139 articles from WEDNESDAY 24.11.2021
Scans can detect brain injury after repeated head impacts in sport
Study of former American footballers offers hope that damage could be diagnosed more easilyBrain scans of former American football players reveal signs of white matter injury, according to research into the lasting effects of repetitive head impacts in sport.The finding is viewed as significant because until now it has been difficult to identify such damage in the brain until after death. The...
Only alcohol -- not caffeine, diet or lack of sleep -- might trigger heart rhythm condition
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:41
New research that tested possible triggers of a common heart condition, including caffeine, sleep deprivation and sleeping on the left side, found that only alcohol use was consistently associated with more episodes of the heart arrhythmia.
Living walls can reduce heat lost from buildings by over 30%
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:41
Retrofitting existing masonry cavity walled buildings with a green or living wall could be a game-changer in helping countries achieve net-zero commitments.
Morning exposure to deep red light improves declining eyesight
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:41
Just three minutes of exposure to deep red light once a week, when delivered in the morning, can significantly improve declining eyesight, finds a pioneering new study.
A new way to generate electricity from waste heat: Using an antiferromagnet for solid devices
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:40
Researchers have discovered a giant thermoelectric effect in an antiferromagnet. The study shows, surprisingly, that antiferromagnets can have the same value of the anomalous Nernst effect as conventional ferromagnets, but without any stray magnetic fields that would otherwise affect surrounding devices. The newly discovered recipe for generating large Nernst voltages opens a new research...
Researchers find new link between a disrupted body clock and inflammatory diseases
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:40
New research has demonstrated the significant role that an irregular body clock plays in driving inflammation in the body's immune cells, with implications for the most serious and prevalent diseases in humans.
Endangered deer's prion gene could protect it from chronic wasting disease
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:40
China's Père David's deer was nearly gone in the late 1800s. Just 18 deer -- the very last of their kind -- were brought into captivity after the rest had been hunted to extinction. When 11 of the deer reproduced, the species had a chance. Today, after centuries of reintroductions and breeding under human care, the population sits at around 3,000. It's a success story. But that success could come...
Over the top: Car jump study turns over old physics problem
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:40
If an automobile is moving at a steady speed over a hill in the shape of a vertical circular arc, what is the maximum speed it can attain without losing contact with the road at the crest of the hill? New research demonstrates that, despite numerous textbook references stating otherwise, a car will leave the ground on the downside of a peak. The study presents three cases to illustrate the nuances...
Mars seismic deployment lays groundwork for future planetary missions
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:39
About 1000 days after the Mars InSight mission deployed SEIS, the first seismometer on the red planet, researchers are analyzing new seismic data and reporting on instrument responses, using these data to plan for future planetary seismographs.
Biomedical engineers find neural activity during rest is highly organized
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:39
When mice rest, individual neurons fire in seconds-long, coordinated cascades, triggering activity across the brain, according to new research. Previously, this was thought to be a relatively random process -- single neurons firing spontaneously at random times without external stimulation.
Antihistamines can influence immunotherapy response by enhancing T cell activation
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:39
Researchers discovered that antihistamines are associated with improved responses to immunotherapy. Their work revealed a role for the histamine receptor in suppressing T cell activation to block anti-tumor immune responses.
Electrons set the stage for neutrino experiments
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:39
Neutrinos may be the key to finally solving a mystery of the origins of our matter-dominated universe, and preparations for two major, billion-dollar experiments are underway to reveal the particles' secrets. Now, a team of nuclear physicists have turned to the humble electron to provide insight for how these experiments can better prepare to capture critical information.
We might not know half of what’s in our cells, new AI technique reveals
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:39
Artificial intelligence-based technique reveals previously unknown cell components that may provide new clues to human development and disease.
A new topological magnet with colossal angular magnetoresistance
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:39
A new topological magnet with colossal angular magnetoresistance. Trillion percent change of resistance can be achieved in the new material by simply rotating the direction of spin.
Enhancing the workhorse: Artificial intelligence, hardware innovations boost confocal microscope’s performance
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:39
To push confocal imaging to an unprecedented level of performance, scientists have invented a 'kitchen sink' confocal platform that borrows solutions from other high-powered imaging systems, adds a unifying thread of 'Deep Learning' artificial intelligence algorithms, and successfully improves the confocal's volumetric resolution by more than 10-fold while simultaneously reducing phototoxicity.
