Earth
Scientists at the University Bath in the UK have discovered a series of protein structures that are thought to be highly relevant to the onset of Parkinson's disease. It is hoped that further analysis of these structures will open up a new avenue for potential treatment for a disease that is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, with no cure currently available.
Scientists revealed shifting spring phenology of Arctic tundra with satellite and ground observation
Phenology represents the seasonal dynamics of vegetation, and is an important indicator of local and regional climate change. With stronger warming trend at higher latitudes, the seasonality of vulnerable Arctic tundra is more sensitive. Many studies have reported advances in the start of growing season (SOS) in Northern Hemisphere, however, a delayed trend in SOS were reported in some recent studies.
Behind the simple headline "Additive manufacturing of silica aerogels" - the article was published on July 20th in the renowned scientific journal Nature - a groundbreaking development is hidden. Silica aerogels are light, porous foams that provide excellent thermal insulation. In practice, they are also known for their brittle behaviour, which is why they are usually reinforced with fibres or with organic or biopolymers for large-scale applications. Due to their brittle fracture behaviour, it is also not possible to saw or mill small pieces out of a larger aerogel block.
Physicists from Trinity College Dublin have proposed a thermometer based on quantum entanglement that can accurately measure temperatures a billion times colder than those in outer space.
These ultra-cold temperatures arise in clouds of atoms, known as Fermi gases, which are created by scientists to study how matter behaves in extreme quantum states.
Atmospheric scientists have analyzed how the February near-total shutdown of mobility affected the air over China. Results show a striking drop in nitrogen oxides, a gas that comes mainly from tailpipes and is one component of smog.
Learning how behavior shifts due to the COVID-19 pandemic affect air quality is of immediate importance, since the virus attacks human lungs. The event is also a way for Earth scientists to study how the atmosphere responds to sudden changes in emissions.
Estimating the motion of a moving camera is a ubiquitous problem in the field of computer vision. With technology such as self-driving cars and autonomous drones becoming more popular, fast and efficient algorithms enabling on-board video processing are needed to return timely and accurate information at a low computational cost. This estimation of camera movement, or 'pose estimation', is also a crucial component of target tracking aboard moving vehicles or platforms.
A new study from The University of Texas at Austin is helping scientists piece together the ancient climate of Mars by revealing how much rainfall and snowmelt filled its lake beds and river valleys 3.5 billion to 4 billion years ago.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- While many academic institutions are searching for ways to prevent sexual assault and sexual coercion among their faculty members, staff and students, they are failing to address the most common forms of gender-based harassment, say experts who study harassment and discrimination at work and in academic and health care settings.
In an opinion published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the experts focus on behaviors that communicate derision, disgust or disrespect for members of one sex or gender group.
New research has shown some of our least favourite vegetables could be the most beneficial when it comes to preventing advanced blood vessel disease.
Published in the British Journal of Nutrition the research has found higher consumption of cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage, is associated with less extensive blood vessel disease in older women.
Scientists from the ESRF, together with teams from CEA and CNRS/Sorbonne Université, have found the proof for a liquid-to-liquid transition in sulfur and of a new kind of critical point ending this transition. Their work is published in Nature.
"Spinocerebellar ataxias" are diseases of the nervous system associated with a loss of motor coordination. A European research alliance headed by the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and the University of Bonn has now registered whether and how symptoms of ataxia developed over the years in around 250 persons at risk, who initially did not show symptoms. This is the first study worldwide to investigate the onset of spinocerebellar ataxia directly and in a large group of individuals.
Associate Professor Scott Bryan, who has been studying the impact of pumice rafts for nearly 20 years, was part of an international team that earlier this year used underwater robots with cameras and sampling gear to collect material from the volcano near Tonga that produced the raft that at one stage was twice the size of Manhattan.
Toddlers with high daily touchscreen use are faster to find targets that stood out during visual search compared to toddlers with no or low touchscreen use - according to new research.
The research team, co-led by Dr Rachael Bedford of the University of Bath's Department of Psychology, say the findings are important for the growing debate around the impact of screen time on toddlers and their development.
BUFFALO, N.Y. - Researchers for years have understood how attitudes held with certainty might predict behavior, but a series of new studies led by a University at Buffalo psychologist suggest there may be a more general disposition at work that predicts the certainty of newly formed evaluations, just as they do for pre-existing opinions.
Newly published research in Science Advances by University of Chicago researcher Luis Bettencourt proposes a new perspective and models on several known paradoxes of cities. Namely, if cities are engines of economic growth, why do poverty and inequality persist? If cities thrive on faster activity and more diversity, why are so many things so hard to change? And if growth and innovation are so important, how can urban planners and economists get away with describing cities with Groundhog Day-style models of equilibrium?