145 articles from MONDAY 30.8.2021

Marine mussels are a model for improving strength, stretchiness and adhesion in hydrogels for wound healing

Hydrogels are everywhere. They are water-loving polymers that can absorb and retain water, and can be found in such everyday consumer products such as soft contact lenses, disposable diapers, certain foods, and even in agricultural applications. They are also extremely useful in several medical applications due to their high degree of biocompatibility and their ability to eventually degrade and be...

GOLD's bird's-eye reveals dynamics in Earth's interface to space

New research using data from NASA's Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk, or GOLD, mission, has revealed unexpected behavior in the swaths of charged particles that band Earth's equator—made possibly by GOLD's long-term global view, the first of its kind for this type of measurement.

ʻOpihi age, growth, and longevity influenced by Hawaiian intertidal environment

Crashing waves and water temperature along rocky shorelines strongly influence the growth patterns of the yellowfoot limpet (Cellana sandwicensis), or ʻopihi ʻālinalina, an intertidal species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. That is the primary conclusion of a study published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment by researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa School of Ocean...

Improved water splitting method: A green energy innovation

Hydrogen is a promising clean energy source with great potential to replace greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels. While total water (H2O) splitting is the easiest way to obtain hydrogen (H2), this reaction is slow and not yet commercially feasible. Now, scientists have developed a novel electrocatalyst that significantly improves hydrogen production from water splitting in an energy and...

Hidden in the seeds: Bacteria found to survive the harsh interior of passion fruit seeds

Plant endophytic microorganisms, especially those growing inside seeds, can survive antimicrobial compounds and have attracted attention for their potential biocatalytic activity. Recently, researchers successfully isolated several strains of endophytic bacteria that survive in high concentrations of antimicrobial resveratrol and piceatannol inside passion fruit seeds and get transmitted to...

Physicist helps confirm a major advance in stellarator performance for fusion energy

Stellarators, twisty magnetic devices that aim to harness on Earth the fusion energy that powers the sun and stars, have long played second fiddle to more widely used doughnut-shaped facilities known as tokamaks. The complex twisted stellarator magnets have been difficult to design and have previously allowed greater leakage of the superhigh heat from fusion reactions.

Hidden in the seeds: Bacteria found to survive the harsh interior of passion fruit seeds

Similar to the well-known human gut-resident microbes, the inside of a plant can also shelter microorganisms. Residing inside roots, stems, leaves, fruits, and even seeds, and developing a synergistic relationship with their host, these "endophytic" microorganisms need not necessarily harm the plant. Instead, they are often beneficial in germination, growth, and defense. However, plant interiors...

Researchers explore how people respond to wildfire smoke

As wildfires become commonplace in the western U.S. and around the world, checking the daily air quality warning has become as routine as checking the weather. But what people do with that data—whether it drives them to slip on a mask before stepping outside or seal up their homes against smoke—is not always straightforward or rational, according to new Stanford research.

I have a 50/50 chance of inheriting Huntington’s disease – should I take a test to find out? | Lillian Hanly

A coin toss could give me two completely different lives. But once I know the result there’s no going backI’ve spent most of my life knowing I may have inherited a faulty gene that would cause Huntington’s disease, a neurodegenerative disease that can be fatal. My grandad had the disease, my mum has it, and I am yet to take the test to find out if I have it too. It’s a 50/50 chance of...

How people respond to wildfire smoke

Interviews with Northern California residents reveal that social norms and social support are essential for understanding protective health behaviors during wildfire smoke events -- information that could be leveraged to improve public health outcomes.

The flower clock: How a small protein helps flowers to develop right and on time

Researchers have found that KNUCKLES (KNU), a small multi-functional protein, helps flowers to complete their development correctly and in a timely way. KNU stops a feedback loop between two genes, playing multiple roles to allow the proper formation of flower reproductive organs within a short time frame. This research will be useful for genetic studies of food crops, and food production...

The flower clock: How a small protein helps flowers to develop right and on time

Researchers from Nara Institute of Science and Technology and Nanjing University have found that KNUCKLES (KNU), a small multi-functional protein, helps flowers to complete their development correctly and in a timely way. KNU stops a feedback loop between two genes, playing multiple roles to allow the proper formation of flower reproductive organs within a short time frame. This research will be...