285 articles from MONDAY 21.6.2021
Researchers trace dust grain's journey through newborn solar system
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 23:41
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
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 23:41
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.
Modeling a circular economy for electronic waste
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 23:41
New research develops a framework to understand the choices an electronic waste recycler has to make and the role that digital fraud prevention could have in preventing dishonest recycling practices.
New position statement declares that sleep is essential to health
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 23:41
A new position statement emphasizes that sleep is a biological necessity, and insufficient sleep and untreated sleep disorders are detrimental for health, well-being, and public safety.
Civil engineers examine urban cooling strategies using reflective surfaces
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 23:41
Researchers used a Computational Fluid Dynamics model to find ways to decrease cost and increase usage of cooler surfaces. The paper examined the possibility of applying cooler surfaces to just half the surfaces in a city.
'Living fossil' fish surprises scientists with 100-year lifespan
The coelacanth — a wondrous fish that was thought to have gone extinct along with the dinosaurs 66 million years ago before unexpectedly being found alive and well in 1938 off South Africa's east coast — is offering up even...
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.
Landmark field trials show potential of gene-editing in crops
Field trials investigating healthy compounds in agronomically important brassica crops have underlined the "immense potential" of gene editing technology, say researchers.
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.
Scientists invent an artificial nose for continuous bacterial monitoring
A team of scientists at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have invented an artificial nose that is capable of continuous bacterial monitoring, which has never been previously achieved and could be useful in multiple medical, environmental and food applications.
Landmark field trials show potential of gene editing
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
Field trials investigating healthy compounds in agronomically important brassica crops have underlined the 'immense potential' of gene editing technology, say researchers.
Lead from leaded petrol persists in London air despite '90s ban
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
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.
'Pack ice' tectonics reveal Venus' geological secrets
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
A new analysis of Venus' surface shows evidence of tectonic motion in the form of crustal blocks that have jostled against each other like broken chunks of pack ice.
Database of vegetation of planet Earth
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
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.
COVID-19 dual-antibody therapies effective against variants in animal study
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
A new study suggests that many, but not all, COVID-19 therapies made from combinations of two antibodies are effective against a wide range of virus variants. Further, combination therapies appear to prevent the emergence of drug resistance.
'Flashed' nanodiamonds are just a phase
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
A new 'flash' process can turn carbon black into functionalized nanodiamond and other materials. The carbon atoms evolved through several phases depending on the length of the flash.
Quantum computing: Common perovskite superfluoresces at high temperatures
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
A commonly studied perovskite can superfluoresce at temperatures that are practical to achieve and at timescales long enough to make it potentially useful in quantum computing applications.
Universal mechanism of regulation in plant cells discovered
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
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...
SARS-CoV-2 infections may trigger antibody responses against multiple virus proteins
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
All coronaviruses produce four primary structural proteins and multiple nonstructural proteins. However, the majority of antibody-based SARS-CoV-2 research has focused on the spike and nucleocapsid proteins. A new study suggests that immune responses may develop against other proteins produced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
New method developed to detect and adjust population structure in genetic summary data
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
Researchers announced the development of a new method to increase the utility and equity of large genetic databases.
The Science of tsunamis
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
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
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
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.
Exposure to pollutants, increased free-radical damage speeds up aging
- ScienceDaily
- 21/6/21 22:05
A new study suggests that unrepaired DNA damage can increase the speed of aging.
Study examines how breast implant surfaces affect immune response
Rice University bioengineers collaborated on a six-year study that systematically analyzed how the surface architecture of breast implants influences the development of adverse effects, including an unusual type of lymphoma.
Butterflies cross the Sahara in longest-known insect migration
A species of butterfly found in Sub-Saharan Africa is able to migrate thousands of miles to Europe, crossing the Saharan Desert, in years when weather conditions are favorable, scientists have found.
Modeling a circular economy for electronic waste
Think about how many different pieces of technology the average household has purchased in the last decade. Phones, TVs, computers, tablets, and game consoles don't last forever, and repairing them is difficult and often as expensive as simply buying a replacement.
Profiling gene expression in plant embryos, one nucleus at a time
Following fertilization, early plant embryos arise through a rapid initial diversification of their component cell types. As a result, this series of coordinated cell divisions rapidly sculpts the embryo's body plan. The developmental phenomenon in question is orchestrated by a transcriptional activation of the plant genome. However, the underlying cellular differentiation programs have long...
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, jeopardizing their function. Nevertheless, plant cells evolved...
Researchers develop a model to better understand the forces that generate 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...
Common perovskite superfluoresces at high temperatures
A commonly studied perovskite can superfluoresce at temperatures that are practical to achieve and at timescales long enough to make it potentially useful in quantum computing applications. The finding from North Carolina State University researchers also indicates that superfluorescence may be a common characteristic for this entire class of materials.
Tulsa's jazz-style evolution on flood control shows importance of collaboration, says study
Tulsa may not be the first town one thinks of when talking about jazz, and flood management may not be the first vocation one compares to the musical genre. But the success Tulsa displayed in going from one of the nation's most flood-prone cities to a nationally recognized model of long-term risk reduction in just two decades is analogous to the evolution of one of the most American styles of...
'Flashed' nanodiamonds are just a phase, research team finds
Diamond may be just a phase carbon goes through when exposed to a flash of heat, but that makes it far easier to obtain.