89 articles from MONDAY 5.9.2022
Chilean voters resoundingly reject a new ‘ecological’ constitution
To the dismay of many scientists in Chile, voters resoundingly rejected a draft constitution that would have had major impacts on research, environmental policies, and Indigenous rights. Sixty-two percent of voters said “no” during a referendum yesterday on the new charter, which would have steered the country sharply leftward.
“I’m still a bit shocked,” says Olga...
Climate anxiety an important driver for climate action
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/5 22:09
A new study finds that whilst climate anxiety is low amongst the UK public, it may be an important driver of climate action such as cutting down on waste.
Data from Israel: myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccines remain rare, highest risk in young males
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/5 22:09
An examination of data of people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Israel found males 14 to 30 years of age were the most susceptible to myocarditis after a second or third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, however, the overall risk remains relatively low. Among males ages 16 to 19 years, approximately 1 in 15,000 developed myocarditis after a booster dose of the...
Replicating mangosteen peel extract as a treatment for intestinal inflammation in humans and animals
A group of researchers in Thailand has replicated "Hydroxy-xanthones," the antioxidant-rich vital extracts found in mangosteen peels that kill germs and halt infections in the intestinal mucosa.
Cross-species cell landscape constructed at single-cell level
Thanks to high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), it is possible to construct single-cell transcriptomic atlases at the organic level. For example, cell atlases for vertebrate and invertebrate systems have been successfully generated, such as the Human Cell Landscape (HSC), Mouse Cell Atlas (MCA), Zebrafish Cell Landscape (ZCL) and Drosophila embryo. However, most of these studies...
New U.K. Prime Minister brings worries about research funding and climate measures
The election of Liz Truss as the United Kingdom’s next Prime Minister has stirred unease in the already-troubled U.K. scientific community and concern among environment advocates. Truss, whose election was announced by the Conservative Party today and who previously served as foreign secretary under outgoing leader Boris Johnson, has said little about science. But she has said she wants...
Soil temperature can predict pest spread in crops
A new study from North Carolina State University shows soil temperature can be used to effectively monitor and predict the spread of the corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), a pest that ravages corn, cotton, soybeans, peppers, tomatoes and other vegetable crops. The ability to better monitor the pest and make predictions about where it will appear could help farmers control the pest more effectively,...
While Artemis scrubs, SpaceX treats Space Coast to launches
While hundreds of thousands of people made their way to the Space Coast two weekends in a row for a shot to see the most powerful rocket to ever lift off from Earth, a couple of scrubs for NASA's Artemis I mission left them disappointed.
Exploiting the potential of social media and crowdsourcing for better disaster resilience in Europe
For disaster management organizations (DMOs) across Europe, social media and crowdsourcing (SMCS) are playing an increasingly larger role in dealing with crises. However, their effectiveness remains unclear, as do their opportunities and challenges in European disaster resilience.
Networking virus detectors that can protect humans from animal pathogens
A biosensor network that can detect airborne viral particles could be put in place on animal farms and livestock markets. With appropriate analysis of the data from these internet-of-things (IoT) devices it might be possible to detect the earliest presence of a putative infectious agent that has undergone zoonosis and so made the leap from animal pathogen to a virus that can cause human disease,...
A new study has concluded that there is no clear evidence that COVID-19 was transmitted from bats
A new Tel Aviv University study rejects assertions that the origin of the COVID-19 outbreak lies in bats. According to the study, bats have a highly effective immune system that enables them to deal relatively easily with viruses considered lethal for other mammals.
Training astronauts to be scientists on the moon
Astronauts with their sights on the moon are receiving world-class geology training during the fifth edition of ESA's Pangaea campaign. From choosing landing sites for a future Artemis mission, to designing science operations for the lunar surface, the course challenges space explorers to become field scientists.
Dolphin health check shows state of our oceans
Until now it has been difficult to test the health of dolphin populations due to their migratory pattens, their size and, in some cases, dwindling numbers.
Organic thin-film sensors for light-source analysis and anti-counterfeiting applications
In a recent publication in the journal Advanced Materials, a team of physicists and chemists from TU Dresden presents an organic thin-film sensor that describes a completely new way of identifying the wavelength of light and achieves a spectral resolution below one nanometer. As integrated components, the thin-film sensors could eliminate the need for external spectrometers in the future. A patent...