Shifting colors for on-chip photonics
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:39
Researchers have developed highly efficient, on-chip frequency shifters that can convert light in the gigahertz frequency range. The frequency shifters are easily controlled, using continuous and single-tone microwaves.
A new artificial material mimics quantum entangled rare earth compounds
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:39
Physicists have created a new ultra-thin two-layer material with quantum properties that normally require rare earth compounds. This material, which is relatively easy to make and does not contain rare earth metals, could provide a new platform for quantum computing and advance research into unconventional superconductivity and quantum criticality.
Treating insomnia with cognitive behavioral therapy can prevent major depression in older adults
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:39
A new study has found that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT-I) prevented major depression, decreasing the likelihood of depression by over 50% as compared to sleep education therapy in adults over the age of 60 with insomnia.
Butterfly migration: Sun compass on demand
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:39
Monarch butterflies employ a sun compass on their long-distance migration. Surprisingly, a new study shows that the compass is only established during flight.
New ultrahard diamond glass synthesized
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:38
An international research team that synthesized a new ultrahard form of carbon glass with a wealth of potential practical applications for devices and electronics. It is the hardest known glass with the highest thermal conductivity among all glass materials.
Hubble witnesses shock wave of colliding gases in Running Man Nebula
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:38
Mounded, luminous clouds of gas and dust glow in this Hubble image of a Herbig-Haro object known as HH 45. Herbig-Haro objects are a rarely seen type of nebula that occurs when hot gas ejected by a newborn star collides with the gas and dust around it at hundreds of miles per second, creating bright shock waves. In this image, blue indicates ionized oxygen (O II) and purple shows ionized magnesium...
COVID-19 became much more lethal in late 2020, UK study suggests
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:38
A new statistical analysis supports beliefs that COVID-19 became more lethal in the U.K. in late 2020, while also suggesting that multiple factors -- not just the alpha variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 -- were to blame.
Arctic Ocean started getting warmer decades earlier than we thought
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:38
The Arctic Ocean has been getting warmer since the beginning of the 20th century -- decades earlier than records suggest -- due to warmer water flowing into the delicate polar ecosystem from the Atlantic Ocean.
Collapse of ancient Liangzhu culture caused by climate change
- ScienceDaily
- 21/11/24 21:38
Referred to as 'China's Venice of the Stone Age', the Liangzhu excavation site in eastern China is considered one of the most significant testimonies of early Chinese advanced civilization. More than 5000 years ago, the city already had an elaborate water management system. Until now, it has been controversial what led to the sudden collapse. Massive flooding triggered by anomalously intense...
Lions at Zagreb zoo catch COVID from their keeper
Two lions at the Zagreb zoo have tested positive for COVID-19 that they had contracted from their keeper, officials said on Wednesday.
Alberta premier says environmentalist David Suzuki incited violence with pipeline comment
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is standing by his accusation that environmentalist David Suzuki was inciting violence with comments made at a climate change protest on...
Arctic Ocean started getting warmer decades earlier than we thought, study finds
The Arctic Ocean has been getting warmer since the beginning of the 20th century—decades earlier than records suggest—due to warmer water flowing into the delicate polar ecosystem from the Atlantic Ocean.
Study determines whether cultures play games that correspond to how cooperative they are
Play is important for the development of complex social, emotional, physical, and cognitive skills. Play provides young individuals with a safe space to practice new behaviors without grave repercussions. While most animals engage in play, only humans engage in rule-based games. Which kinds of games people play—competitive or cooperative—may depend on their cultural background. In a new study,...
Collapse of ancient Liangzhu culture caused by climate change
Referred to as China's Venice of the Stone Age, the Liangzhu excavation site in eastern China is considered one of the most significant testimonies of early Chinese advanced civilisation. More than 5000 years ago, the city already had an elaborate water management system. Until now, the cause of the sudden collapse has been a subject of debate. Massive flooding triggered by anomalously intense...
Caribbean mom wins two tickets to space in Virgin Galactic raffle
A health coach from the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda has won two tickets worth almost $1 million to be among Virgin Galactic's first space tourists, the company said Wednesday.
Pentagon creates new office to probe UFO reports
The Pentagon is creating a new office to investigate unidentified flying objects amid concerns that after broad probes it cannot explain mysterious sightings near highly sensitive military areas.
New ultrahard diamond glass synthesized
Carnegie's Yingwei Fei and Lin Wang were part of an international research team that synthesized a new ultrahard form of carbon glass with a wealth of potential practical applications for devices and electronics. It is the hardest known glass with the highest thermal conductivity among all glass materials. Their findings are published in Nature.
