135 articles from THURSDAY 7.10.2021
Microbiology research furthers understanding of ocean’s role in carbon cycling
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 23:06
Microbiology researchers have shed new light on the mechanisms of carbon cycling in the ocean, using a novel approach to track which microbes are consuming different types of organic carbon produced by common phytoplankton species.
Planned home birth presents little risk where midwifery is well-integrated
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 23:06
In the state of Washington, a planned home birth with a licensed midwife is just as safe as a birth at a licensed birth center. Researchers arrived at this conclusion after analyzing outcomes of more than 10,000 community births in Washington state between 2015 and 2020. Birth setting had no association with increased risk for either parent or baby, despite the American Association of...
Vermont bald eagle restoration follows years of trying
Thirteen years after Vermont lost the ignominious distinction of being the only state in the continental United States without any breeding pairs of bald eagles, the state is moving to remove the iconic national symbol from its list of threatened and endangered species.
Microbiology researchers further understanding of ocean's role in carbon cycling
Microbiology researchers at Oregon State University have shed new light on the mechanisms of carbon cycling in the ocean, using a novel approach to track which microbes are consuming different types of organic carbon produced by common phytoplankton species.
Elastic polymer that is both stiff and tough, resolves long-standing quandary
Polymer science has made possible rubber tires, Teflon and Kevlar, plastic water bottles, nylon jackets among many other ubiquitous features of daily life. Elastic polymers, known as elastomers, can be stretched and released repeatedly and are used in applications such as gloves and heart valves, where they need to last a long time without tearing. But a conundrum has long stumped polymer...
Sweet corn yield gain over 80 years leaves room for improvement
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 22:35
New research shows sweet corn, when planted at high densities, has steadily increased in yield since the 1930s. The historical view underscores the importance of planting modern density-tolerant hybrids at their optimal densities, and suggests an opportunity to improve density tolerance even more.
Elastic polymer that is both stiff and tough, resolves long-standing quandary
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 22:35
A conundrum has long stumped polymer scientists: Elastic polymers can be stiff, or they can be tough, but they can't be both. This stiffness-toughness conflict is a challenge for scientists developing polymers that could be used in applications including tissue regeneration, bioadhesives, bioprinting, wearable electronics, and soft robots. Researchers have resolved that long-standing conflict and...
New images from Mars will guide search for evidence of ancient life, says study
Pictures taken by Perseverance rover show how water helped shape planet’s landscape billions of years agoImages from Mars reveal how water helped shape the red planet’s landscape billions of years ago, and provide clues that will guide the search for evidence of ancient life, according to a new study.In February, Nasa’s Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater, where scientists suspected a...
Team develops sensitive new way of detecting transistor defects
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and collaborators have devised and tested a new, highly sensitive method of detecting and counting defects in transistors—a matter of urgent concern to the semiconductor industry as it develops new materials for next-generation devices. These defects limit transistor and circuit performance and can affect product...
Sweet corn yield gain over 80 years leaves room for improvement, according to study
New research from the University of Illinois shows sweet corn, when planted at high densities, has steadily increased in yield since the 1930s. The historical view underscores the importance of planting modern density-tolerant hybrids at their optimal densities, and suggests an opportunity to improve density tolerance even more.
Consumers see diverse organizations as moral ones, study shows
Consumers perceive diverse organizations to be moral organizations, new research indicates, and the perception can affect consumer behavior.
Video shows damaged pipeline responsible for oil spill off Orange County coast
A video of the sea floor off the Orange County coast this week shows damage to an oil pipeline that sent an estimated 144,000 gallons of crude into the ocean, fouling beaches and threatening ecologically sensitive wetlands.
Environmentally friendly ways to cool homes
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 21:35
The summer of 2021 in Western Canada was one of the hottest on record. In the Canadian province of British Columbia alone, 59 weather stations registered their hottest temperatures ever on June 27. For those lucky enough to have air conditioners, keeping their homes cool during the heat dome was relatively easy. However, the comfort lasted only until the utility bills arrived. As a result of...
Refuting a 70-year approach to predicting material microstructure
A 70-year-old model used to predict the microstructure of materials doesn't work for today's materials, say Carnegie Mellon University researchers in Science. A microscopy technique developed by Carnegie Mellon and Argonne National Laboratory yields evidence that contradicts the conventional model and points the way towards the use of new types of characterizations to predict properties—and...
The climate-driven mass extinction no one had seen before now
Sixty-three percent. That's the proportion of mammal species that vanished from Africa and the Arabian Peninsula around 30 million years ago, after Earth's climate shifted from swampy to icy. But we are only finding out about it now.
Climate change literacy lessons from Africa: Knowledge is key
Addressing the climate crisis will require cooperation on a massive scale, but to accomplish this, people need to know what specific challenges lie ahead and how to best move forward. Across the globe, people are facing the effects of the climate crisis, yet many are still unsure how and even if they can address it.
Bonds between new hires lead to early success
Settling into a new job is no easy task, but the connections made among other newcomers in the beginning days could be key to early success.
Lung maintains long-term memory of COVID infection
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:59
After infection with the COVID virus, where does the immune system store the memory? A new study finds memory cells take up residence in the lung to protect against reinfection.
Refuting a 70-year approach to predicting material microstructure
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:59
Researchers have developed a new microscopy technique that maps material microstructure in three dimensions; results demonstrate that the conventional method for predicting materials' properties under high temperature is ineffective.
