390 articles from THURSDAY 14.1.2021
A guide to being an ethical online investigator
As rioters stormed Capitol Hill on January 6, Theo—like many Americans—watched, dumbfounded and in horror. Then he had an idea. “What if we went on social and started pulling these screenshots together and tried to go around and crowdsource [the rioters’] identities?” he remembers thinking. So Theo bought a burner phone, set up a fake…
About the Pandemic Technology Project
As covid-19 began spreading around the world, an avalanche of new digital services and data-driven approaches has emerged to aid pandemic response. From smartphone exposure notifications to vaccine allocation algorithms, these systems have been developed under the watch of politicians, public health officials, scientists and businesses. They have also faced many challenges.
The Pandemic...
Rare lichen unique to Florida discovered in museum collections, may be extinct
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:40
Scientists have found a new species of fleshy verdigris lichen, thanks to DNA analysis of museum specimens. Misidentified by its original collectors, the lichen is only known from 32 specimens collected in North and Central Florida scrubland between 1885 and 1985. Now the hunt is on to find it in the wild -- if it still exists.
The role of T cells in fighting cancer
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:40
Why do some hosts' immune systems reject tumors easily, while others have a harder time doing so? It depends on the types of the immune cells known as CD8 T cells and how a host's specific T cells match up with the neoantigens present in the tumor.
Metformin use reduces risk of death for patients with COVID-19 and diabetes, study finds
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:40
Use of the diabetes drug metformin -- before a diagnosis of COVID-19 -- is associated with a threefold decrease in mortality in COVID-19 patients with Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study. Diabetes is a significant comorbidity for COVID-19. This beneficial effect remained, even after correcting for age, sex, race, obesity, and hypertension or chronic kidney disease and heart failure.
Research breaks new ground in understanding how a molecular motor generates force
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:40
A team of biophysicists set out to tackle the long-standing question about the nature of force generation by myosin, the molecular motor responsible for muscle contraction. The key question they addressed - one of the most controversial topics in the field - was: how does myosin convert chemical energy, in the form of ATP, into mechanical work? The answer revealed new details into how myosin, the...
COVID-19 reduced U.S. life expectancy, especially among Black and Latino populations
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
A new study finds that due to COVID-19 deaths last year, life expectancy at birth for Americans will shorten by 1.13 years to 77.48 years -- the largest single-year decline in life expectancy in at least 40 years.
Eating omega-3 fat helps hibernating Arctic ground squirrels warm up during deep cold
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
By feeding Arctic ground squirrels special diets, researchers have found that omega-3 fatty acids, common in flax seed and fish oil, help keep the animals warmer in deep hibernation.
Researchers discover new inhibitor drug combination for rare form of cancer
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
Researchers took the novel approach of targeting specific cell proteins that control DNA information using inhibitors, or drugs, that were effective in reducing the growth of the Waldenström macroglobulinemia cancer cells and when combined with a third drug were even more successful in killing the WM cancer cells which could lead to more treatment options.
How plants produce defensive toxins without harming themselves
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
Scientists describe the biosynthesis and exact mode of action of diterpene glycosides in wild tobacco. These antiherbivory compounds attack the cell membrane. To protect themselves from their own toxins, tobacco plants store them in a non-toxic form. Autotoxicity and the protection against it seem to play a greater role in the evolution of plant defenses than previously thought.
SARS-CoV-2 antibody test helps select donor blood samples for therapeutic use
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
Researchers have developed and applied a robust, versatile antibody test to assist health authorities in managing the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, according to a new study.
Even skin shielded from the sun accumulates genomic DNA changes from UV light
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
For the first time, scientists have measured the different types of genomic DNA changes that occur in skin cells, finding that mutations from ultraviolet (UV) light is especially common, but Black individuals have lower levels of UV damage compared to white people.
Scientists discover electric eels hunting in a group
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
Deep in the Brazilian Amazon River basin, scientists discovered a small, river-fed lake filled with more than 100 adult electric eels. Researchers witnessed the electric eels working together to herd small fish into tightly packed balls. Groups of up to 10 eels periodically split off to form cooperative hunting parties. Those smaller groups then surrounded the prey and launched simultaneous...
