324 articles from TUESDAY 8.12.2020

How the brain remembers right place, right time

Two new studies shed new light on how the brain encodes time and place into memories. The findings not only add to the body of fundamental research on memory, but could eventually provide the basis for new treatments to combat memory loss from conditions such as traumatic brain injury or Alzheimer's disease.

Understanding COVID-19 infection and possible mutations

The binding of a SARS-CoV-2 virus surface protein spike -- a projection from the spherical virus particle -- to the human cell surface protein ACE2 is the first step to infection that may lead to COVID-19 disease. Researchers computationally assessed how changes to the virus spike makeup can affect binding with ACE2 and compared results to those of the original SARS-CoV virus (SARS).

Elon Musk says he has moved from California to Texas

Billionaire, 49, confirms move to Wall Street Journal and says he plans to focus on new Tesla plant and SpaceX ventureElon Musk said on Tuesday he had relocated to Texas from California, where he plans to focus more on the new Tesla plant and his SpaceX venture. Related: Joe Biden pledges to distribute 100m vaccine shots in first 100 days of presidency – live Continue...

Vitamin boosts essential synthetic chemistry

Inspired by light-sensing bacteria that thrive near hot oceanic vents, synthetic chemists use vitamin B12 to catalyze valuable hydrocarbons known as olefins, or alkenes. The mild process eliminates harsh chemicals typically needed to make precursor molecules for the manufacture of drugs and agrochemicals.

Environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as observed from space

COVID-19 has changed the way we live and work, as various health and safety restrictions keep more of us at home more often. The resulting changes to our behavior are already impacting the environment around us in myriad ways, according to comparisons of remote sensing data before and during the pandemic collected by NASA, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and ESA (European Space Agency)...

Stretchable micro-supercapacitors to self-power wearable devices

A stretchable system that can harvest energy from human breathing and motion for use in wearable health-monitoring devices may be possible, according to an international team of researchers, led by Huanyu "Larry" Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in Penn State's Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics.

Key driver of the spread of cancer to the brain

Approximately 200,000 cancer patients are diagnosed with brain metastases each year, yet few treatment options exist because the mechanisms that allow cancer to spread to the brain remain unclear. However, a study offers hope for the development of future therapies by showing how a poorly understood gene known as YTHDF3 plays a significant role in the process.

Defect-resistant superalloy can be 3D-printed

In recent years, it has become possible to use laser beams and electron beams to 'print' engineering objects with complex shapes that could not be achieved by conventional manufacturing. The additive manufacturing (AM) process, or 3D printing, for metallic materials involves melting and fusing fine-scale powder particles -- each about 10 times finer than a grain of beach sand -- in...

Wildfire risk rising as scientists determine which conditions beget blazes

As wildfires burn more often across the Western U.S., researchers are working to understand how extensively blazes burn. Their investigation, aided by machine learning techniques that sort fires by the conditions that precede them, not only reveals that the risk of wildfire is rising, but also spells out the role moisture plays in estimating fire risk.

Damage to brain cells reverberates to 'bystander' cells

Injury or disease that afflicts a relatively small number of brain cells causes a chain reaction that stops activity across a vast network of neural circuits, according to new research. The study may help to explain why people can suffer from temporary but severe loss of cognitive function in cases of traumatic brain injury or disease.

More support for induction at 41 weeks' pregnancy, especially for first time mothers

There is growing evidence that pregnant women who go beyond term, especially first time mothers and their infants, will benefit from induction of labor at 41 weeks, instead of expectant management with subsequent induction of labor at 42 weeks if labor will not start spontaneously. This is clearer now that researchers have appraised results from three previous investigations.

Research group has made a defect-resistant superalloy that can be 3-D-printed

In recent years, it has become possible to use laser beams and electron beams to "print" engineering objects with complex shapes that could not be achieved by conventional manufacturing. The additive manufacturing (AM) process, or 3-D printing, for metallic materials involves melting and fusing fine-scale powder particles—each about 10 times finer than a grain of beach sand—in...