‘Gut bugs’ can drive prostate cancer growth and treatment resistance
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:59
Common gut bacteria can become 'hormone factories' - fuelling prostate cancer and making it resistant to treatment, a new study shows. Scientists revealed how gut bacteria contribute to the progression of advanced prostate cancers and their resistance to hormone therapy -- by providing an alternative source of growth-promoting androgens, or male hormones. The findings, once further validated in...
Climate change literacy lessons from Africa
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:58
Addressing the climate crisis will require cooperation on a massive scale, but to accomplish this, people need to know what specific challenges lie ahead and how to best move forward. Across the globe, people are facing the effects of the climate crisis, yet many are still unsure how, and even if, they can address it.
The climate-driven mass extinction no one had seen
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:58
Two thirds of all mammals vanished from Africa and the Arabian Peninsula around 30 million years ago, when the climate on Earth changed from swampy to icy. But we are only finding out about this mass extinction now. Researchers examined hundreds of fossils from multiple sites in Africa, built evolutionary trees, and pinpointed each species' first and last known appearances. The climate shift 'was...
Non-English-language science could help save biodiversity
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:58
It is commonly assumed that any important scientific knowledge would be available in English, and so scientific knowledge used in international studies is predominantly sourced from English-language documents. But is this assumption correct? According to new research, the answer is no, and science written in languages other than English may hold untapped information crucial to the conservation of...
Climate change tipping points: back to the drawing board
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:58
We regularly hear warnings that climate change may lead to 'tipping points': irreversible situations where savanna can quickly change into desert, or the warm gulf stream current can simply stop flowing. But the earth is much more resilient than previously thought. Researchers now show that the concept of tipping points is too simple.
Ten millennia of hepatitis B virus evolution described
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:58
Researchers uncover the evolution of the hepatitis B virus since the Early Holocene by analyzing the largest dataset of ancient viral genomes produced to date.
Scientists assemble a biological clock in a test tube to study how it works
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:58
Daily cycles in virtually every aspect of our physiology are driven by biological clocks (also called circadian clocks) in our cells. The cyclical interactions of clock proteins keep the biological rhythms of life in tune with the daily cycle of night and day, and this happens not only in humans and other complex animals but even in simple, single-celled organisms such as cyanobacteria. A team of...
Promising results for Parkinson's disease treatment
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:58
Researchers have found a way to make deep brain stimulation (DBS) more precise, resulting in therapeutic effects that outlast what is currently available. The work will significantly advance the study of Parkinson's disease.
Chang'e-5 samples reveal key age of moon rocks
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:57
A lunar probe launched by the Chinese space agency recently brought back the first fresh samples of rock and debris from the moon in more than 40 years. Now an international team of scientists has determined the age of these moon rocks at close to 1.97 billion years old.
How mussels make a powerful underwater glue
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:57
Blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) spend their days being buffeted by crashing waves. They manage to stay tethered to the rocks or their fellow mussels thanks to a highly effective underwater glue they produce. Because achieving adhesion in the presence of water is so challenging, scientists who are interested in producing effective adhesives for use in wet environments (e.g., for surgical or dental...
Rover images confirm Jezero crater is an ancient Martian lake
- ScienceDaily
- 21/10/7 20:57
Images from the Perseverance rover confirm that Jezero crater is an ancient Martian lake, MIT researchers report. The team also detected signs of flash flooding strong enough to carry large boulders downstream into the ancient delta.
Less restrictive 'bioburden' rules would make some Mars missions simpler
A new report that could make it simpler to send spacecraft to some areas of Mars while still protecting the planet from Earth-based contamination was presented today at a press conference at the 53rd annual meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division for Planetary Sciences by Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Amanda Hendrix.
'Double' galaxy mystifies Hubble astronomers
Gazing into the universe is like looking into a funhouse mirror. That's because gravity warps the fabric of space, creating optical illusions.
Decades-long plan to protect caribou in Nunavut nearing completion
In this week's issue of our environment newsletter, we look at the decades-long attempt to protect caribou populations in the North and the lack of available information on climate risk in Canada.
The moon was volcanically active for longer than we thought, analysis of lunar rocks suggests
Material retrieved by China’s Chang’e-5 spacecraft sheds new light on the moon at a time when it was thought to be cooling downGet our free news app; get our morning email briefingAnalysis of the youngest lunar material ever retrieved suggests that the moon was volcanically active for longer than previously expected.China’s Chang’e-5 spacecraft retrieved 1.7kg of lunar material when it...
Study traces the evolution of the hepatitis B virus from prehistory to the present
In a new paper in the journal Science, researchers uncover the evolution of the hepatitis B virus since the Early Holocene by analyzing the largest dataset of ancient viral genomes produced to date.
Non-English-language science could help save biodiversity
It is commonly assumed that any important scientific knowledge would be available in English, and so scientific knowledge used in international studies is predominantly sourced from English-language documents. But is this assumption correct? According to research publishing October 7th in the open access journal PLOS Biology, led by Dr. Tatsuya Amano at the University of Queensland, Australia, the...
Rover images confirm Jezero crater is an ancient Martian lake
The first scientific analysis of images taken by NASA's Perseverance rover has now confirmed that Mars' Jezero crater—which today is a dry, wind-eroded depression—was once a quiet lake, fed steadily by a small river some 3.7 billion years ago.