169 articles from WEDNESDAY 1.6.2022
Microgravity analog culture profoundly affects microbial infection process in 3-D human tissue models, a new study finds
Infectious microbes have evolved sophisticated means to invade host cells, outwit the body's defenses and cause disease. While researchers have tried to puzzle out the complicated interactions between microorganisms and the host cells they infect, one facet of the disease process has often been overlooked—the physical forces that impact host-pathogen interactions and disease outcomes.
How a local IT expert — and Elon Musk's SpaceX — helped reboot Uxbridge when a tornado hit
Doug Williamson's resourcefulness after a devastating tornado in Uxbridge, Ont., was a game changer. His quick thinking has prompted the town to consider adding Elon Musk's Starlink system to its emergency response arsenal. But experts are advising...
Covid in the UK: cases, deaths and vaccinations – the latest numbers
The latest updates on coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalisations, using the best available national dataCoronavirus has hit the UK hard for more than two years, with the country recording millions of cases and tens of thousands of deaths linked to the disease. Continue...
Is the Covid pandemic finally nearing its end? | Aris Katzourakis
The virus’s behaviour in highly vaccinated countries may offer clues to our future with the diseaseAris Katzourakis is a professor in viral evolution at Oxford UniversityMore than two years on from the realisation that we are dealing with a novel pandemic, we are still nervously wondering what comes next. In the UK, Covid infection rates appear to have fallen to their lowest level since the...
II thought having a baby might turn me into an ‘elite sleeper’. I was wrong | Arwa Mahdawi
Scientists have found 3% of the population need less shut-eye than the rest of us. Could I train myself to be one of them?I don’t want to boast or anything, but I have always considered myself something of an elite sleeper. I love sleeping more than just about anything. Given the opportunity, I will sleep for marathon stretches and can snooze through even the most extreme situations. On one very...
Shanghai reopens after two months of Covid lockdown – in pictures
Restrictions have eased and more than 22 million people are allowed to move around the city againStreets fill up as Shanghai Covid restrictions ease Continue...
Shanghai’s subway and shops reopen and streets fill up after two-month lockdown
Residents in areas deemed low-risk for Covid are allowed to move around the city freely againShanghai has eased a range of Covid-19 restrictions in a step towards returning to normal after a two-month lockdown that confined residents of the megacity to their homes and battered China’s economy.The commercial hub of 25 million people was closed down in sections from late March, when the Omicron...
World's biggest plant discovered off Australian coast
The seagrass is roughly 4,500 years old and three times the size of Manhattan, researchers say.
Can coffee survive in a warmer world?
Coffee drinkers could soon rely on hybrid varieties to meet demand, as traditional coffee plants come under threat.
Spaceflight: Microgravity analog culture profoundly affects microbial infection process in 3-D human tissue models
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/1 02:21
Researchers demonstrate that under low fluid shear force conditions that simulate those found in microgravity culture during spaceflight, the foodborne pathogen Salmonella infects 3-D models of human intestinal tissue at much higher levels, and induces unique alterations in gene expression.
Immune recognition of self and non-self explored in new study
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/1 01:29
In a new study, researchers explore components of the immune system known as autoantibodies. While they have been implicated as central players in a range of serious autoimmune diseases, the study observes that autoantibodies are also found in healthy individuals.
Universities warn of EU-UK research scheme 'close to precipice'
Vice-chancellors ask both sides to work together to save the UK's role in a multi-billion-pound scheme.
Wild parrot chicks babble like human infants
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Babies don’t babble to sound cute—they’re taking their first steps on the path to learning language. Now, a study shows parrot chicks do the same. Although the behavior has been seen in songbirds and two mammalian species, finding it in these birds is important,...
World’s largest organism found in Australia
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It sounds like the stuff of science fiction: Two closely related species hybridize and create a superorganism whose growth and expansion seems unstoppable. That’s what’s happened in Western Australia’s Shark Bay, researchers say, where a seagrass meadow (see above)...
Three jabs best for preventing Covid infections, global analysis finds
Number of doses, not vaccine combinations, key to boosting immunity, according to largest study of its kindThree doses of the same Covid-19 vaccine or a combination of jabs work equally well in preventing infections, according to the largest study of its kind.While the effectiveness of individual coronavirus vaccines is well known, the evidence around combinations of jabs has been less clear,...
Investigational drug attacks synovial sarcoma, a rare type of tumor
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/1 00:19
Researchers have developed a way to attack synovial sarcoma -- a rare tumor of soft tissues, such as ligaments and muscles -- using an investigational drug that triggers cell death.
As the grid adds wind power, researchers have to reengineer recovery from power outages
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/1 00:19
When electric grids go down, there's no way to restore them -- 'blackstart' them -- with power from wind turbines. A team is now working to develop strategies and controllers that would reenergize power grids dominated by wind power. In Iowa, wind turbines now produce 55% of the state's electricity.
Air pollution linked to adverse outcomes in pregnancy
- ScienceDaily
- 22/6/1 00:19
A new study in mice reveals how exposure to traffic-related air pollutants causes cellular changes in the placenta that can lead to pregnancy complications and affect the health of both mother and offspring.