines drug overdose mortality in the Hispanic community

UTSA researcher Manuel Cano, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at UTSA is shedding light to understand the topic of drug overdose deaths in the Hispanic community. In the article "Drug Overdose Deaths Among US Hispanics: Trends (2000-2017) and Recent Patterns" published in "Substance Use & Misuse" Cano used national death certificate data (data recording all deaths of U.S....

Vertebrate biodiversity- a glimmer of hope

A McGill University-led team of biologists found, in an article published today in Nature, that the picture of dramatically declining vertebrate populations of all kinds is driven by a small number of outlier populations whose numbers are dropping at extreme rates. Once these outliers are separated from the mix, a very different and far more hopeful picture of global biodiversity emerges.

Vitamin D supplements may reduce risk of developing advanced cancer

In a secondary analysis of VITAL, a team led by investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital has narrowed in on the connection between taking vitamin D supplements and risk of metastatic or fatal cancer. In a paper published in JAMA Network Open, the team reports that vitamin D was associated with an overall 17 percent risk reduction for advanced cancer.

Which particulate air pollution poses the greatest health risk?

Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, together with colleagues from several other European institutions, have investigated whether particulate matter from certain sources can be especially harmful to human health. They found evidence that the amount of particulate matter alone is not the greatest health risk. Rather, it could be the so-called oxidative potential that makes particulate...

Xenophobia in Germany is declining, but old resentments are paired with new radicalism

Xenophobia in Germany has decreased, but right-wing extremist attitudes remain high. There is also evidence of "radicalisation and disinhibition among those with far-right views". These are key findings of the representative Leipzig Authoritarianism Study. Professors Oliver Decker and Elmar Brähler from the Competence Centre for Right-Wing Extremism and Democracy Research at Leipzig University...

We will all suffer if the 'free market economy' decides who gets Covid-19 vaccine | Barbara Mintzes for The Conversation

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration says coronavirus vaccines can be bought privately. This is a bad idea for many reasonsAs the world continues to grapple with Covid-19, the prospect of a vaccine gives us hope of returning to some kind of “normal” in the not-too-distant future.The Australian government has signed supply agreements with manufacturers of four Covid vaccines in...

Coronavirus live news: senator Chuck Grassley tests positive; airlines offer Covid testing

Senior US figure spoke on Senate floor without a mask; UK pressed to open transatlantic travel corridors; Italy records 731 deaths, its worst figure since AprilRepublican senator Chuck Grassley tests positiveTrump administration has ‘checked out’ as Covid-19 surges, experts sayUK urged to open up transatlantic corridors as ‘Covid-free’ flight arrivesUK police can resume issuing instant...

Moving wind turbine blades toward recyclability

A new material for wind blades that can be recycled could transform the wind industry, rendering renewable energy more sustainable than ever before while lowering costs in the process. Researchers demonstrated the feasibility of thermoplastic resin by manufacturing a 9-meter-long wind turbine blade using this novel resin.