technical updates

Geneticist Jolanda van Leeuwen remembers the day she made a striking observation that would take her down a new research path. A strain of yeast cells carrying a complete deletion of an essential gene in their genomes, which should be lethal, somehow thrived in the Petri dish as if perfectly healthy. Van Leeuwen later determined that the cells had developed another mutation that allowed them to bypass the harmful effects associated with the missing gene. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/34aMhxB

Ocean water column information profiles are essential for ocean research. Currently, water column profiles are typically obtained by ocean lidar instruments, including spaceborne, airborne and shipborne lidar. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3l5PKEx

As an important light-absorbing aerosol, black carbon (BC) can affect the energy balance of the earth-atmosphere system via direct and indirect radiative forcing. When BC deposits on snow and ice, it can trigger BC-snow/ice feedbacks, further affecting climate. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/33hPcp0

Life on Earth is all about strategies for survival, with every organism developing behaviors and bodies that maximize chances of staying alive and reproducing while minimizing the likelihood of being injured or eaten. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3kZQMBF

The western area of the Iberian Peninsula could be determinant in the origin of the ancestral population of Drosophila subobscura, an invasive species widely spread across multiple latitudes. This is the conclusion of a study of adaptive genetic markers now published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, which was led by Marta Pascual from the Faculty of Biology and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the University of Barcelona. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3l2T5Uu

In a research paper published by The Astrophysical Journal Letters, an international team of astrophysicists, including scientists from the University of Surrey, detail how they discovered a group of stars with different characteristics than their neighbors found in the Milky Way's Nuclear Star Cluster (NSC). from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3cJs2L1

Scientists from the University of Portsmouth and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, have come up with a formula to help plant breeders and farmers around the world grow crops in a more sustainable way. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3insSyA

Satellite imagery has revealed that two of the fastest-changing glaciers in Antarctica are fracturing and weakening faster than ever—the first step towards the glaciers disintegrating and causing sea levels to rise dramatically. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3cGfNz2

Pandemic-related restrictions on economic activity resulted in a massive reduction in working hours in March and April 2020. Only the key professions and those jobs that could be done from home were largely spared. Once the strict lockdown rules were relaxed, the sectors that were particularly affected recovered relatively quickly, while other sectors recorded a significant drop in hours. This is shown in a new study by economists of the Cologne-Bonn Cluster of Excellence ECONtribute and the Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), which is based on detailed Dutch data. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2EM8IjZ

Venus might not be a sweltering, waterless hellscape today, if Jupiter hadn't altered its orbit around the sun, according to new UC Riverside research. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/34cJtQw

Mars is lighting up the night sky as the planet heads toward an unusually close approach to Earth on Oct. 6. from Space.com https://ift.tt/33d51gt

More than 300 million people in low-lying river deltas, mostly in poorer nations, are exposed to flooding from tropical storms made more deadly and destructive by global warming, researchers said Tuesday. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2Gm8bpm

A new study provides substantial evidence that the first fossil feather ever to be discovered does belong to the iconic Archaeopteryx, a bird-like dinosaur named in Germany on this day in 1861. This debunks a recent theory that the fossil feather originated from a different species. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2HApCTw

University of Maryland entomologists discovered that a gene critical for survival in other insects is missing in mosquitos—the gene responsible for properly arranging the insects' segmented bodies. The researchers also found that a related gene evolved to take over the missing gene's job. Although laboratory studies have shown that similar genes can be engineered to substitute for one another, this is the first time that scientists identified a gene that naturally evolved to perform the same critical function as a related gene long after the two genes diverged down different evolutionary paths. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3kSXVUm

Australia has approved two major new fossil fuel projects that proponents in the climate change-vulnerable nation say will create badly needed jobs despite growing concerns over emissions. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/34cll0o

On the rooftop of a Singapore shopping mall, a sprawling patch of eggplants, rosemary, bananas and papayas stand in colourful contrast to the grey skyscrapers of the city-state's business district. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3cPHxBh