Floodplains improve the water quality of rivers
Riverine floodplains are among the most species-rich ecosystems on earth. Because they form the interface between land and water, they are hotspots of nutrient turnover and biodiversity. Along many rivers, however, numerous floodplains have been cut off from waterways or converted to other uses. At the same time, too many nutrients enter the water, especially nitrogen. Both degrade water quality...
Storms are getting worse. What does that mean for our health?
As adverse weather events like heavy rainfall, subsequent flooding and heat waves grow more severe and increase in frequency, checking the weather forecast means much more than knowing if you need an umbrella: Extreme weather is inextricably linked to our safety and well-being.
Good loser messages support democracy
Citizens sometimes just have to live with political decisions they dislike or think are unfair. But if their preferred party leaders communicate that the decisions have been made properly, the feeling of unfairness can diminish according to research from the University of Gothenburg.
Only South Africa's elite benefits from black economic empowerment—and COVID-19 proved it
More than two decades ago the South African government put in place a policy designed to redress racial imbalances in the country's economy. But, as I suggest in a recent paper, the policy—known as broad-based black economic empowerment)—has been hijacked and repurposed by individuals and factions within the ruling African National Congress (ANC) for the purpose of corruption and...
Researchers succeed in coupling two types of electron-hole pairs
Two-dimensional van der Waals materials have been the focus of work by numerous research groups for some time. Standing just a few atomic layers thick, these structures are produced in the laboratory by combining atom-thick layers of different materials (in a process referred to as "atomic Lego"). Interactions between the stacked layers allow the heterostructures to exhibit properties that the...
Physicists discover new rule for orbital formation in chemical reactions
Squeaky, cloudy or spherical—electron orbitals show where and how electrons move around atomic nuclei and molecules. In modern chemistry and physics, they have proven to be a useful model for quantum mechanical description and prediction of chemical reactions. Only if the orbitals match in space and energy can they be combined—this is what happens when two substances react with each other...
What fossils reveal about hybridization of early humans
Many people living today have a small component of Neanderthal DNA in their genes, suggesting an important role for admixture with archaic human lineages in the evolution of our species. Paleogenetic evidence indicates that hybridization with Neanderthals and other ancient groups occurred multiple times, with our species' history resembling more a network or braided stream than a tree. Clearly the...
Discovery of new types of microfossils may answer age-old scientific question
Scientists have long pondered how and when the evolution of prokaryotes to eukaryotes occurred. A collaborative research team from Tohoku University and the University of Tokyo may have provided some answers after discovering new types of microfossils dating 1.9 billion years.
Discovery of transcription factor protein that regulates cold tolerance in rice
Cold stress at the booting stage leads to lower seed setting rate and seriously threatens the production and quality of rice.
Genomic attributes explained by certain life history traits in neoavian birds
Mutations are the raw material of evolution. For example, a single change in an DNA base pair can cause a protein molecule to lose its function, with potentially major effects on the overall organism. However, mutations—and especially the ones that do not have major effects—can also provide a roadmap to determining if there is a pattern in the evolution of genomic attributes such as nucleotide...
Rocketlab sent this engine to space and then retrieved it: A new test shows it's still working fine
Reusable rocket engines have become all the rage lately, even as NASA's continually delayed Artemis I mission attempts to launch with non-reusable technology. Realistically, the only way to significantly lower launch costs is to reuse the engines rather than build them from scratch every time. Another small start-up company, RocketLab, has successfully retested a rocket that has flown in space.
Pakistan floods: What role did climate change play?
Pakistan is experiencing the most devastating and widespread floods in its history, with the country's climate minister saying waters have reached across a third of the nation.
Neanderthals died out 40,000 years ago, but there has never been more of their DNA on Earth
Neanderthals have served as a reflection of our own humanity since they were first discovered in 1856. What we think we know about them has been shaped and molded to fit our cultural trends, social norms and scientific standards. They have changed from diseased specimens to primitive sub-human lumbering cousins to advanced humans.
Novel isomeric vinylene-linked covalent organic frameworks developed with distinct photocatalytic properties
Researchers led by Prof. Zahng Tao at the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has synthesized two novel vinylene-linked two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (v-2D-COFs) with isomeric structures via benzobisoxazole-mediated aldol polycondensation, showing distinct photocatalytic properties. The study was published in Journal of...
Did you solve it? A headful of PINs
The solution to today’s puzzleEarlier today I set you this puzzle about PINs, the four-digit passcodes we use for phones and bank accounts. In the comments, many people said that the answer was obvious. These people fell into the trap.xx--x-x-x--x-xx--x-x--xx Continue...
