112 articles from MONDAY 8.5.2023

Air pollution from oil and gas production responsible for $77 billion in annual US health damages, contributes to thousands of early deaths, childhood asthma cases nationwide

A new study found that air pollution from the oil and gas sector in the United States has substantial adverse impacts on air quality, human health, and health costs. The findings show that the pollutants nitrogen oxide (NO2), fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone (O3) from U.S. oil and gas production contributed to 7,500 excess deaths, 410,000 asthma attacks, and 2,200 new cases of childhood...

Leaky-wave metasurfaces: A perfect interface between free-space and integrated optical systems

Researchers have developed a new class of integrated photonic devices -- 'leaky-wave metasurfaces' -- that convert light initially confined in an optical waveguide to an arbitrary optical pattern in free space. These are the first to demonstrate simultaneous control of all four optical degrees of freedom. Because they're so thin, transparent, and compatible with photonic integrated circuits, they...

Tiny microbes could brew big benefits for green biomanufacturing

Scientists find new route in bacteria to decarbonize industry. The discovery could reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing of fuels, drugs, and chemicals. A research team has engineered bacteria to produce new-to-nature carbon products that could provide a powerful route to sustainable biochemicals.

Detailed image of the human retina

Researchers are creating a high-resolution atlas that depicts the development of the human retina. One technique they use is a new method that allows them to visualize more than 50 proteins simultaneously. The atlas helps scientists to better understand diseases.

Researchers develop model for how the brain acquires essential omega-3 fatty acids

Researchers have developed a zebrafish model that provides new insight into how the brain acquires essential omega-3 fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and linolenic acid (ALA), with the potential to improve understanding of lipid transport across the blood-brain barrier and of disruptions in this process that can lead to birth defects or neurological conditions.

Gaining a deeper understanding of how we connect

Homophily is the notion that humans tend to preferentially interact and connect with individuals who are like them in some way. In other words, it's the idea that "birds of a feather flock together." While traditional research focuses on measuring homophily from the perspective of two-way relationships, such as ones encoded by friendship links in a social network, many human interactions are...

NIH restarts bat virus grant suspended 3 years ago by Trump

Three years after then-President Donald Trump pressured the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to suspend a research grant to a U.S. group studying bat coronaviruses with partners in China, the agency has restarted the award. The new 4-year grant is a stripped-down version of the original grant to the EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit research organization in New York City,...

Dust cloud discovered around one of sky’s brightest stars

High-resolution images from James Webb space telescope reveal two rings of debris around FomalhautAstronomers have spotted an asteroid belt and an enormous dust cloud around one of the nearest and brightest stars in the night sky.Known as Fomalhaut, the star lies 25 light years from Earth in the constellation of Piscis Austrinus, or the southern fish. Though best seen from the southern hemisphere,...

Evolution of the largest of the large dinosaurs

Sauropods—including iconic long-necked dinosaurs like Brachiosaurus and Apatosaurus—were the largest animals ever to walk the earth. No other dinosaur or land mammal even comes close. Now, a new Adelphi University study provides insights into how these super giants achieved their record-breaking sizes over time.

Automated detection of embryonic developmental defects

Complex multicellular organisms can only emerge from fertilized eggs because embryonic development is biologically precisely regulated. Cellular communication through signaling pathways plays a crucial role in this context. If the activities of the signaling pathways are disturbed, the embryo will show characteristic developmental defects.

Webb Looks for Fomalhaut’s Asteroid Belt and Finds Much More

Portal origin URL: Webb Looks for Fomalhaut’s Asteroid Belt and Finds Much MorePortal origin nid: 487081Published: Monday, May 8, 2023 - 11:00Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: Astronomers used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to image the warm dust around a nearby young star, Fomalhaut, in order to study the first asteroid belt ever seen outside...

Elucidating the mysteries of enzyme evolution at the macromolecular level

Professor Nicolas Doucet and his team at Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) made a major breakthrough earlier this year in the field of evolutionary conservation of molecular dynamics in enzymes. Their work, published in the journal Structure, points to potential applications in health, including the development of new drugs to treat serious diseases such as cancer or to counter...

Anti-depressant agent KNT-127 reduces stress as well as depression

Depression is a condition affecting millions across the globe. However, efficient drugs with minimal adverse effects are scarce. Now, researchers have reported how KNT-127, a delta opioid receptor agonist, quickly and efficiently reduces classic parameters of depression in a mouse model. This anti-depressant agent exhibits the dual nature of being a stress reliever and an anti-depressant and could...

Symmetric graphene quantum dots for future qubits

Quantum dots in semiconductors such as silicon or gallium arsenide have long been considered hot candidates for hosting quantum bits in future quantum processors. Scientists have now shown that bilayer graphene has even more to offer here than other materials. The double quantum dots they have created are characterized by a nearly perfect electron-hole-symmetry that allows a robust read-out...

The influence of AI on trust in human interaction

As AI becomes increasingly realistic, our trust in those with whom we communicate may be compromised. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have examined how advanced AI systems impact our trust in the individuals we interact with.

Researchers close to unleashing rapeseed's protein power for human consumption

Half of plant proteins in the EU come from rapeseed plants. Until now, the plant has only been used for oil and animal feed, as it is both bitter and unsafe for human consumption. In a new study, researchers have gotten closer to removing the plant's bitter substances, and in doing so, are paving the way for a new protein source to support the green transition.