A video explaining Apple's battle with Fortnite-maker Epic Games after the iPhone-maker removed Fortnite from its App Store over policy violation from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/3447EAk

Taiwan's largest zoo has celebrated a flurry of births in recent months—including pandas and pangolins—in a welcome boost during a visitor slump due to the coronavirus. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/36wj6Ib

Scientists at the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center have developed an unusually rich picture of who is eating whom off the Northeastern United States. The findings, published recently in Fish and Fisheries, provide a close look at fish feeding habits for 17 fish species, predators, and their prey. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3ijtftI

A previously banned insecticide, which was approved for agricultural use last year in the United States, is harmful for bees and other beneficial insects that are crucial for agriculture, and a second pesticide in widespread use also harms these insects. That is according to a new analysis from researchers at The University of Texas at Austin. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3ihs4ev

Fences are one of humanity's most frequent landscape alterations, with their combined length exceeding even that of roads by an order of magnitude. Despite their ubiquity, they have received far less research scrutiny than many human-built structures. Writing in BioScience , Alex McIntuff, who was at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, at the time of this research and is now with UC Santa Barbara, and a global team characterize the current state of fence research and generate a typology to guide future efforts. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3cI2MF7

The Special Issue, 'Protecting and sustainably using the world's plants and fungi', brings together the research—from 210 scientists across 42 countries—behind the 2020 State of the World's Plants and Fungi report, also released today by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3jhydbI

The number of mutations that can contribute to aging may be significantly higher than previously believed, according to new research on fruit flies. The study by scientists at Linköping University, Sweden, supports a new theory about the type of mutation that can lie behind aging. The results have been published in BMC Biology. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2SexjRi

Firefighters say they hoped dying winds would enable them to bear down on a wildfire that exploded in the Northern California wine country, prompting tens of thousands of evacuations while a second blaze killed at least three people. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3i7gTow

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler on Monday ridiculed California Gov. Gavin Newsom's plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035, saying the proposal raises "significant questions of legality." from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3cCzoQE

China's success in improving air quality by cutting polluting emissions may have a negative knock-on effect on climate change overall, a new study has found. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2EFMEY2

Small watery droplets on the edges of blueberry bush leaves are loaded with nutrients for many insects, including bees, wasps and flies, according to a Rutgers-led study, the first of its kind. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/33er5aJ

Scientists often refer to the neutrino as the "ghost particle." Neutrinos were one of the most abundant particles at the origin of the universe and remain so today. Fusion reactions in the sun produce vast armies of them, which pour down on the Earth every day. Trillions pass through our bodies every second, then fly through the Earth as though it were not there. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/33epthb

First described in the 13th century in Russia, clubroot has been affecting worldwide brassica production, including canola, broccoli, and black mustard, since. Clubroot is so tenacious because the casual pathogen produces resting spores that can survive in infected soil for decades, surviving harsh environments like cold winters and hot summers. It is also easily transferable from field to field when farmers share equipment. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2S4KLYa

The emergence of jaws in primitive fish allowed vertebrates to become top predators. What is less appreciated is another evolutionary innovation that may have been just as important for the success of early vertebrates: the formation of covers to protect and pump water over the gills. In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), USC Stem Cell scientists and their collaborators have identified a key modification to the genome that led to the evolution of gill covers more than 430 million years ago. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2S4KKn4

A study conducted by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and Brown University found that the vast majority of license suspensions are for non-driving-related events, such as failure to pay a fine or appear in court, and that these suspensions disproportionately affect those living in low-income communities and in communities with a greater percentage of Black and Hispanic residents. The study, which was published in the Journal of Transport & Health, is the first large-scale empirical study to document widespread disparities in the prevalence of suspensions using individual-level data and to demonstrate how that prevalence has been changing over time. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2EGlG2v

Introducing high doses of gluten from four months of age into infants' diets could prevent them from developing celiac disease, a study has found, though researchers say further studies are needed before being applied in practice. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/30d5HjV

A study of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 suggests that the disease might deteriorate men's testosterone levels. The study found that as men's testosterone level at baseline decreases, the probability for them to be in the intensive care unit (ICU) significantly increases. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2EMuVyo

