109 articles from FRIDAY 17.9.2021

Brain microstructural damage related to cognitive dysfunction and steroid medication in lupus patients

Researchers attempted to unravel such mechanisms by adopting non-invasive diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the brains of SLE patients, particularly the white matter, coupled with computerized neuropsychological assessment. White matter lies beneath the grey matter cortex in the human brain and comprises millions of bundles of nerve fibers that transmit signals to different brain...

Now we’re cooking with lasers

Imagine having your own digital personal chef; ready to cook whatever you want, tailoring the shape, texture, and flavor just for you -- all at the push of a button. Engineers have been working on doing just that, using lasers for cooking and 3D printing technology for assembling foods. In their new study they discovered that laser-cooked meat shrinks 50% less, retains double the moisture content,...

White Americans pay less attention to Black peers, says a new study

In a study of more than 2,500 participants published today in Science Advances, Sheen S. Levine, adjunct research scholar in the sociology department at Columbia University and professor of management at University of Texas, Dallas; Charlotte Reypens, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Warwick; and David Stark, professor of sociology at Columbia University, show that white Americans pay...

How do cells acquire their shapes? A new mechanism identified

Working with light to activate processes within genetically modified fission yeast cells is among the research performed by the experimental biologists in the Martin Lab at the University of Lausanne, led by faculty member Sophie Martin. Team members there were conducting such experiments when they noticed that a certain protein, when introduced into the cell, would become displaced from the cell...

'Hard' science provides no salary advantages compared to 'soft' science at any career stage

HSE University economists question whether Russian STEM specialists are better paid than non-STEM specialists. They compare wages of professionals with STEM and no STEM majors, and those working in STEM and no STEM jobs and explore how the gap evolves over the life cycle. They find that there is no advantage of STEM major and STEM job over their no STEM alternative. They present their findings in...

NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Captures a Mars Rock Feature in 3D

Portal origin URL: NASA’s Ingenuity Helicopter Captures a Mars Rock Feature in 3D Portal origin nid: 474040Published: Friday, September 17, 2021 - 12:03Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: The rotorcraft captures nuances of rocky outcrop during aerial reconnaissance.Portal image: This 3D view of a rock mound called “Faillefeu” was created from...

Fiber tracking method delivers important new insights into turbulence

Whether it's heart murmurs and pipeline transport of oil, or bumpy airplanes and the dispersal of pollutants, turbulence plays an important role in many everyday events. But despite being commonplace, scientists still don't fully understand the seemingly unpredictable behavior of the swirls and eddies in turbulent flows.

Prince William Unveils Finalists for Environmental Prize

Prince William announced 15 inaugural finalists Friday for the Earthshot Prize, his ambitious global environmental award that aims to find new ideas and technologies to tackle climate change, air pollution and the Earth’s most pressing challenges. The finalists include a 14-year-old student who proposes using solar energy to replace charcoal to power millions of roadside ironing carts in...

Quantitative assessment for sustainable agriculture

Scientists have assembled a quantitative assessment for agriculture sustainability for countries around the world based not only on environmental impacts, but economic and social impacts, as well. The Sustainable Agriculture Matrix, or SAM, provides independent and transparent measurements of agricultural sustainability at a national level that can help governments and organizations to evaluate...

The microbial molecule that turns plants into 'zombies'

A newly discovered manipulation mechanism used by parasitic bacteria to slow down plant aging, may offer new ways to protect disease-threatened food crops. Research has identified a manipulation molecule produced by Phytoplasma bacteria to hijack plant development. When inside a plant, this protein causes key growth regulators to be broken down, triggering abnormal growth. The new findings show...

Coral reefs are 50% less able to provide food, jobs, and climate protection than in 1950s, putting millions at risk

The capacity of coral reefs to provide ecosystem services such as food and jobs, relied on by millions of people worldwide, has declined by half since the 1950s, according to a new study. Other findings are equally bleak: the authors found that global coverage of living corals had declined by about half since the 1950s and consequently, the diversity of species had also declined, by more than 60...