183 articles from THURSDAY 11.8.2022

How quirk of primate evolution gave humans the voice apes lack

Simplification of larynx let humans have excellent pitch control with long and stable speech sounds Scientists have identified evolutionary modifications in the voice box distinguishing people from other primates that may underpin a capability indispensable to humankind: speaking.Researchers said on Thursday that an examination of the voice box, or larynx, in 43 species of primates showed that...

Transportation recovery after disasters: A collaborative university/community model

Transportation systems play a critical role in maintaining supply chains for effective post-disaster recovery. The March 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns coincided with a 5.7 magnitude earthquake in Salt Lake City, Utah, resulting in supply chain disruptions throughout the region. A team of researchers collaborated with local agencies and transportation organizations to use this event and the community's...

A new method boosts wind farms' energy output, without new equipment

Virtually all wind turbines, which produce more than 5 percent of the world's electricity, are controlled as if they were individual, free-standing units. In fact, the vast majority are part of larger wind farm installations involving dozens or even hundreds of turbines, whose wakes can affect each other.

Leaving small kidney stones behind causes problems later

When surgeons remove patients' kidney stones, they typically leave behind small stones that appear not to be causing problems. However, a new randomized controlled study has shown that leaving these asymptomatic stones behind significantly increases the risk of a patient's relapse in the following five years.

Landfill odor: Health problems, but no elevated cancer risk

Missouri's health department on Thursday announced findings of a lengthy examination of the troubled Bridgeton Landfill in suburban St. Louis, determining that the foul odor emitting from the landfill created health problems but did not increase the risk of cancer.

Discovery of small armoured dinosaur in Argentina is first of its kind

Jakapil kaniukura was about 5ft long and probably walked upright in then-steamy Patagonian landscape about 100m years agoPalaeontologists have announced the discovery of a previously unknown small armoured dinosaur in southern Argentina, a creature that probably walked upright on its back legs roaming a then-steamy landscape about 100m years ago.The Cretaceous period dinosaur, named Jakapil...

NASA Transfers Landsat 9 Satellite to USGS to Monitor Earth’s Changes

Portal origin URL: NASA Transfers Landsat 9 Satellite to USGS to Monitor Earth’s ChangesPortal origin nid: 482000Published: Thursday, August 11, 2022 - 16:07Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: NASA transferred ownership and operational control on Thursday of the Landsat 9 satellite to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in a ceremony in Sioux Falls,...

Scientists have standardized genome editing terminology

Genome editing can cure diseases, boost food production and open vast new fields of scientific discovery. But to realize its full potential, scientists need to precisely describe the details of their genome editing attempts to one another and the wider world.

Nanoscale fluid-phase changes revealed

Millions of barrels of oil are produced daily from shale reservoirs, yet a significant amount remains untouched, trapped in molecular-sized pores on a nanoscale. Current reservoir models can't predict oil behavior or recovery at this scale, so companies can't accurately estimate production amounts for financial investors.

Discovery of the interactions between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis (AMS) is one of the most ancient and broadly occurring mutualistic associations between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). This intimate relationship improves plant mineral nutrient acquisition, which potentially enhances crop yield. In addition, AMS can increase plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. AMS also contributes to many ecosystem...

Scientists discover new antiviral defense system in bacteria

Bacteria use a variety of defense strategies to fight off viral infection, and some of these systems have led to groundbreaking technologies, such as CRISPR-based gene-editing. Scientists predict there are many more antiviral weapons yet to be found in the microbial world.

Study uncovers what happens inside artery plaque to trigger strokes

Researchers have genetically sequenced carotid plaque tissue collected from patients within days after a stroke. When compared to stable plaque, researchers discovered the tissues from recent stroke victims contained messenger RNA that can cause inflammation and processes that degrade a key portion of the plaque that protects against rupture.