Travel bans will delay the peak of infection with days, while social distancing has a much stronger impact, amounting in up to 4 weeks delay, scientists report. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2SadESN

Testing self-collected saliva samples could offer an easy and effective mass testing approach for detecting asymptomatic COVID-19. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/30hFoJB

Researchers encountered a puzzle at Cape Irizar, a rocky cape located just south of the Drygalski Ice Tongue on the Scott Coast, Ross Sea. He found both ancient and what appeared to be fresh remains of Adelie penguins, mostly of chicks, which frequently die and accumulate at these colonies. However, the 'fresh' remains were puzzling, he says, because there are no records of an active penguin colony at this site. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3jfNU3o

'Zombie fires' and burning of fire-resistant vegetation are new features driving Arctic fires -- with strong consequences for the global climate -- warn international fire scientists. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/33bVnLi

Simultaneous heatwaves and droughts are becoming increasingly common in western parts of the Unites States, according to a new study. Periods of dry and hot weather, which can make wildfires more likely, are becoming larger, more intense, and more frequent because of climate change. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3kSMzzK

Surviving on a warming planet can be a matter of timing -- but simply shifting lifecycle stages to match the tempo of climate change has hidden dangers for some animals, according to new research. The study has uncovered drastic consequences for birds that are breeding earlier in lockstep with earlier starts of spring: chicks hatching earlier face increased risk of poor weather conditions, food shortages and mortality. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2S7HaIJ

Navigating through life requires balancing emotion and reason, a feat accomplished by the brain region 'area 32' of the anterior cingulate cortex. The area maintains emotional equilibrium by relaying information between cognitive and emotional brain regions, according to new research. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2HFPyNK

Experiencing multiple stressors triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic -- such as unemployment -- and COVID-19-related media consumption are directly linked to rising acute stress and depressive symptoms across the United States, according to a new study. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2G7Y0F1

Landslides have long-term effects on tundra vegetation, a new study shows. Conducting the study in North West Siberia, the researchers found that tundra vegetation regenerated rapidly after a major landslide event in 1989. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3n1OYde

Researchers have shown that over the past two thousand years, volcanoes have played a larger role in natural temperature variability than previously thought, and their climatic effects may have contributed to past societal and economic change. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3kVtRrb

Early results of an experimental vaping study have shown significant lung injury from e-cigarette devices with nickel-chromium alloy heating elements. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/33aYmDD

Long after a COVID-19 vaccination is developed and years after the coronavirus death toll is tallied, the impact on mental health will linger, continuing to inflict damage if not addressed, according to new research. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/34mE2P9

A type of anti-bacterial T cells, so-called MAIT cells, are strongly activated in people with moderate to severe COVID-19 disease, according to a new study. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2S5KJ1Y

Every Thursday at 8:30am EST, the Labor Department releases the number of Americans who have filed for unemployment in the last week. By mid-June, the total number of Americans impacted by the "corona-recession" had hit nearly 46 million—in other words, one in four American workers was unemployed. While there have been some bright spots in recent weeks, with the economy adding almost 1.8 million jobs in July, there are signs that a recent spike in coronavirus cases nationwide could reverse that trend. The federal government has passed over $3 trillion in stimulus measures, but with the economy still bleeding, everyone from Treasury Secretary Mnuchin to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi agrees that more stimulus is needed to dig us out of our COVID-19-induced economic ravine. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2S5iosH

It's been 7,000 years since indigenous rural communities of the Andes first grew quinoa. Among these deserted highlands, recognized by the United Nations as "globally important ingenious agricultural heritage systems" (GIAHS), farmers have always faced drought, frost and the difficulties of intense solar radiation. In the context of the ongoing climate and pandemic crises, traditional crops such as quinoa now have an even more fundamental role to play in preserving the local biodiversity heritage. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3jaK23j

Frogs are one of the most threatened groups of animals on Earth. At least four of Australia's 240 known frog species are extinct and 36 are nationally threatened. After last summer's bushfires, we needed rapid information to determine which frogs required our help. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3jbJcnd

