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Is the past (and future) there when nobody looks?
Quantum mechanics is famous for its indeterminism, but we can usually use probabilities to quantify our uncertainty about future observations. However, a team of researchers at the University of Vienna, the IQOQI Vienna (Austrian Academy of Sciences) and the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical physics have recently shown that in certain extreme quantum scenarios it is not possible to make such probabilistic predictions, provided that certain key assumptions of quantum mechanics hold true.
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Male hormones regulate stomach inflammation in mice
Scientists at the National Institutes of Health determined that stomach inflammation is regulated differently in male and female mice after finding that androgens, or male sex hormones, play a critical role in preventing inflammation in the stomach. The finding suggests that physicians could consider treating male patients with stomach inflammation differently than female patients with the same condition. The study was published in Gastroenterology.
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Businesses have a moral duty to explain how algorithms make decisions that affect people
Do users, customers, employees, and others have a right to know how companies that use algorithms make their decisions? In a new analysis, researchers explore the moral and ethical foundations to such a right. They conclude that the right to such an explanation is a moral right, then address how companies might do so.
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Maternal stress during pregnancy may shorten lifespans of male lizard offspring
Mother fence lizards that experience stress during pregnancy give birth to male offspring with shortened telomeres, or bits of non-coding DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes, according to a Penn State-led study. Shorter telomeres are associated with decreased lifespan in humans; therefore, the team's findings may have implications for human longevity.
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New perspective on stress pandemics and human resilience from the analysis of COVID-19
A new analysis of the effects of SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the current pandemic, on the human body has provided novel insights into the nature of resilience and how we deal with stressful situations. Using COVID-19 as an example, the findings provide a new framework that may be central to managing this disease, minimise the likelihood of ferocious viral outbreaks in the future and deal with other major stresses.
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Solar wind from the center of the Earth
High-precision noble gas analyses indicate that solar wind particles from our primordial Sun were encased in the Earth's core over 4.5 billion years ago. Researchers from Heidelberg University have concluded that the particles made their way into the overlying rock mantle over millions of years. The scientists found solar noble gases in an iron meteorite they studied. Because of their chemical composition, such meteorites are often used as natural models for the Earth's metallic core.
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Lockdown led to positive lifestyle changes in older people
The COVID-19 lockdown was a catalyst for many older people to embrace technology, reconnect with friends and build new relationships with neighbours, according to University of Stirling research.
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Yoga and breathing exercises aid children with ADHD to focus
Breathing exercises helps to better supply the brain with oxygen and helps the reticular formation to better cope with its role. When the reticular formation receives enough oxygen, it begins to better regulate the child's state of activity.
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The mechanism of action of genes with high mutation frequency in cancer
The study suggests that the SWI/SNF complex may be a tumour suppressor and DNA-RNA hybrids could be an important source of tumour generation
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Emergence of a new heteronanostructure library
A research team led by professor YU Shuhong at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has reported a new class of heteronanostructures they term axial superlattice nanowires (ASLNWs), which allow large lattice-mismatch tolerance and thus vast material combinations. The research article entitled "One-Dimensional Superlattice Heterostructure Library" was published in Journal of the American Chemical Society on May 12th.
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Researchers develop first-in-class inhibitors against key leukemia protein
Researchers have develop first-in-class inhibitors against ASH1L, a key protein in the development and progression of leukemia.
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Few realistic scenarios left to limit global warming to 1.5°C
Of the over 400 climate scenarios assessed in the 1.5°C report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), only around 50 scenarios avoid significantly overshooting 1.5°C. Of those only around 20 make realistic assumptions on mitigation options, for instance the rate and scale of carbon removal from the atmosphere or extent of tree planting, a new study shows. All 20 scenarios need to pull at least one mitigation lever at "challenging" rather than "reasonable" levels.
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Artificial intelligence identifies the tiger mosquito from photos in the Mosquito Alert
Researchers from Mosquito Alert (who belong to CEAB-CSIC, CREAF and UPF) together with researchers from the University of Budapest have shown that an artificial intelligence algorithm is capable of recognizing the tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) in the photos sent by Mosquito Alert users.
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New research will improve safety and quality of Heparin
A new method to analyse the blood thinning drug Heparin has been developed that can pinpoint contaminants more accurately and quickly, providing greater quality control and safety.
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Nagoya University scientists reveal unprecedentedly versatile new DNA staining probe
Kakshine is an entirely new DNA fluorescent imaging probe with a wide range of capabilities that make it ideal for a range of imaging applications, including cutting edge two-photon excitement imaging and super high-resolution STED imaging. Its ability to use low phototoxicity visible light makes it ideal for in vitro and in vivo applications, and it is expected to find use in a variety of medical and life science contexts.
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Charting the expansion history of the universe with supernovae
An international research team analyzed a database of more than 1000 supernova explosions and found that models for the expansion of the Universe best match the data when a new time dependent variation is introduced. If proven correct with future, higher-quality data from the Subaru Telescope and other observatories, these results could indicate still unknown physics working on the cosmic scale.
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Less wastage during production of marble slabs in the Roman imperial period than today
Researchers discovered that the material loss during marble slab production was likely lower in the Roman imperial period than it is today.
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Ecology-inspired mathematical models to understand social networks
UOC researchers have analysed interaction patterns on Twitter based on interaction between users and hashtags and competition for attention.
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Where on Earth is all the water?
High-temperature and high-pressure experiments involving a diamond anvil and chemicals to simulate the core of the young Earth demonstrate for the first time that hydrogen can bond strongly with iron in extreme conditions. This explains the presence of significant amounts of hydrogen in the Earth's core that arrived as water from bombardments billions of years ago.
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Hanging by a thread: Imaging and probing chains of single atoms
Low-dimensional materials, such as 1D monoatomic chains, exhibit exotic properties that could find interesting applications. However, single-atom bonds and their mechanical characteristics are difficult to study. In a recent study, scientists from JAIST, Japan, showcase a novel method to simultaneously image monoatomic platinum chains with a transmission electron microscope while measuring their bond strength and conductance during mechanical stretching. This technique will help answer many questions in the fields of nanomechanics and surface science.
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