152 articles from MONDAY 21.11.2022

Satellites cast critical eye on coastal dead zones

A dead zone in the ocean is as bad as it sounds, and having no information about dead zones' scope and path is worse. However, scientists at Michigan State University (MSU) have discovered a birds-eye method to predict where, when, and how long dead zones could persist across large coastal regions.

What shapes the composition of microbes in a warbler's gut?

Differences among the collection of bacteria and other microorganisms that live within birds' digestive tracts—their gut microbiomes—are not primarily driven by diet diversity, contrary to a recently proposed hypothesis. Instead, a team of researchers from Penn State has found that evolution may play a larger role in explaining these differences, which could potentially have implications for...

Astrophysicists chronicle the history of mathematical cosmology

RUDN University astrophysicists have gathered the most important discoveries of modern cosmology from 1917 to our time. The collected data became an introduction to Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A in two parts: from 1917 to 1980 and from 1980 to our time.

Children in child protection need more say about their care, says study

New Australian Catholic University (ACU) research shows that more must be done to support children's participation in child protection to ensure they have a voice when making decisions about their protection. ACU social work lecturer and study lead Dr. Elise Woodman said the new research revealed gaps between policy and practice.

Shining a new light on the importance of a critical photosynthesis pathway in plants

Photosynthesis is one of the most important chemical reactions, not just for plants but also for the entire world. The impact and thus the importance of photosynthesis can scarcely be underestimated. Thus, it makes sense that science has long been fascinated by the reactions and physical phenomena that make photosynthesis occur. One of these phenomena is the ferredoxin/thioredoxin (Fd/Trx)...

A combination of ultrasound and nanobubbles allows cancerous tumors to be destroyed without invasive treatments

A new technology developed at Tel Aviv University makes it possible to destroy cancerous tumors in a targeted manner, via a combination of ultrasound and the injection of nanobubbles into the bloodstream. According to the research team, unlike invasive treatment methods or the injection of microbubbles into the tumor itself, this latest technology enables the destruction of the tumor in a...

Research to mend broken bones, test implantable devices, and inspire future explorers on way to ISS

While millions of Americans plan for the upcoming holidays, a variety of critical research and supplies will head to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of SpaceX's 26th Commercial Resupply Services mission (SpaceX CRS-26). The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft is scheduled for launch onboard a Falcon 9 rocket to the space station no earlier than November 22, 2022, from Launch Pad 39A at NASA's...

Mapping Lyme disease across western North America

Tick bites transmit Lyme disease. But even knowing where these ticks live doesn't necessarily mean you can predict the disease in humans. It's only one part of a broader picture which includes human behavior and the habits of the parasite's carriers.

Researchers identify last remaining steps in the biosynthesis of tropane alkaloids from coca

Tropane alkaloids are a particular class of plant-derived compounds that have been exploited by mankind since the domestication of medicinal plants. The distribution of these alkaloids is scattered amongst the flowering plants and the two most studied families include those from the Solanaceae (tomato, tobacco, potato relatives) and the Erythroxylaceae (coca). The WHO lists several tropane...

The Eocene rise of eastern Tibet drove an ancient monsoon that modernized Asian biodiversity

Today East Asia, and in particular the Hengduan Mountains and other parts of southwestern China, hosts several of Earth's great biodiversity "hotspots." A biodiversity hotspot is where very large numbers of unique species are under threat of extinction, and so are conservation priority areas. However, to understand how best to look after this diversity we need to understand what created it and how...

Genetic 'hitchhikers' can be directed using CRISPR

In a new study, North Carolina State University researchers characterize a range of molecular tools to rewrite—not just edit—large chunks of an organism's DNA, based on CRISPR-Cas systems associated with selfish genetic "hitchhikers" called transposons.

CRISPR’s ‘ancestry problem’ misses cancer targets in those of African descent

The 10-year-old gene-editing tool known as CRISPR is indispensable for engineering plants, tailoring lab animals, and probing basic biology. But there’s a caveat when it is used to tweak human genes: Unlike lab mice, which are usually inbred and genetically identical, people’s genomes differ individually and by ancestry. These ancestry differences mean CRISPR doesn’t always...

Study analyzes dust transport in the upper levels of the atmosphere over the last two glacial cycles

Dust from the dry Puna Plateau in northwestern Argentina was an important source of iron for the nutrient-deficient South Pacific in the last two glacial cycles—especially at the beginning of these cycles. This was the key finding of a study presented in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal by a team of researchers led by geochemist Dr. Torben Struve from the University of...

Building green energy facilities may produce substantial carbon emissions, says study

First, the bad news: Nothing is free. Moving the world energy system away from fossil fuels and into renewable sources will generate carbon emissions by itself, as construction of wind turbines, solar panels and other new infrastructure consumes energy—some of it necessarily coming from the fossil fuels we are trying to get rid of. The good news: If this infrastructure can be put on line...

Sacrificed monkey suggests peaceful ties between ancient Mesoamerican powers

With its hands and feet bound, a spider monkey went to its grave around 300 C.E., buried alive among sumptuous grave goods in the great city of Teotihuacan in central Mexico. A recent study of its bones suggests the animal may have been a diplomatic gift from the Maya, who lived far to the east, offering a peek at geopolitics in Mesoamerica a century before the two great powers clashed....

How deep learning empowers cell image analysis

The cell is the basic structural and functional unit of life, with varying sizes, shapes, and densities. There are many different physiological and pathological factors that influence these parameters. It is therefore extremely important for biomedical and pharmaceutical research to study the characteristics of cells.

Study finds you should keep your cats inside for the sake of their health and the surrounding environment

The next time you crack your backdoor to let your cat outside for its daily adventure, you may want to think again. For a cat, the outdoors is filled with undesirable potential. Like the risks of catching and transmitting diseases, and the uncontrollable drive to hunt and kill wildlife, which has been shown to reduce native animal populations and degrade biodiversity.

International body likely to protect many shark and ray species

In a decision conservation groups called historic, an intergovernmental organization has taken a significant step toward regulating the trade of nearly 100 species of sharks and rays , most of which are imperiled from overfishing. A committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) last week voted to oversee exports of...