Using the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), an international team of astronomers has investigated a recently discovered X-ray transient designated MAXI J1348−630. Results of the new observations suggest that the source is a black hole X-ray binary. The study is detailed in a paper published September 16 on arXiv.org. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3cGP7ye

A new study shows extraneous images draw attention from text, reducing comprehension in beginning readers. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/30epCz8

CHEOPS keeps its promise: Observations with the space telescope reveal details of the exoplanet WASP-189b - one of the most extreme planets known. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2HCXxLw

In the coming years and decades, various nations want to explore the moon, and plan to send astronauts there again for this purpose. But on our inhospitable satellite, space radiation poses a significant risk. Scientists report for the first time on time-resolved measurements of the radiation on the moon. The measurements show an equivalent dose rate of about 60 microsieverts per hour. In comparison, on a long-haul flight from Frankfurt to New York, it is about 5 to 10 times lower, and on the ground well over 200 times lower. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3cA7QLK

Scientists used computer simulations to better understand the mechanical transition in glassy materials. They found that a system-wide network provides the backbone that gives glass its strength. This work may lead to advances in the production of stronger glass for smartphones and other applications. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3jbFcmG

A new study finds any alcohol use during pregnancy, even low levels, is associated with subtle, yet significant behavioural and psychological effects in children including anxiety, depression and poor attention. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/36i1Tlp

CHEOPS keeps its promise: Observations with the space telescope have revealed details of the exoplanet WASP-189b—one of the most extreme planets known. CHEOPS is a joint mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) and Switzerland, under the aegis of the University of Bern in collaboration with the University of Geneva. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/36jDEU9

With the summer heat becoming increasingly unbearable and prolonged due to climate change, the cooling load in the summertime has also been on the rise. Insulation is currently the primary solution for blocking heat from entering a building, but applying an additional material that delays heat penetration can suppress the indoor temperature from rising and in turn lower the cooling load of the building. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3mWGlRe

Researchers from ITMO University's ChemBio Cluster have developed an inkjet printing technology that makes it possible to produce images that can only be seen in polarized light—such as when using a smartphone screen. The new technology will help manufacturers protect their products from forgery. An article concerning the technology was published in ACS Applied Material Interfaces. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/36csHDJ

Knowing the state of mammalian cells, in particular neural cells, depends on advances in nanotechnology‐based interfaces. Nanotechnology offers new technical possibilities to unravel the connectivity routes of the nervous system by adding nanoscale features for a more intimate interface with neurons. In this regard, non-invasive microelectrodes of improved design and low impedance are highly desired. So far flexible electrodes have been proposed, but only a few combine flexibility with both nanostructure and a low impedance. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3iaEOmX

New technology to be used in lithium batteries can make them charge faster. The material graphite that was often used, already had a successor that could not further be improved, was the assumption. Until now, as researchers of the MESA+ Institute of the University of Twente found out that by nano structuring the material, new 'paths' will be created for lithium ions. This makes the battery charge faster, the researchers show in a paper published in the Journal of Power Sources. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/36bdW40

Using observations made with the Gran Telescopio Canarias (GTC), at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (Garafía, La Palma, Canary Islands), and with the ATACAMA Large Millimeter/submillimetre Array (ALMA), in Chile, astronomers have found the first galaxy whose ultraviolet luminosity is comparable to that of a quasar. The discovery was recently published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letters. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3cEH8Sb

Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, along with their collaborators at Zhejiang University of Technology, China, and RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Japan, made significant advances in constraining the age of the early Earth's magma oceans. The results were recently published in Nature Communications. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/36f0jAO

National University of Singapore physicists have developed a sensitive two-dimensional (2-D) magnetic field sensor, which can potentially improve the detection of nanoscale magnetic domains for data storage applications. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3kXVpMP

SpaceX will launch 60 Starlink satellites into orbit today (Sept. 28) and you can watch it live here. from Space.com https://ift.tt/3cDKSDB