Hard to crack research reveals how crop roots penetrate hard soils
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
Scientists have discovered a signal that causes roots to stop growing in hard soils which can be 'switched off' to allow them to punch through compacted soil -- a discovery that could help plants to grow in even the most damaged soils.
Model analyzes how viruses escape the immune system
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
MIT researchers have devised a way to computationally model viral escape, using models that were originally developed to model language. The model can predict which sections of viral surface proteins, including those of influenza, HIV, and SARS-CoV-2, are more likely to mutate in a way that allows the virus to evade the human immune system. It can also identify sections that are less likely to...
New state of matter in one-dimensional quantum gas
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
By adding some magnetic flair to an exotic quantum experiment, physicists produced an ultra-stable one-dimensional quantum gas with never-before-seen 'scar' states - a feature that could someday be useful for securing quantum information.
Flip the script: Cardiac rehabilitation is underused, but a simple change could fix that
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
Making doctors opt out from prescribing cardiac rehabilitation instead of opting in increased referrals by roughly 70 percent
Not as simple as thought: How bacteria form membrane vesicles
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
Researchers have identified a novel mechanism by which bacteria form membrane vesicles, which bacteria employ to communicate with each other or to defend themselves against antibiotics. By studying mycolic acid-containing bacteria (MCB), which also includes tuberculosis-causing bacteria, the researchers demonstrated that environmental stimuli dictate the route by which the MCB form membrane...
Overactive food quality control system triggers food allergies, scientists say
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
In a new paper, immunobiologists propose an expanded explanation for the rise of food allergies -- the exaggerated activation of our food quality control system, a complex and highly evolved program designed to protect us against eating harmful foods.
Measuring the belowground world
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:39
Life above ground depends on the soil and its countless inhabitants. Yet, global strategies to protect biodiversity have so far paid little attention to this habitat. Researchers call for greater consideration of soils in international biodiversity strategies, far beyond agriculture. The researchers explain their plan for systematic recording to enable comprehensive policy advisory.
Greenland melting likely increased by bacteria in sediment
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:38
Bacteria are likely triggering greater melting on the Greenland ice sheet, possibly increasing the island's contribution to sea-level rise, according to scientists. That's because the microbes cause sunlight-absorbing sediment to clump together and accumulate in the meltwater streams, according to new study. The findings can be incorporated in climate models, leading to more accurate predictions...
Following the hops of disordered proteins could lead to future treatments of Alzheimer's disease
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:38
Researchers have used machine learning techniques to predict how proteins, particularly those implicated in neurological diseases, completely change their shapes in a matter of microseconds.
Toadlet peptide transforms into a deadly weapon against bacteria
- ScienceDaily
- 21/1/14 22:38
Researchers have discovered remarkable molecular properties of an antimicrobial peptide from the skin of the Australian toadlet. The discovery could inspire the development of novel synthetic drugs to combat bacterial infections.
RIP: Mars digger bites the dust after 2 years on red planet
NASA declared the Mars digger dead Thursday after failing to burrow deep into the red planet to take its temperature.
Blue Origin launches capsule to space with astronaut perks
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin company launched a new capsule into space Thursday to test all the astronaut perks before people strap in.
Eating omega-3 fat helps hibernating Arctic ground squirrels warm up during deep cold
By feeding arctic ground squirrels special diets, researchers have found that omega-3 fatty acids, common in flax seed and fish oil, help keep the animals warmer in deep hibernation.
Cotton quality mapping as a tool for growers
Modern cotton-harvesting equipment can identify and track modules created during harvest down to the subfield. By combining these data with information such as yield maps and fiber quality results, producers can identify practices, conditions, and varieties that result in increased fiber quality and bale value.
Research breaks new ground in understanding how a molecular motor generates force
A team of biophysicists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Penn State College of Medicine set out to tackle the long-standing question about the nature of force generation by myosin, the molecular motor responsible for muscle contraction and many other cellular processes. The key question they addressed—one of the most controversial topics in the field—was: how does myosin...
