195 articles from THURSDAY 9.9.2021
Forest edges in the tropics increase carbon emissions
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:05
Tropical rain forests are becoming fragmented at a higher rate than expected. By analyzing high-resolution satellite data, researchers were able to measure even the smallest piece of tropical forest and study the changes in tropical fragmentation. In a new paper, they discuss how this previously unnoticed and underestimated increase in fragmentation to almost one third of the forest area has...
Research uncovers new mechanism that promotes wound healing in skin
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:05
A study identifies a new molecular pathway that promotes the healing of wounds in the skin.
Diet may affect risk and severity of COVID-19
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:05
A healthy plant-based diet was linked to a lower risk of getting COVID-19, and among people with COVID-19, a lower risk of experiencing severe symptoms.
What the brain shows: The benefits of virtual reality in creative arts therapies
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:05
Researchers examined the differences in prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation between two distinct drawing tasks in virtual reality. Results of the study indicated significant differences between a rote tracing task and a creative self-expression task, with the rote tracing task showing an increase in PFC activity. It also showed there was reduced PFC activation for creative self-expressive tasks,...
People with Parkinson's may benefit from seven walking strategies
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:05
Various strategies can help people with Parkinson's who have difficulty walking, but a new study finds that many people have never heard of or tried these strategies. The study also found that how well different compensation strategies worked depended on the context in which they were used, such as indoors versus outdoors, under time pressure or not.
No serious COVID-19 vaccine side effects in breastfeeding moms, infants, study finds
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:05
Researchers found that breastfeeding mothers who received either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccination reported the same local or systemic symptoms as what has been previously reported in non-breastfeeding women, with no serious side effects in the breastfed infants.
Soft components for the next generation of soft robotics
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:05
Researchers have developed electrically-driven soft valves to control hydraulic soft actuators. These valves could be used in assistive and therapeutic devices, bio-inspired soft robots, soft grippers, surgical robots, and more.
‘MRI’ scan reveals spectacular ice age landscapes beneath the North Sea
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:05
Spectacular ice age landscapes beneath the North Sea have been discovered using 3D seismic reflection technology. Similar to MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) the images reveal in unprecedented detail huge seafloor channels - each one 10 times wider than the River Thames.
Environmental conditions of early humans in Europe
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:05
The conditions under which early members of the genus Homo dispersed outside Africa were analysed on a broader scale, across Europe during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. The model is based on the comparison of functional trait distribution of large herbivorous mammals in sites with archaeological or fossil evidence of human presence and in sites, which lack evidence of human presence.
Forest fires linked to tens of thousands of avoidable deaths
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:05
Setting fire to forest and agricultural land in Southeast Asia to prepare it for cultivation or grazing causes air pollution that is contributing to an estimated 59,000 premature deaths a year, according to a new study.
Good sleep-time recovery is associated with a healthier diet and lower alcohol consumption
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:04
Good sleep-time recovery is associated with a health-promoting diet and health-promoting eating habits, as well as with lower consumption of alcohol, according to a new study investigating psychological and physiological well-being among working-age Finnish adults.
New information on the early stages of dementia with Lewy bodies
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:04
Results from a new study reinforce the notion that dementia with Lewy bodies can be pathologically classified into two different disease types.
New opportunities for light-powered battery and fuel cell design
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:04
Researchers induced substantial motion of oxide ions within perovskite crystals by using pulses of ultraviolet light. Such motion provides a means to store energy in the crystals. This development will help researchers improve the functionality of solid-state electrolytes in batteries and fuel cells.
Interfacing stretchable circuits for deformable devices and displays
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:04
Researchers have developed a stretchable anisotropic conductive film (S-ACF) for electrical interfacing in high-resolution stretchable circuits.
Impaired immune response may cause bone resorption in patients with genetic disorder
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:04
Researchers have determined that enhanced bone resorption activity due to a faulty immune response may underpin multifocal osteomyelitis -- painful, chronic bone infections -- in children with MSMD, a rare genetic condition resulting from a range of immune system mutations.
Who was king before Tyrannosaurus? Uzbek fossil reveals new top dino
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:04
A new dinosaur from the lower Upper Cretaceous of Uzbekistan, Ulughbegsaurus uzbekistanensis, was described from a single maxilla fossil. The research team estimated that this carcharodontosaurian weighed over 1000 kg and measured 7.5--8.0 meters in length, much larger than previously described predators from the same formation. The fossil's age, location, and co-occurrence with the smaller...
Hand pollination of crops is of major importance
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:04
Pollinators -- such as bees, butterflies and birds -- are essential for agricultural production. However, natural pollination can also fail or be insufficient, which can lead to lower yields and poorer quality. This means alternative solutions are needed. Hand pollination, in which pollen is applied manually or mechanically to the flower, can supplement or replace pollination by animals....
‘Anti-rust’ coating for plants protects against disease with cellulose nanofiber
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:04
Researchers have found that coating soybean plant leaves with cellulose nanofiber (CNF) gives protection against an aggressive fungal disease. The CNF coating changed leaf surfaces from water repellent to water absorbent, and suppressed pathogen gene expression associated with infection mechanisms, offering resistance to the destructive Asian rust disease. This is the first study to examine CNF...
Zoning policies that boost affordable housing: Good for the heart?
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:04
Inclusionary zoning policies that increase the supply of affordable housing may be good for the heart, according to new research. The study notes that such zoning programs were associated with lower rates of heart disease.
How confined protons migrate
- ScienceDaily
- 21/9/9 00:04
Protons in aqueous solution can usually migrate very quickly -- much faster compared to other ions. However, this only applies when they are in a space greater than two nanometers, as a new study shows. In confined spaces the so-called Grotthuss mechanism no longer works, in which protons diffuse faster than ions.