285 articles from MONDAY 21.6.2021

Researchers trace dust grain's journey through newborn solar system

Combining atomic-scale sample analysis and models simulating likely conditions in the nascent solar system, the study revealed clues about the origin of crystals that formed more than 4.5 billion years ago. The findings provide insights into the fundamental processes underlying the formation of planetary systems, many of which are still shrouded in mystery.

Butterflies regularly cross the Sahara in longest-known insect migration

Wetter conditions in Sub-Saharan and North Africa at certain times of year can result in hundreds of times more Painted Lady butterflies making the 14,000 km round trip to Europe. Findings improve understanding of how insects move to other countries, including pests that destroy crops and disease-carrying species like mosquitoes.

Researchers discover how the intestinal epithelium folds and moves by measuring forces

An international team led by Xavier Trepat at IBEC measures the cellular forces in mini-intestines grown in the laboratory, deciphering how the inner wall of this vital organ folds and moves. The study, published in Nature Cell Biology, opens the doors to a better understanding of the bases of diseases such as celiac disease or cancer, and to the ability to find solutions for gut diseases through...

Electronic monitoring failed to reduce recidivism for girls in juvenile justice system, says study

In recent years, many juvenile courts have adopted in-home detention with electronic monitoring tethers as an alternative to institutional incarceration. A new study has examined whether this approach reduces recidivism among girls involved in the juvenile justice system. The study found that tethers failed to reduce reoffending among the girls; in fact, they may be harmful because in-home...

Lead from leaded petrol persists in London air despite '90s ban

Lead levels in London's atmosphere have dropped drastically since lead additives in petrol were phased out, and currently meet UK air quality targets. However despite this drop, airborne particles in London are still highly lead-enriched compared to natural background levels, according to new Imperial research published today in PNAS.

How do developing spinal cords choose 'heads' or 'tails'?

The progression from a round ball of cells to an embryo with a head and a tail is one of the most critical steps in an organism's development. But just how cells first start organizing themselves with directionality along this head-to-tail axis is hard to study because it happens in the earliest days of embryonic development, in the confines of a mammal's uterus.

Poaching affects behavior of endangered capuchin monkeys in Brazilian biological reserve

A study conducted in the Una Biological Reserve in the state of Bahia, Brazil, shows that in a habitat with high hunting pressure the risk of predation has such a significant impact on the behavior of the Yellow-breasted capuchin monkey Sapajus xanthosternos that it even avoids areas offering an abundant supply of plant biomass and invertebrates, its main sources of food.

Lead from leaded petrol persists in London air despite '90s ban

Lead levels in London's atmosphere have dropped drastically since lead additives in petrol were phased out, and currently meet UK air quality targets. However despite this drop, airborne particles in London are still highly lead-enriched compared to natural background levels, according to new research.

Database of vegetation of planet Earth

It's a treasure trove of data: the global vegetation database 'sPlotOpen' is now freely accessible. It contains balanced, representative data on vegetation from 114 countries and from all climate zones on Earth.

Universal mechanism of regulation in plant cells discovered

All plant cells obtain their energy mainly from two organelles they contain - chloroplasts (responsible for photosynthesis) and mitochondria (responsible for the biochemical cycle of respiration that converts sugars into energy). However, a large number of a plant cell's genes in its mitochondria and chloroplasts can develop defects, jeopardising their function. Nevertheless, plant cells evolved...

The Science of tsunamis

The word 'tsunami' brings immediately to mind the havoc that can be wrought by these uniquely powerful waves. The tsunamis we hear about most often are caused by undersea earthquakes, and the waves they generate can travel at speeds of up to 250 miles per hour and reach tens of meters high when they make landfall and break. They can cause massive flooding and rapid widespread devastation in...

New method for molecular functionalization of surfaces

An interdisciplinary team of researchers has succeeded in depositing nitrogen-containing organic molecules as a highly ordered layer on silicon. This opens up new perspectives for the development of more powerful semiconductor materials, which can be used, for example, in computers, photovoltaics or sensor technology.