Understanding future species distribution: New data for biogeographers
Climate change impacts, affecting primarily ecosystems' functions and consequently human sectors, have become a crucial topic. Observed and expected variations in climate conditions can in fact undermine the ecosystems' ecological equilibrium: average climate patterns, mainly represented by intra-annual (monthly to seasonal) temperature and precipitation cycle, directly influence the distribution,...
Presidential inaugurations boost tourism, but not this year
While new research from West Virginia University economists finds that presidential inaugurations have gained popularity as must-see tourist events in recent years, major security threats will keep visitors away for the inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden.
Toadlet peptide transforms into a deadly weapon against bacteria
Researchers at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology and EMBL Hamburg have discovered remarkable molecular properties of an antimicrobial peptide from the skin of the Australian toadlet. The discovery could inspire the development of novel synthetic drugs to combat bacterial infections.
Tetris is no longer just a game, but an algorithm that ensures maximum hotel room occupancy
To achieve full occupancy, hotels used to rely exclusively on experience, concentration and human abilities. Then came online booking, which made the reservation collection process faster, but did not solve the risk of turning down long stays because of rooms previously booked for short stays.
Keeping the costs of superconducting magnets down using ultrasound
Superconductivity already has a variety of practical applications, such as medical imaging and levitating transportation like the ever-popular maglev systems. However, to ensure that the benefits of applied superconductors keep spreading further into other technological fields, we need to find ways of not only improving their performance, but also making them more accessible and simpler to...
Reverse engineering 3-D chromosome models for individual cells
Genome analysis can provide information on genes and their location on a strand of DNA, but such analysis reveals little about their spatial location in relation to one another within chromosomes—the highly complex, three-dimensional structures that hold genetic information.
Lack of managers keeps India's businesses small
In today's economy, American businesses often tap into professional management to grow, but most firms in India and other developing countries are family owned and often shun outside managers. A new study co-authored by Yale economist Michael Peters explores the effects that the absence of outside professional management has on India's businesses and the country's economy.
Turn off that camera during virtual meetings, environmental study says
It's not just to hide clutter anymore—add "saving the planet" to the reasons you leave the camera off during your next virtual meeting.
Geologic history written in garnet sand
On a beach on a remote island in eastern Papua New Guinea, a country located in the southwestern Pacific to the north of Australia, garnet sand reveals an important geologic discovery. Similar to messages in bottles that have traveled across the oceans, sediments derived from the erosion of rocks carry information from another time and place. In this case the grains of garnet sand reveal a story...
Researchers show Irish soil can offer more hope in fight against antibiotic resistance
Scientists who highlighted the bug-busting properties of bacteria in Northern Irish soil have made another exciting discovery in the quest to discover new antibiotics.
Rare lichen unique to Florida discovered in museum collections, may be extinct
Scientists have found a new species of fleshy verdigris lichen, thanks to DNA analysis of museum specimens. Misidentified by its original collectors, the lichen is only known from 32 specimens collected in North and Central Florida scrubland between 1885 and 1985. Now the hunt is on to find it in the wild—if it still exists.
Researchers conduct security analysis and improve quantum random number generation
Recently, the research team led by academician GUO Guangcan from the University of Science and Technology of China of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has made security analysis and improvement of source independent quantum random number generators with imperfect devices.
Critics denounce 'climate-change denialism' reports commissioned by Alberta inquiry
A $3.5-million Alberta government public inquiry into alleged foreign-funded anti-energy campaigns has posted commissioned studies that experts say are based on junk climate-denial science, bizarre conspiracy theories and oil-industry...
NASA and USDA: A Bountiful Partnership
Data captured by Landsat 8, operated by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, was combined to make this natural color composite image of the Delmarva Peninsula on the U.S. East Coast July 20, 2019. These images are used to assess agriculture production and its interactions with the environment.
Images like this false-color composite show agricultural crops, seen as vibrant green, and...
Experts remain divided over merits of mass Covid tests in schools
Analysis: some say lateral flow tests could help cut outbreaks, but others argue they offer false reassuranceRegulator refuses to approve mass Covid testing at schools in EnglandCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe education secretary, Gavin Williamson, has put mass testing for coronavirus at the heart of his strategy to reopen schools after the lockdown. It is a...