Majority of underrepresented early career scientists experience psychological distress; mentoring helps buffer impact
Social unrest due to systemic racism is causing early career scientists from underrepresented backgrounds to experience psychological distress, according to new results from a research survey conducted by University of Pittsburgh scientists. Such distress is a red flag as academic institutions nationwide strive to improve diversity.
Stem cell-gene therapy shows promise in ALS safety trial
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/5 17:30
Investigators have developed an investigational therapy using support cells and a protective protein that can be delivered past the blood-brain barrier. This combined stem cell and gene therapy can potentially protect diseased motor neurons in the spinal cord of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal neurological disorder known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease.
Faster in the Past: New seafloor images of West Antarctic Ice Sheet upend understanding of Thwaites Glacier retreat
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/5 17:30
The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica has been an elephant in the room for scientists trying to make global sea level rise predictions. This massive ice stream is already in a phase of fast retreat; a total loss of the glacier and surrounding icy basins could raise sea level from three to 10 feet.
Scientists develop new method to faster -- and more accurately -- find antigens that trigger specific immune cells
- ScienceDaily
- 22/9/5 17:30
A new approach, which mimics the physical forces exerted by immune cells as they crawl over host cells, could help scientists develop more effective cancer immunotherapies.
What would it take to find life on Venus?
Life on Venus, or the possibility thereof, has been a hot topic as of late. There's also been plenty of controversies, including the (still disputed) discovery of phosphine, a potential biomarker in the atmosphere. The best way to lay that controversy to rest would be to go there and actually take samples, which at the very least, would help constrain the existence of life in Venus' cloud layers....
Super-dense packing of hydrogen molecules on a surface
Hydrogen (H2) is currently discussed as an ideal energy carrier of renewable energies. Hydrogen has the highest gravimetric energy density of all chemical fuels (141 MJ/kg), which is three times higher than gasoline (46 MJ/kg). However, its low volumetric density restricts its widespread use in transportation applications—as current storage options require a lot of space.
Why defusing 'carbon bombs' offers a promising new agenda for tackling climate change
A carbon bomb is a fossil fuel extraction project, such as a coal mine, that can cause over a metric gigaton of CO₂ emissions during its lifetime. That's a billion tons—more than twice the UK's annual emissions from a single project.
The power of compost: Making waste a climate champion
A new way of using compost could boost global crop production and deliver huge benefits to the planet, according to a study co-led by The University of Queensland.
New method to more quickly and accurately find antigens that trigger specific immune cells
A cell's secrets can be divulged by its surface, decorated with tens to hundreds of thousands of molecules that help immune cells determine friend from foe. Some of those protruding molecules are antigens that trigger the immune system to attack, but it can be difficult for scientists to identify those antigens, which often vary across individuals, in the molecular forest.
New seafloor images off the West Antarctic Ice Sheet upend understanding of Thwaites Glacier retreat
The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica—about the size of Florida—has been an elephant in the room for scientists trying to make global sea level rise predictions.
Red giant Betelgeuse was yellow some 2,000 years ago
An interdisciplinary team centered around a Jena astrophysicist utilized observations from antiquity to prove that Betelgeuse—the bright red giant star in the upper left of the constellation Orion—was yellow-orange some 2,000 years ago.
Albatrosses from space: Wildlife detectives needed
British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and RSPB are recruiting albatross detectives to help to search for wandering albatrosses in satellite images taken from space in an effort to learn more about how these sentinels of the sea are being impacted by climate change, intensive fishing, and invasive species.
Hubble observes a glittering gathering of stars
This glittering gathering of stars is the globular cluster NGC 6558, and it was captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope's Advanced Camera for Surveys. NGC 6558 is closer to the center of the Milky Way than Earth is, and lies about 23,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius.
Taking down mental health stigma, one step at a time
Studies show having mental illness can affect the chances of someone on probation or parole getting out from under government supervision. To combat this, it's not only important that individuals have access to mental health resources, but also that the officers involved know how and when to use them.
Decades-long study finds endangered whales are having fewer babies
A world-class collaborative research project has found that the Australian population of southern right whales is calving less frequently and fewer whales visited Australia's coastlines this whale season than expected, putting further pressure on the already endangered species.
Male artists dominate galleries. Is it because 'women don't paint very well,' or just discrimination?
In the art world, there is a gaping gender imbalance when it comes to male and female artists.