304 articles from TUESDAY 2.3.2021

Ultrasonic cleaning of salad could reduce instances of food poisoning

A new study has shown that gentle streams of water carrying sound and microscopic air bubbles can clean bacteria from salad leaves more effectively than current washing methods used by suppliers and consumers. As well as reducing food poisoning, the findings could reduce food waste and have implications for the growing threat of anti-microbial resistance.

UMD study finds the fuel efficiency of one car may be cancelled by your next car purchase

In a collaborative study led by University of Maryland (UMD), researchers find that consumers tend to buy something less fuel efficient for their second car after springing for an eco-friendly vehicle. The study reports a 57% reduction in the benefits of your fuel efficient car based on the purchase of your second vehicle. Findings have major implications for the design of carbon mitigation...

Under 55's found lockdown most challenging, finds survey

A UK wide survey of 2252 adults, carried out five weeks into the first lockdown revealed 95% of those who took part were following lockdown restrictions. Of that 95% more than 80% reported finding it challenging. Adjusting to changes in daily routines, and mental and physical health struggles were the most common challenges faced by participants. Women and adults under the age of 55 were most...

UNESCO reveals largest carbon stores found in Australian World Heritage Sites

Australia's marine World Heritage Sites are among the world's largest stores of carbon dioxide according to a new report from the United Nations, co-authored by an ECU marine science expert. The UNESCO report found Australia's six marine World Heritage Sites hold 40 per cent of the estimated 5 billion tons of carbon dioxide stored in mangrove, seagrass and tidal marsh ecosystems within UNESCO...

Using stimuli-responsive biomaterials to understand heart development, disease

The heart cannot regenerate new tissue, because cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells, do not divide after birth. However, researchers have now developed a shape memory polymer to grow cardiomyocytes. Raising the material's temperature turned the polymer's flat surface into nanowrinkles, which promoted cardiomyocyte alignment. The research is part of the growing field of mechanobiology, which...

Vaccine shows signs of protection against dozen-plus flu strains

A vaccine candidate developed at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has demonstrated promising signs of protection against more than a dozen swine flu strains -- and more than a leading, commercially available vaccine. Its success in experiments involving swine suggests that its design could also fast-track efforts to develop a vaccine that protects people against many common strains of influenza.

Willpower is the key to enhancing learning and memory: researchers uncover the mechanism

An international team led by the SPECS Laboratory at the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC) has identified, for the first time in humans, the physiological mechanism responsible for the effectiveness of learning processes based on self-motivation and freedom of choice. The protagonists of this mechanism are theta-type brain waves, which regulate the ability of the human hippocampus...

Yale team finds dozens of genes that block regeneration of neurons

When central nervous system cells in the brain and spine are damaged by disease or injury, they fail to regenerate, limiting the body's ability to recover. In contrast, peripheral nerve cells that serve most other areas of the body are more able to regenerate. Scientists for decades have searched for molecular clues as to why axons -- the threadlike projections which allow communication between...

The time is ripe! An innovative contactless method for the timely harvest of soft fruits

In agriculture, there are many mechanical methods to indirectly measure a fruit's ripeness through its firmness. However, most fall short for soft fruits, which do not exhibit the same types of measurable vibration as harder ones. Now, scientists have developed an innovative method to measure fruit firmness using laser-induced plasma shockwaves. Their contactless, non-destructive approach works on...

New Zealand urged 'don't let virus divide you' as Covid frustration builds

Jacinda Ardern said lockdown breaches would face ‘judgment of nation’ but director general of health calls for unityCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageAshley Bloomfield, New Zealand’s director general of health, has called on the nation to “not let the virus divide you” amidst frustration with rule-breakers linked to recent coronavirus cases, as well as with...

Israel’s “green pass” is an early vision of how we leave lockdown

The commercial opens with a tempting vision and soaring instrumentals. A door swings wide to reveal a sunlit patio and a relaxed, smiling couple awaiting a meal. “How much have we missed going out with friends?” a voiceover asks. “With the green pass, doors simply open in front of you … We’re returning to life.” It’s an ad to promote Israel’s version of a vaccine passport, but...