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Researchers from York University and the University of British Columbia have found social media use to be one of the factors related to the spread of COVID-19 within dozens of countries during the early stages of the pandemic.The researchers say this finding resembles other examples of social media misinformation ranging from the initial phase of vaccine rollout to the 2021 Capitol riot in the United States.

Small pieces of plastic are everywhere, stretching from urban environments to pristine wilderness. Left to their own devices, it can take hundreds of years for them to degrade completely. Catalysts activated by sunlight could speed up the process, but getting these compounds to interact with microplastics is difficult. In a proof-of-concept study, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces developed self-propelled microrobots that can swim, attach to plastics and break them down.

Chronic inflammation in the gut may propel processes in the body that give rise to Parkinson's disease, according to a study by scientists at Van Andel Institute and Roche.The study, published in Free Neuropathology, is the latest in a growing list that links the gut and the immune system to Parkinson's.

Organic photovoltaics max out at 15%-20% efficiency. Lehigh University researchers are using physics-informed machine learning to improve this efficiency. Their findings suggest a machine learning model, trained on coarse grained molecular models, can identify the optimal parameters for manufacturing in much less time than traditional methods. The researchers are currently exploring alternative materials for solar cells and will use their machine learning framework to optimize the production of such materials.

The WHO and the CDC recommend keeping a certain distance between people to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These social distancing recommendations are estimated from a variety of studies, but further research about the precise mechanism of virus transport is still needed. In Physics of Fluids, researchers demonstrate normal breathing indoors without a mask can transport saliva droplets capable of carrying virus particles 2.2 meters in 90 seconds.

Watching honeybees buzz among flowers, it's easy to see how the expression "busy as a bee" arose. One of many movements a bee's body makes is the repetitive curving and straightening of its abdomen. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have found that tiny hairs reduce friction from these motions, saving energy for the industrious insects' daily activities while reducing wear and tear. This knowledge could help researchers design longer-lasting moving parts.

Engineers at Duke University have demonstrated a prototype X-ray scanning machine that reveals not just the shape of an object but its molecular composition. With unprecedented resolution and accuracy, the technology could revolutionize a wide range of fields such as cancer surgery, pathology, drug inspection and geology.

How are the squirrels doing this year? The bears? The armadillos? How would you know? A new paper published June 8, 2021 sets up the framework for answering these questions across the United States by releasing the data from the first national mammal survey made up of 1,509 motion-activated camera traps from 110 sites located across all 50 states.

New UArizona research finds that the target asteroid of NASA's Psyche mission may not be as metallic or dense as previously predicted, hinting that it might not be an exposed planetary core after all.

A study shows that a deep neural network model can accurately predict the brain age of healthy patients based on electroencephalogram data recorded during an overnight sleep study, and EEG-predicted brain age indices display unique characteristics within populations with different diseases.

A study of NCAA Division I college football games found a significant association between the performance of away teams and both their direction of travel and the time of day when games were played.

UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers discovered that SARS-CoV-2, or at least its genetic signature, abounds on hospital surfaces, often co-locating with one particular type of bacteria.

A new ASU study led by Miyeko Mana and her team has shown in greater detail than ever before of how high fat diets can trigger a molecular cascade of events that leads to intestinal and colon cancer.

Previous research suggests that COVID-19 has disproportionately affected some demographic groups. A new analysis using more individual-level data and including both inpatients and outpatients confirms a large role of structural factors. Data indicates striking disparities in the pandemic's impact.

Researchers discover an unexpected link between DNA winding and metabolism in the gut to ameliorate ageing.

New Curtin research has shown how a readily available, cheap and safe-to-use product found in the medicine cabinet of most homes could be the key to better ecological restoration practices with major benefits for the environment and agriculture.The study revealed that aspirin, which naturally occurs in the bark of the willow tree and other plants, can improve the survival of grass species important for ecological restoration and sustainable pasture when applied in a seed coating.

A single one-hour treatment with nitrous oxide -- also known as laughing gas -- can relieve symptoms of treatment-resistant depression for several weeks, according to a phase 2 clinical trial involving 28 participants.

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder are addressing one aspect of creating fuel cells that can convert hydrogen and oxygen safely into water by developing new computational tools and models needed to better understand and manage the conversion process.

PSI researchers have developed a new tomography method with which they can measure chemical properties inside catalyst materials in 3-D extremely precisely and faster than before. The application is equally important for science and industry. The researchers published their results today in the journal Science Advances.

Should treatment of alcoholics be different based on gender? Yes, according to a new study that shows that alcoholic men and women respond differently to their disease resulting in different levels of brain activity and brain abnormalities. Research indicates that they distinguish facial expressions differently and that this is an important clue as to how treatment strategies might be tailored.