A pair of University of Houston engineers has discovered that they can create upward fountains in water by shining laser beams on the water's surface. Jiming Bao, professor of electrical and computer engineering at UH, and his postdoctoral student Feng Lin, attribute the finding to a phenomenon known as the Marangoni effect, which causes convection and explains the behavior of water when...

Researchers have found that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, may cause fetal inflammation even in the absence of placental infection.

Wild populations must continuously adapt to environmental changes or risk extinction. For more than fifty years, scientists have described instances of "rapid evolution" in specific populations as their traits (phenotypes) change in response to varying stressors. For example, Spanish clover has developed a tolerance for copper from the mine tailings in which it grows, and the horn size of Alberta...

A collection of 17 papers in Pacific Conservation Biology aims to transform the field of conservation biology. The special issue titled "Transforming Conservation Biology Through indigenous Perspectives," edited by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UH) researchers Kawika Winter and Melissa Price, and Anne-Marie Jackson of the University of Otago (Aotearoa New Zealand), features papers by...

Beneath the SARS-CoV-2 membrane and its spikes lurks a squiggle of genetic material, or RNA, enveloped by a protein that acts like bubble wrap to protect the genetic material. This protein also acts as a "hotbed" for multiple interactions to control the infected cell.

Violent crime in Vancouver, Canada rose in the city's poorer regions during the first year of the pandemic while wealthier neighborhoods saw thefts rise, according to a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Criminology.

Scientists are now one step closer to better understanding how to live in a "quantum" world—and not just from watching the character "Ant-Man" in the Marvel movie franchise.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University have identified a new mechanism by which a protein known for repairing damaged DNA also protects the integrity of DNA by preserving its structural shape.

Recent advances in brain imaging techniques facilitate accurate, high-resolution observations of the brain and its functions. For example, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a widely used noninvasive imaging technique that employs near-infrared light (wavelength >700 nm) to determine the relative concentration of hemoglobin in the brain, via differences in the light absorption...

Most noninvasive brain scanning systems use continuous-wave fNIRS, where the tissue is irradiated by a constant stream of photons. However, these systems cannot differentiate between scattered and absorbed photons. A recent advancement to this technique is time-domain (TD)-fNIRS, which uses picosecond pulses of light and fast detectors to estimate photon scattering and absorption in tissues....

In a new study of the Zika virus, scientists have discovered a key mechanism used by the virus to evade the antiviral response of the cell it is attacking. This finding contributes to a better understanding of how viruses infect cells, overcome immune barriers and replicate -- information that is essential for fighting them.

In a recent study, scientists provide evidence of the effects of photodissociation on the quantum level for an atmospheric pollutant, formaldehyde, thereby showing photodissociation reactions can't be treated classically, like 'billiard-balls' coming together, colliding and reconnecting, said an author of a new study.

Researchers have identified a new mechanism by which a protein known for repairing damaged DNA also protects the integrity of DNA by preserving its structural shape. The discovery, involving the protein 53BP1, offers insight into understanding how cells maintain the integrity of DNA in the nucleus, which is critical for preventing diseases like premature aging and cancer.

New research on intravenous fluids used in intensive care shows that commonly used saline is as effective at keeping people alive and their organs functioning as more expensive balanced solutions.

While the American Rescue Plan Act provided a major infusion of economic aid to low-income and middle-class Americans, more should be done to tackle racial wealth inequality and the structural issues in the tax code that allow those at the top of the income distribution to benefit disproportionately from tax subsidies, an Indiana University professor wrote.

When it comes to electrons—one of the fundamental building blocks of all matter—there are lots of unanswered questions. How big are they? What are they made out of? What … are they?

High school students who have trouble paying attention in class are more likely to admit to cheating, a new study shows.

A study of the management plans for 118 conservation units in Brazil shows that 60% use unsuitable methods to detect the presence of deer, and that 38% do not even describe the method used. Conservation of these animals may be endangered as a result. Eight deer species occur in Brazil; three are red-listed as "vulnerable" by IUCN.

Civil engineers develop a computational modeling strategy to help plan effective repairs to damaged reinforced concrete columns.

High school students who have trouble paying attention in class are more likely to admit to cheating, a new study shows.

The IL-6 family of proteins are associated with inflammation, arthritis, autoimmune disease and even cancer. However, a new study reveals the importance of IL-6 and associated genes for maintaining and regenerating cartilage in both the joints and in the growth plates that enable skeletal growth in children. Scientists took a close look at a key gene activated by IL-6: STAT3. In both lab-grown...

A contagious blood cancer jumped from one species of clam to another and spread among clams living in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, shows a new study.

COVID-19 has shown us images of patients dying in isolation, apart from loved ones during their final moments. But even before the pandemic, harrowing deaths were all too common in most parts of the world, a new survey of end-of-life care shows. The study ranked 81 countries on how well their health systems provide for the physical and mental wellbeing of patients at the end of life. Only six...

New therapies for autoimmune rheumatic diseases (AIRDs) that are designed to better regulate lipid (fat) metabolism, could significantly reduce the harmful side-effects caused by conventional treatments, finds a new large-scale review.