A better estimate for tick numbers with 'citizen science' data
Apps and websites like eBird and iNaturalist encourage members of the public to report their observations on everything from songbird migration patterns to the presence of new planets. The result is massive datasets that far outmatch what professionally trained scientists could collect, at least in terms of quantity. However biases in the quality of data collected by "citizen scientists" sometimes...
Hubble spots a swift stellar jet in Running Man Nebula
A jet from a newly formed star flares into the shining depths of reflection nebula NGC 1977 in this Hubble image. The jet (the orange object at the bottom center of the image) is being emitted by the young star Parengo 2042, which is embedded in a disk of debris that could give rise to planets. The star powers a pulsing jet of plasma that stretches over two light-years through space, bending to...
Hubble witnesses shock wave of colliding gases in Running Man Nebula
Mounded, luminous clouds of gas and dust glow in this Hubble image of a Herbig-Haro object known as HH 45.
Endangered deer's prion gene could protect it from chronic wasting disease
China's Père David's deer was nearly gone in the late 1800s. Just 18 deer—the very last of their kind—were brought into captivity after the rest had been hunted to extinction. When 11 of the deer reproduced, the species had a chance. Today, after centuries of reintroductions and breeding under human care, the population sits at around 3,000.
Astronomers discover ancient brown dwarf with lithium deposits intact
Brown dwarfs, also known as "coffee colored dwarfs" or "failed stars" are the natural link between stars and planets. They are more massive than Jupiter but now sufficiently to burn hydrogen, which is the fuel the stars use to shine. For that reason these substellar objects were not observed until observers detected them in the mid 1990's. They are particularly interesting because it was predicted...
Sun compass on demand
Monarch butterflies are famous for their annual long-distance migration, which takes them over several thousand kilometers from the north of the USA to their overwintering habitat in central Mexico. On their migration, the conspicuously orange-black-white colored butterflies use sun information as main orientation reference.
How the pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis secretes and traffics its only known exotoxin
Six years ago, Michael Niederweis, Ph.D., described the first known toxin of the deadly pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), an exotoxin that had gone undetected for 132 years.
New report maps mining impacts of the energy transition in the Americas
On the heels of COP-26, where global leaders agreed to make unprecedented investments in the energy transition, frontline communities already in the crosshairs of mining for critical minerals warn of the dangers posed by the mining boom for 'green tech."
Tempera painting probed on the molecular scale
In contrast to the oil painting technique that supplanted it at the end of the 15th century, tempera painting, practiced on wood panels, walls or canvas has received little attention on the physico-chemical scale. This painting technique, which has been practiced since Antiquity, is characterized by pigments applied in a water-based binding-medium, often egg-yolk.
On-chip frequency shifters in the gigahertz range could be used in next generation quantum computers and networks
The ability to precisely control and change properties of a photon, including polarization, position in space, and arrival time, gave rise to a wide range of communication technologies we use today, including the Internet. The next generation of photonic technologies, such as photonic quantum networks and computers, will require even more control over the properties of a photon.
Germany signals shift to green economy
Olaf Scholz will head a three-party coalition with broad plans for transition to a green economy.
Fluorescence lifetime imaging to study DNA compaction and gene activities
Optical imaging is useful to investigate the structure and function of cellular genomes, but it is nevertheless challenging to image the immensely convoluted and irregular compacted DNA polymer. In a new report now published on Nature, Light: Science & Applications, Svitlana M. Levchenko and a team of researchers in China, Poland, and the U.S., developed fluorescence life-time imaging (FLIM) to...
Great Barrier Reef 'gives birth' in massive coral spawning event
Scientists recorded corals in Australia's Great Barrier Reef spawning in an explosion of colour as the World Heritage-listed natural wonder recovers from life-threatening coral bleaching...
New breakthrough in surface-based groundwater measurement
Based on recent breakthroughs in instruments and data modeling, researchers from the Department of Geoscience and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Aarhus University have collaborated to develop an effective technology to measure groundwater accurately from the surface.
Robust approach needed to reduce risk of disease transmission between humans and wild animals
The threat of disease transmission from conservationists moving wild animals between habitats or back into the wild needs to be urgently assessed to minimize risk. Experts at the University of Birmingham are calling on local and national health authorities and wildlife managers to adopt a robust approach.