291 articles from TUESDAY 13.7.2021

Project Air View maps ultrafine particles, soot and other substances in Amsterdam air

Over the past two years, the municipality of Amsterdam, Utrecht University and Google have collaborated on Project Air View, in which the Amsterdam air quality was measured by two Street View cars with special measuring equipment. These maps have now been shared with the world for the first time. They show that motorized traffic can increase the concentration of ultrafine particles, soot and...

Simulating microswimmers in nematic fluids

Artificial microswimmers have received much attention in recent years. By mimicking microbes which convert their surrounding energy into swimming motions, these particles could soon be exploited for many important applications. Yet before this can happen, researchers must develop methods to better control the trajectories of individual microswimmers in complex environments. In a new study...

Poor and minority communities suffer more from extreme heat in US cities

Low-income neighborhoods and communities with higher Black, Hispanic and Asian populations experience significantly more urban heat than wealthier and predominantly white neighborhoods within a vast majority of populous U.S. counties, according new research from the University of California San Diego's School of Global Policy and Strategy.

Near-infrared synergy therapy for cancer nanoclusters

As a minimally-invasive method for cancer therapy at precise locations, NIR-induced photothermal therapy (PTT) has drawn extensively attention. The therapeutic mechanism is the use of photothermal agents (PTAs) in the treatment of tumors,and its therapeutic effect happens only at the tumor site where both light-absorbent and localized laser radiation coexist.

Restless nights: Shelter-housed dogs need days to adapt to new surroundings

Every year, thousands of dogs end up in a shelter in the Netherlands. Experts expect an increase in this number in the upcoming period, when people go back to the office after working from home during the corona crisis. Despite the good care of staff and volunteers, the shelter can be a turbulent experience for dogs. Researchers at Utrecht University investigated if dogs can adapt to their new...

Electrons in quantum liquid gain energy from laser pulses

The absorption of energy from laser light by free electrons in a liquid has been demonstrated for the first time. Until now, this process was observed only in the gas phase. The findings, led by Graz University of Technology, open new doors for ultra-fast electron microscopy.

This device harvests power from your sweaty fingertips while you sleep

Researchers have developed a new device that harvests energy from the sweat on -- of all places -- your fingertips. To date, the device is believed to be the most efficient on-body energy harvester ever invented, producing 300 millijoules (mJ) of energy per square centimeter without any mechanical energy input during a 10-hour sleep and an additional 30 mJ of energy with a single press of a...

Electric signals between individual cardiac cells regulate heartbeat

Researchers provide an update on how electrical impulses in the heart travel from cell to cell. The connections between cells forming the low resistance pathway and facilitating the current flow are called gap junctions. Each consists of many channels, which are formed when specific proteins from one cell dock and fuse to the proteins from another cell. The scientists delve into the properties of...

NASA, ESA Partner in New Effort to Address Global Climate Change

Portal origin URL: NASA, ESA Partner in New Effort to Address Global Climate ChangePortal origin nid: 472503Published: Tuesday, July 13, 2021 - 11:58Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) have formed a first-of-its-kind strategic partnership to observe Earth and its changing environment.Portal image: NASA Deputy...

The world’s biggest ransomware gang just disappeared from the internet

One of the most prolific ransomware gangs in the world suddenly disappeared from the internet on Tuesday morning. The unexplained exodus comes just one day before senior officials from the White House and Russia are scheduled to meet to discuss the global ransomware crisis. The ransomware crew known as REvil has existed for years in the booming cybercrime underground. A whopping 42% of all...

Supercomputer predicts cell-membrane permeability of cyclic peptides

Scientists have developed a computational method based on large-scale molecular dynamics simulations to predict the cell-membrane permeability of cyclic peptides using a supercomputer. Their protocol has exhibited promising accuracy and may become a useful tool for the design and discovery of cyclic peptide drugs, which could help us reach new therapeutic targets inside cells beyond the...

Synthesis of one of the most abundant organic lipids elucidates its structure

Crenarchaeol is a large, closed-loop lipid that is present in the membranes of ammonium-oxidizing archaea. In comparison to other archaeal membrane lipids, crenarchaeol is very complex and, so far, attempts to confirm its structure by synthesizing the entire molecule have been unsuccessful. Organic chemists have now taken up this challenge and discovered that the proposed structure for the...

Mechanical stimuli significantly influence organ growth

In addition to chemical factors, mechanical influences play an important role in the natural growth of human organs such as kidneys, lungs and mammary glands - but also in the development of tumors. Now a research team has investigated the process in detail using organoids, three-dimensional model systems of such organs which are produced in the laboratory.

Global study reveals effectiveness of protected forests

Scientists have published a global study on the effectiveness of protected areas in preventing deforestation. The study explored the success of country-level protected areas at reducing forest loss, and used machine learning to uncover some of the factors that contribute to differences in effectiveness.

Simulating microswimmers in nematic fluids

New research shows how control over self-propelled microswimmers could be achieved using exotic materials named 'nematic liquid crystals' - whose viscosity and elasticity can vary depending on the direction of an applied force.

Reducing data-transfer error in radiation therapy

As the complexity of radiation therapy has grown, so too has the amount of data that goes into treatment machines. With more data comes more opportunity for errors in data transfer. A medical physics researcher is working to make those errors less likely.