About 100 million years ago, a gigantic meteorite collided with Australia, creating a 3-mile-wide impact crater. from Space.com https://ift.tt/3n0UCw8

According to a recent paper, Venus was doomed from the start, but may have been accelerated in its path to dry-town through the gravitational influence of the great bully of the solar system: Jupiter. from Space.com https://ift.tt/2G6X9Er

Reading is the gateway for learning, but one-third of elementary school students in the United States do not read at grade level. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are exploring how the design of reading materials affects literacy development. They find that an overly busy page with extraneous images can draw the reader's attention away from the text, resulting in lower understanding of content. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2EHN7Jq

Researchers have shown that over the past two thousand years, volcanoes have played a larger role in natural temperature variability than previously thought, and their climatic effects may have contributed to past societal and economic change. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/36bS7kM

With the worldwide spike in unemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many people may turn to volunteerism as a way to pass their newly found free time. But new research suggests that volunteers who also receive government aid are often judged negatively as "wasting time" that could be used to find paid employment. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3mWciJx

A new article examines the ways in which COVID-19 disproportionately impacts historically disadvantaged communities of color in the United States, and how baseline inequalities in our health system are amplified by the pandemic. The authors also discuss potential solutions. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3i9Ea9a

Researchers have shaken up a once accepted timeline for cataclysmic events in the early solar system. Geological and geochemical records indicate that the Earth-Moon system experienced a period of frequent and cataclysmic impacts from asteroids and other bodies. It was thought that this period had a relatively sudden onset, but the researchers have found evidence that this bombardment period may have started much earlier, and decreased in intensity over time. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/347O9Ha

The largest-ever study of tree rings from Norilsk in the Russian Arctic has shown that the direct and indirect effects of industrial pollution in the region and beyond are far worse than previously thought. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2G8P4Pn

While the Y chromosome's role was believed to be limited to the functions of the sexual organs, a scientist has shown that it impacts the functions of other organs as well. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/33a60y9

By developing better computer simulations, researchers have determined that the scattering of stars from their orbits by the gravity of massive clumps within galaxies leads to a common look in galaxy disks -- bright centers fading away to dark edges. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/34adBMu

Astronomers spotted a pair of massive baby stars growing in salty cosmic soup. Each star is shrouded by a gaseous disk which includes molecules of sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt, and heated water vapor. Analyzing the radio emissions from the salt and water, the team found that the disks are counter rotating. It is promising that salt is an excellent marker to explore the immediate surroundings of giant baby stars. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/344xbcL

Thunderstorms often provoke violent cloud bursts that can result in devastating flooding. But what actually spawns thunderstorms and cloud bursts? This question has spurred a new study. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3i7R7Rc

Nearly 50 years ago, a power company received permission from North Carolina to build a reservoir by damming a creek near the coastal city of Wilmington. It would provide a source of steam to generate electricity and a place to cool hot water from an adjacent coal-fired plant. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3i7jEGk

Typically, computer models of climate become more and more complex as researchers strive to capture more details of our Earth's system, but according to a team of researchers, to assess risks, less complex models, with their ability to better sample uncertainties, may be a better choice. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3czXsna

A private cargo spacecraft will lift off from Virginia on Tuesday (Sept. 29), carrying nearly 8,000 lbs. (3,629 kilograms) of supplies to the International Space Station — including a new toilet. from Space.com https://ift.tt/36azBt3

A roundup of the various pushback and criticisms to the claim that there could be life on Venus from Space.com https://ift.tt/3367Tvs

What might Earth be like crowned with rings? Space and science- fiction illustrator Ron Miller created extraordinary images of how the sky might look if Earth possessed such rings. from Space.com https://ift.tt/343ZiZv

China's surprise pledge to slash its carbon footprint to zero by 2060 was met with cautious applause, but fresh spending on coal to rev up a virus-hit economy threatens to nullify its audacious bid to lead the world into a low carbon future. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3j8IPd4

A lone whale was rescued from among hundreds of carcasses Sunday, taking to 110 the number of creatures that survived a mass stranding in southern Australia. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/30b7HJH

