148 articles from TUESDAY 24.1.2023

An online tool can help researchers synthesize millions of molecules

Enzymes are substances that cause chemical reactions. Certain types of enzymes, such as polyketide synthases and nonribosomal peptide synthetases, have the ability to shuffle their parts, allowing them to produce new chemicals. If scientists can understand how these enzymes shuffle their parts, they can understand how to use them to synthesize millions of molecules, such as pharmaceuticals and...

Researchers report on metal alloys that could support nuclear fusion energy

At the end of 2022, researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory announced they had observed a net energy gain through nuclear fusion for the very first time. This monumental milestone toward fusion energy represents a huge leap forward in powering our homes and businesses with the carbon-neutral energy source. But converting this scientific achievement into a practical power source also...

Actin found to affect the spread of cancer in several ways

Metastases occur when cancer cells leave a primary tumor and spread throughout the body. For this to happen, they have to break connections with neighboring cells and migrate to other tissues. Both processes are promoted by signaling molecules released by the cancer cells, which thereby increase the malignancy of tumors.

Mathematicians prove the existence of hidden attractors in an electrical circuit

Scientists from St Petersburg University and the Kotelnikov Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IRE RAS), together with Professor Leon Chua from the University of California, Berkeley, have demonstrated experimentally the existence of hidden attractors—points in the basins of attraction in a simple electrical circuit.

Gun control measures associated with reduced police use of force

As police departments and activists look for strategies to reduce excessive use of force by police, new research from the University of Michigan shows limited data, lack of transparency and irregular implementation of reforms make it difficult to determine which approaches are effective.

Scientists use cavefish to learn more about metabolism and the evolutionary basis of being a couch potato

Stay-at-home orders issued at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic ushered the hoarding of food and surges in digital entertainment subscriptions, restaurant take-out and delivery services—a perfect storm for a collective couch potato phenomenon. Now, researchers have discovered what prolonged physical inactivity may mean for humans many thousands of years down the road by studying cavefish.

Polygamous birds shown to have fewer harmful mutations

Bird species that breed with several sexual partners have fewer harmful mutations, according to a study led by the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath. The study, published in Evolution, shows for the first time how polygamy increases the efficiency of natural selection in wild populations.

Despite opposition, Japan may soon dump Fukushima wastewater into the Pacific

TOKYO— The Japanese government is pushing ahead with its plan to release 1.3 million tons of radioactive water from the defunct Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. The release could begin as early as this spring or summer, according to materials distributed at a 13 January ministerial meeting. But it has stirred broad opposition—from Japan’s...

Supporting evidence-based policymaking in The Gambia

Researchers working on the FACE-Africa project have co-developed country-specific information and tools with Gambian food system stakeholders to evaluate possible strategies for adapting to climate change and ensuring sufficient healthy food for The Gambia. Their recommendations and key findings are now available in a new IIASA policy brief.

Berlin could produce more than 80% of its fresh vegetables locally, says study

Berlin has enough space for urban gardening, and up to 82 percent of Berlin's vegetable consumption could be produced locally, a new study finds. "The amount of vegetables represents a significant share of the annual consumption," highlights Diego Rybski, an external faculty member from the Complexity Science Hub and a co-author of the paper that will appear in the April issue of Sustainable...

Elio Antonio de Nebrija: From academic icon to object of mockery

Professor Lola Pons, of the Department of Spanish Language, Linguistics and Literature at the University of Seville, has just published a study of a satirical work on marriage written in the 17th century by an anonymous author. Joking about courtship or wedding nights has a long tradition in Western literature. However, the distinctive feature of this work is that, to justify many of its...

Humans able to understand other apes better than thought, research suggests

Study from St Andrew’s University gauges ability of people to interpret bonobo and chimpanzee gesturesWe may not be able to strike up a conversation, debate politics or chat about the meaning of life with other great apes, but our ability to understand one another might be greater than once thought.Researchers have discovered adult humans can discern the meaning of gestures produced by bonobos...

Nasa to test nuclear rockets that could fly astronauts to Mars in record time

Project, in concert with US government agency Darpa, aims to develop pioneering propulsion system for space travelNasa has unveiled plans to test nuclear-powered rockets that would fly astronauts to Mars in ultra-fast time.The agency has partnered with the US government’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) to demonstrate a nuclear thermal rocket engine in space as soon as 2027, it...