195 articles from THURSDAY 9.9.2021

A recent reversal in the response of western Greenland’s ice caps to climate change

Greenland may be best known for its enormous continental scale ice sheet that soars up to 3,000 meters above sea level, whose rapid melting is a leading contributor to global sea level rise. But surrounding this massive ice sheet, which covers 79% of the world's largest island, is Greenland's rugged coastline dotted with ice capped mountainous peaks. These peripheral glaciers and ice caps are now...

Impaired T cell function precedes loss of natural HIV control

A small subset of people, known as controllers, are able to suppress HIV naturally, without the need for medication. A small percentage of controllers ultimately lose the ability to suppress the virus. Researchers have found that aborted control is likely due to HIV-specific T cells losing the ability to replicate and kill infected cells, which can happen years before.

Team sequences shea tree genome to support breeding and conservation efforts

The shea tree is best know as a source for a multimillion-dollar ingredient used in cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals and chocolate. But for hundreds of thousands of African families living in the 'shea belt' it is also a crucial source of nutrition and income. Despite its increasing demand, the slow-growing shea tree is being threatened by other cash crops and its preservation...

Researchers report an insulator made of two conductors

Ohm's law is well-known from physics class. It states that the resistance of a conductor and the voltage applied to it determine how much current will flow through the conductor. The electrons in the material—the negatively charged carriers—move in a disordered fashion and largely independently of each other. Physicists find it far more interesting, however, when the charge carriers influence...

Reusable cloth masks hold up after a year of washing, drying

The reusable cloth masks people have been using for the past year or more may look a little worse for the wear. But new research from the University of Colorado Boulder finds that washing and drying them doesn't reduce their ability to filter out viral particles.

Team sequences shea tree genome to support breeding and conservation efforts

The shea tree is a vital social and economic crop that is best known for the popular product shea butter—a multimillion-dollar ingredient used in cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals and chocolate. For hundreds of thousands of African families living in the "shea belt" it is also a crucial source of nutrition and income. Despite its increasing demand, the slow-growing shea tree is...

A recent reversal in the response of western Greenland's ice caps to climate change

Greenland may be best known for its enormous continental scale ice sheet that soars up to 3,000 meters above sea level, whose rapid melting is a leading contributor to global sea level rise. But surrounding this massive ice sheet, which covers 79% of the world's largest island, is Greenland's rugged coastline dotted with ice capped mountainous peaks. These peripheral glaciers and ice caps are now...

Unprecedented plasma lensing for high-intensity lasers

High-power laser pulses focused to small spots to reach incredible intensities enable a variety of applications, ranging from scientific research to industry and medicine. At the Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator (BELLA) Center, for instance, intensity is key to building particle accelerators thousands of times shorter than conventional ones that reach the same energy. However, laser-plasma...