278 articles from THURSDAY 15.7.2021
Winner who paid $30m for space flight with Bezos won’t go due to ‘scheduling conflicts’
Anonymous person will be replaced by 18-year-old recent high school graduate on New Shepard spacecraftThe anonymous winner of a ticket to join billionaire Jeff Bezos in space next week will no longer board the New Shepard spacecraft due to “scheduling conflicts”, Bezos’s Blue Origin company announced on Thursday.The winner, who paid $29.7m to join one of the world’s richest men in space,...
'Extreme' wildfires and heavy smoke grip western US and Canada
A brutal start to the wildfire season in the western United States and Canada worsened Thursday as a massive Oregon blaze exploded in dry, windy conditions and a new California blaze threatened communities devastated by the 2018 Camp Fire.
US to end large, old-growth timber sales in Alaska forest
The Biden administration said Thursday that it is ending large-scale, old-growth timber sales in the country's largest national forest—the Tongass National Forest in Alaska—and will focus on forest restoration, recreation and other noncommercial uses.
Research team develops new tool to help farmers make crop input decisions
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and nitrogen water pollution from agriculture are top environmental priorities in the United States. Key to achieving climate goals is helping producers navigate carbon markets, while also helping the environment and improving farm income.
Kelp for corn growth? Scientists demystify natural products for crops
Corn growers can choose from a wide array of products to make the most of their crop, but the latest could bring seaweed extract to a field near you. The marine product is just one class in a growing market of crop biostimulants marketed for corn.
Study: Incarcerated people placed in solitary confinement differ significantly from others in prison population
Concern has grown about prison systems' use of extended solitary confinement as a way to manage violent and disruptive incarcerated people. A new study identified groups that are more likely to be placed in extended solitary management (ESM). The study found that individuals sent to ESM differed considerably from the rest of the prison population in terms of mental health, education, language,...
Tornado leaves 'catastrophic' damage in Barrie, Ont.
A tornado tore through Barrie, Ont., Thursday afternoon, injuring eight people and damaging homes throughout the city, which is about 115 kilometres north of...
Climate regulation changed with the proliferation of marine animals and terrestrial plants
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 21:38
Earth's climate was relatively stable for a long period of time. For three billion years, temperatures were mostly warm and carbon dioxide levels high - until a shift occurred about 400 million years ago. A new study suggests that the change at this time was accompanied by a fundamental alteration to the carbon-silicon cycle.
When fawns perceive constant danger from many sources, they almost seem to relax
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 21:38
Burnout. It is a syndrome that is said to afflict humans who feel chronic stress. But after conducting a novel study using trail cameras showing the interactions between white-tailed deer fawns and predators, a researcher suggests that prey animals feel it, too.
New tool to help farmers make crop input decisions
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 21:38
A new tool allows farmers to create a budget balance sheet of any nitrogen reduction plans and see the economic and environmental cost, return and margins, all customized to fields under their management.
Arctic oil spill cleanup costs could reach $9.4B over 5 years, says risk analyst
A new risk assessment on the consequences of a potential oil spill in the Rankin Inlet region shows that a disaster of that sort could cost more than $9 billion if no intervention is made after five...
Death disruptor: how an Australian funnel-web spider may help human hearts
University of Queensland researchers are investigating if protein in venom of Fraser Island spider can stop cardiac cells dyingA protein in the venom of a deadly Australian funnel-web spider may be able to reduce cardiac damage from heart attacks and extend the life of donor hearts used in transplants, according to new research.Venom from the Fraser Island funnel-web, named for the south-east...
High daily screen time linked to cognitive, behavioral problems in children born extremely preterm
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 20:24
Among 6- and 7-year-olds who were born extremely preterm -- before the 28th week of pregnancy -- those who had more than two hours of screen time a day were more likely to have deficits in overall IQ, executive functioning (problem solving skills), impulse control and attention, according to a new study.
Newly discovered role for CTP in ensuring faithful cell division in bacteria
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 20:24
To grow and multiply efficiently, bacteria must coordinate cell division with chromosome segregation. Key to this process is a protein called Nucleoid Occlusion Factor or Noc. A small and abundant molecule called Cytidine Triphosphate (CTP) is key to the functions of Noc. CTP binding enables Noc to 'spread' on DNA to form a large protein complex. CTP also 'switches on' the membrane-binding ability...
Visibly transparent radiative cooler under direct sunlight
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 20:24
A research team develops a radiative cooling material that is transparent under direct sunlight.
A genome of photosynthetic animals decoded
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 20:24
Some sea slugs take up chloroplasts from the algae that they consume into their cells. These chloroplasts retain their ability to perform photosynthetic activity within the animal cells for several months, and thus provide them with photosynthesis-derived nutrition. Researchers have published the genome of the sea slug, Plakobranchus ocellatus.
High-ranking hyena mothers pass their social networks to their cubs
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 20:23
Hyenas inherit their social networks from their mothers, according to new research. The study found this network inheritance effect strongest for offspring of higher-ranking mothers. The finding has implications for how social groups are structured and evolve, the researchers say.
Human cells harness power of detergents to wipe out bacteria
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 20:23
Researchers have discovered that a molecule found within many of the body's cells kills germs by dissolving their protective membranes.
Red blood cell 'traffic' contributes to changes in brain oxygenation
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 20:23
Adequate blood flow supplies the brain with oxygen and nutrients, but the oxygenation tends to fluctuate in a distinct, consistent manner. The root of this varied activity, though, is poorly understood. Now, researchers have identified one cause of the fluctuations: inherent randomness in the flow rate of red blood cells through tiny blood vessels called capillaries.
Researchers discover a new inorganic material with lowest thermal conductivity ever reported
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 20:23
A collaborative research team has discovered a new inorganic material with the lowest thermal conductivity ever reported. This discovery paves the way for the development of new thermoelectric materials that will be critical for a sustainable society.
How spiders distinguish living from non-living using motion-based visual cues
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 20:23
Jumping spiders can distinguish living from non-living objects in their peripheral vision using the same cues used by humans and other vertebrate animals, according to a new study.
Accurate protein structure prediction now accessible to all
- ScienceDaily
- 21/7/15 20:23
Protein design researchers have created a freely available method, RoseTTAFold, to provide access to highly accurate protein structure prediction. Scientists around the world are using it to build protein models to accelerate their research. The tool uses deep learning to quickly predict protein structures based on limited information, thereby compressing the time for what would have taken years...