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31 articles from ScienceDaily
A star's unexpected survival
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 23:24
Hundreds of millions of light-years away in a distant galaxy, a star orbiting a supermassive black hole is being violently ripped apart under the black hole's immense gravitational pull. As the star is shredded, its remnants are transformed into a stream of debris that rains back down onto the black hole to form a very hot, very bright disk of material swirling around the black hole, called an...
Bilingual kids could lead in ocean environmental action
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 23:24
Participation in environmental education programs can motivate children across diverse language groups to act responsibly toward the environment, a recent study suggests.
AI discovers new nanostructures
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:53
Scientists have successfully demonstrated that autonomous methods can discover new materials. The artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technique led to the discovery of three new nanostructures, including a first-of-its-kind nanoscale 'ladder.'
Study identifies potential new approach for treating lupus
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:53
Targeting iron metabolism in immune system cells may offer a new approach for treating systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) -- the most common form of the chronic autoimmune disease lupus. A multidisciplinary team of investigators has discovered that blocking an iron uptake receptor reduces disease pathology and promotes the activity of anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells in a mouse model of SLE.
Swarm intelligence caused by physical mechanisms
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:53
Seemingly spontaneously coordinated swarm behavior exhibited by large groups of animals is a fascinating and striking collective phenomenon. Experiments conducted on laser-controlled synthetic microswimmers now show that supposed swarm intelligence can sometimes also be the result of simple and generic physical mechanisms. A team of physicists found that swarms of synthetically produced Brownian...
How your mood affects the way you process language
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:53
When people are in a negative mood, they may be quicker to spot inconsistencies in things they read, a new study suggests.
Machine learning method improves cell identity understanding
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:53
When genes are activated and expressed, they show patterns in cells that are similar in type and function across tissues and organs. Discovering these patterns improves our understanding of cells -- which has implications for unveiling disease mechanisms. The advent of spatial transcriptomics technologies has allowed researchers to observe gene expression in their spatial context across entire...
Researchers create smaller, cheaper flow batteries for clean energy
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:53
Flow batteries offer a solution. Electrolytes flow through electrochemical cells from storage tanks in this rechargeable battery. The existing flow battery technologies cost more than $200/kilowatt hour and are too expensive for practical application, but engineers have now developed a more compact flow battery cell configuration that reduces the size of the cell by 75%, and correspondingly...
Preterm birth linked to chemicals found in the vagina, study finds
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:53
A new study has found that chemicals that accumulate in the vagina, potentially originating from personal care products, may contribute to preterm birth.
AI improves detail, estimate of urban air pollution
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:53
Using artificial intelligence, engineers have simplified and reinforced models that accurately calculate the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) -- the soot, dust and exhaust emitted by trucks and cars that get into human lungs -- contained in urban air pollution.
When migrating birds go astray, disturbances in magnetic field may be partly to blame
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:53
Disturbances to Earth's magnetic field can lead birds astray -- a phenomenon scientists call 'vagrancy' -- even in perfect weather, and especially during fall migration. While other factors such as weather likely play bigger roles in causing vagrancy, researchers found a strong correlation between birds that were captured far outside of their expected range and the geomagnetic disturbances that...
The world in grains of interstellar dust
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:53
Understanding how dust grains form in interstellar gas could offer significant insights to astronomers and help materials scientists develop useful nanoparticles.
One-pot reaction creates versatile building block for bioactive molecules
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:53
Chemists have found a simple way to produce previously inaccessible chiral Z-alkenes, molecules that offer a significant synthetic short-cut for the production of bioactive molecules. Instead of eight to ten synthetic steps to produce these molecules, the new reaction can be done in three steps.
Using paleogenomics to elucidate 10,000 years of immune system evolution
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:52
Scientists have used paleogenomics to trace 10,000 years of human immune system evolution. They analyzed the genomes of more than 2,800 individuals who lived in Europe over the past ten millennia. They were able to date the increase in frequency of most of the mutations that are advantageous in defending against pathogens to after the Bronze Age, 4,500 years ago. The scientists also observed that...
A novel, powerful tool to unveil the communication between gut microbes and the brain
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 20:52
This laboratory protocol gives researchers a road map to understand the complex traffic system between the gut and the brain and its effects both in health and disease.'
Interfacial interactions of the lead-free perovskite for efficient hydrogen production
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 17:28
The conversion of solar energy into hydrogen energy represents a promising and green technique for addressing the energy shortage and reducing fossil fuel emissions. A research team recently developed a lead-free perovskite photocatalyst that delivers highly efficient solar energy-to-hydrogen conversion.
Madagascar mouse lemur retroviruses are diverse and surprisingly similar to ones found in polar bears or domestic sheep
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 17:28
Madagascar is home to a unique biodiversity with a large number of endemic species, among those many lemur species, including the mouse lemurs. This diversity is also found in their retroviruses. Biologists analyzed the mouse lemur genome and identified viruses of two classes that represent ancient infections of the mouse lemur germline. The viruses now behave similarly to lemur genes and are thus...
NASA says 2022 fifth warmest year on record, warming trend continues
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 17:28
Earth's average surface temperature in 2022 tied with 2015 as the fifth warmest on record, according to an analysis by NASA. Continuing the planet's long-term warming trend, global temperatures in 2022 were 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit (0.89 degrees Celsius) above the average for NASA's baseline period (1951-1980), scientists report.
Why chocolate feels so good -- it is all down to lubrication
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 17:28
Scientists have decoded the physical process that takes place in the mouth when a piece of chocolate is eaten, as it changes from a solid into a smooth emulsion that many people find totally irresistible. By analyzing each of the steps, the interdisciplinary research team hope it will lead to the development of a new generation of luxury chocolates that will have the same feel and texture but will...
Researchers measure size-luminosity relation of galaxies less than a billion years after Big Bang
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 17:27
A team has studied the relation between galaxy size and luminosity of some of the earliest galaxies in the universe taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, less than a billion years after the Big Bang.
Breakthrough in fighting Legionnaires' disease
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 17:27
A new study of domestic and hospital drinking water systems found Legionella in 41% of samples -- with researchers making a key connection between the pathogen's co-existence with a 'host' microorganism in all samples tested. The study found Legionella bacteria 'infect the amoeba host and then once inside these hosts are protected from disinfection strategies.'
Theoretical computations identify a solid-state hydrogen storage material's key bottleneck
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 17:27
Magnesium hydride has long been touted for its potential to store large amounts of hydrogen, something essential if hydrogen is to play a role in powering a sustainable future. Yet, sluggish dehydrogenation kinetics and the high temperature required to decompose and produce hydrogen from the material have stymied its use. Now, researchers have identified why this is so, paving the way for future...
A precision arm for miniature robots
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 17:27
Until now, microscopic robotic systems have had to make do without arms. Now researchers have developed an ultrasonically actuated glass needle that can be attached to a robotic arm. This lets them pump and mix minuscule amounts of liquid and trap particles.
Managing emotions better could prevent pathological aging
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 17:27
Negative emotions, anxiety and depression are thought to promote the onset of neurodegenerative diseases and dementia. But what is their impact on the brain and can their deleterious effects be limited? Neuroscientists have observed the activation of the brains of young and older adults when confronted with the psychological suffering of others. The neuronal connections of the older adults show...
Feathered robotic wing paves way for flapping drones
- ScienceDaily
- 23/1/13 17:27
Birds fly more efficiently by folding their wings during the upstroke, according to a recent study. The results could mean that wing-folding is the next step in increasing the propulsive and aerodynamic efficiency of flapping drones.