Sharing a home with a pet appeared to act as a buffer against psychological stress during lockdown, a new survey shows. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3mVP2LG

Researchers suggest that carriers of the genetic mutations PiZ and PiS are at high risk for severe illness and even death from COVID-19. These mutations lead to deficiency in the alpha1-antitrypsin protein, which protects lung tissues from damage in case of severe infections. Other studies have already associated deficiency in this protein with inflammatory damage to lung function in other diseases. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2G2uhgK

The life-support option known as ECMO appears to be saving lives for many of the critically ill COVID-19 patients who receive it. Patients in a new international study faced a staggeringly high risk of death, as ventilators and other care failed to support their lungs. But after they were placed on ECMO, their actual death rate was less than 40 percent. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/306DjAb

Researchers found that gently heating N95 masks in high relative humidity could inactivate SARS-CoV-2 virus trapped within the masks, without degrading the masks' performance. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3i76b1d

Texas officials on Saturday lifted a warning for all but one Houston-area community to stop using tap water because it might be tainted with a deadly brain-eating microbe. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2FTFIY9

How do animals adapt when seasons change?Adapting to seasonal changes is crucial for survival, and many animals migrate, grow a winter coat or adjust from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/3kT0cie

The group recorded advertisement calls of the western burrowing frog from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/2G5owid

In January, London will begin the world’s first human challenge trial, the Financial Times reported. The trial will be run by hVivo, a spinout from Qu from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/30cqNit

The most likely route is aerosol or droplet transmission from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/369yB8z

Researchers have developed a tool for a near real-time mapping of flood extent from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/3i32wBz

The fuss-free Celestron FirstScope 76 is an easy telescope to use, but expectations should be tailored when looking through the eyepiece from Space.com https://ift.tt/3dNzDId

Celestron's Astro Fi 130 combines good optics with the latest in telescope technology — but is it the right telescope for you? from Space.com https://ift.tt/3bGuJLJ

While declines in U.S. hospital admissions during the onset of COVID-19 has been well-documented, little is known about how admissions during the rebound varied by age, insurance coverage and socioeconomic groups. The decline in non-COVID-19 admissions was similar across all demographic subgroups but the partial rebound that followed shows that non-COVID-19 admissions for residents from Hispanic neighborhoods was significantly lower than for other groups. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/3kMluyf

People of Asian ancestry face yet another set of challenges posed by racism and xenophobia which has soared during the COVID-19 pandemic. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/36cFKF4

The anxiety, stress and worry brought on by COVID-19 is not limited to daytime hours. The pandemic is affecting our dreams as well, infusing more anxiety and negative emotions into dreams and spurring dreams about the virus itself, particularly among women, according to new research. from Latest Science News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/2GgmaN9

Liftoff is scheduled for 12:10 a.m. EDT (0410 GMT) on Sunday (Sept. 27). from Space.com https://ift.tt/3kOXWZt

As International Observe the Moon Night goes virtual this year, NASA is inviting the public to join a live celebration online. from Space.com https://ift.tt/3mSArAH

A geomagnetic storm that sparked spectacular aurora displays could also have contributed to the sinking of the Titanic. from Space.com https://ift.tt/3cyXFXG

Firefighters and officials at California's largest utility company braced for hot, dry and windy weather in northern and central areas of the state this weekend that may fan the flames of several major wildfires or ignite new ones. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3cwpWhu

It is important to wear a mask and improve ventilation to check spread from The Hindu - Science https://ift.tt/3mW3fIk

Where rivers meet oceans, each cycle of the tide moves water in and out of estuaries. The mixing and mingling of fresh and briny water, combined with seasonal weather, creates a unique environment for ecosystems in coastal estuaries and upstream tidal rivers. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2RUZdBS

Wolves today live and hunt in packs, which helps them take down large prey. But when did this group behavior evolve? An international research team has reported specimens of an ancestral wolf, Canis chihliensis, from the Ice Age of north China (~1.3 million years ago), with debilitating injuries to the jaws and leg. The wolf survived these injuries long enough to heal, supporting the likelihood of food-sharing and family care in this early canine. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3kJII8b

Escherichia coli, known as E. coli, are bacteria which many people associate with causing mild food poisoning, but some types of E. coli can be fatal. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2FYS7Ki

Soil respiration is a significant indicator for estimating the terrestrial carbon budget under climate change. It is the second-largest source of carbon emissions to the atmosphere from the terrestrial ecosystem on a global scale. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/367xndS

Prof. Jia Yu from the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and his collaborators, unveiled for the first time some deep connections between two fundamental nonperturbative parameters that characterize the intrinsic properties of heavy mesons—helpful for predicting heavy meson hard exclusive production processes with better accuracy. The study was published in Physical Review Letters, following up on a study published in Physical Review D in 2019. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3ct8daX

Coaxial extrusion printing has been developing toward generating microtubes for mimicking tubular tissues these years. However, generated microtubes with insufficient mechanical properties and their uncontrollable, inherent swelling attribute hinder their use as load-bearing tubular tissue. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/309ZHZg

Cadmium (Cd), classified as a human carcinogen, is dispersed into aquatic ecosystems mainly through industrial processes or via the application of phosphate fertilizers. The high solubility of Cd in water facilitates its wide distribution in aquatic systems, and it can be readily taken up by aquatic plants and cause phytotoxicity. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/33ZFoz2

In recent years, a green synthesis approach involving plants has gained great attention with the aim of generating environment-friendly nanoparticles encompassing a vast range of applications.  from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/36dNjey

Heatwaves in the world's oceans have become over 20 times more frequent due to human influence. This is what researchers from the Oeschger Center for Climate Research at the University of Bern are now able to prove. Marine heatwaves destroy ecosystems and damage fisheries. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3i2W9yn

By measuring brain signals, a neuroscience research group at the University of Tübingen has demonstrated for the first time that corvid songbirds possess subjective experiences. Simultaneously recording behavior and brain activity enabled the group headed by Professor Andreas Nieder to show that crows are capable of consciously perceiving sensory input. Until now this type of consciousness has only been witnessed in humans and other primates, which have completely different brain structures to birds. "The results of our study opens up a new way of looking at the evolution of awareness and its neurobiological constraints," says Nieder. The study has been published in the journal Science on September 24, 2020. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3mU15cf

Unlike secondary batteries that need to be recharged, fuel cells are a type of eco-friendly power generation system that produce electricity directly from electrochemical reactions using hydrogen as fuel and oxygen as oxidant. There are various types of fuel cells, differing in operating temperatures and electrolyte materials. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), which use a ceramic electrolyte, are receiving increasing attention. Because they operate at high temperatures around 700 degrees Celsius, they offer the highest efficiency among fuel cell types, and can also be used to produce hydrogen by steam decomposition. For the commercialization of this technology, further improvement of cell performance is necessary, and novel high-temperature catalyst materials are highly anticipated. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/2S4sbPD

The OSIRIS-REx probe is scheduled to pull off NASA's first-ever asteroid-sampling operation on Oct. 20, snagging precious dirt and gravel from a carbon-rich space rock called Bennu. from Space.com https://ift.tt/34dTnl1

Unusual flashes of gamma rays could reveal that what appear to be giant black holes are actually huge wormholes, a new study finds. from Space.com https://ift.tt/3mREBZG

A high-tech pioneer for NASA's moon-orbiting Gateway space station is being readied for liftoff early next year. from Space.com https://ift.tt/3iXOwKJ

In 1921, Albert Einstein received the Nobel Prize in physics for the discovery that light is quantized, interacting with matter as a stream of particles called photons. Since these early days of quantum mechanics, physicists have known that photons also possess momentum. The photon's ability to transfer momentum was used in a novel approach by scientists of the Max Born Institute, Uppsala University and the European X-ray Free-Electron Laser Facility to observe a fundamental process in the interaction of X-rays with atoms. The detailed experimental and theoretical results are reported in the journal Science. from Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories https://ift.tt/3kHAAos