Earth
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated a direct relationship between climate warming and carbon loss in a peatland ecosystem. Their study published in AGU Advances provides a glimpse of potential futures where significant stores of carbon in peat bogs could be released into the atmosphere as greenhouse gases.
Peatlands currently cover around 3% of Earth's landmass and hold at least a third of global soil carbon -- more carbon than is stored in the world's forests.
STONY BROOK, NY, July 27, 2020 - Two studies led by Stony Brook University researchers to be presented virtually at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on July 28, 2020, indicate that World Trade Center (WTC) first responders are at risk for developing dementia. The studies included individuals with signs of cognitive impairment (CI) who show neuroradiological abnormalities and changes in their blood similar to that seen in Alzheimer's disease patients and those with related dementias.
Today, the word probiotic is used to describe all kinds of "good" microorganisms in foods and supplements: those found in yogurt or fermented sauerkraut, or even those found naturally in the human digestive tract. But this overly broad use of the term poses a scientific problem: it does not convey a distinction between bacterial strains that have a possible health benefit in humans, and strains that have a demonstrated health benefit, as shown in a human study.
An international team of researchers has published the most detailed submarine map of the Artic Ocean. The study, which counts on the participation of the experts Miquel Canals, José Luis Casamor and David Amblàs, from the Consolidated Research Group on Marine Geosciences of the University of Barcelona, has been published in Nature's journal Scientific Data.
Singapore, 27 July 2020 - Researchers from Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART), MIT's research enterprise in Singapore, have found a practical way to induce a strong and broad immunity to the dengue virus based on proof-of-concept studies in mice. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral disease with an estimated 100 million symptomatic infections every year. It is endemic in over 100 countries in the world, from the United States to Africa and wide swathes of Asia. In Singapore, over 1,700 dengue new cases were reported recently.
Nanocatalysts made of gold nanoparticles dispersed on metal oxides are very promising for the industrial, selective oxidation of compounds, including alcohols, into valuable chemicals. They show high catalytic activity, particularly in aqueous solution. A team of researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) has been able to explain why: Water molecules play an active role in facilitating the oxygen dissociation needed for the oxidation reaction.
A new study of 1,443 medications found that three prescription drugs currently on the market caused unexpected changes in worms that could point to potential, unrecognized effects in humans.
Virginia Tech scientists have revealed how a nonfunctioning version of an ordinary gene impairs brain structure and function. The findings help explain a genetic form of microcephaly -- a condition where babies' heads are small and grow more slowly than their peers.
Researchers at EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, UK, and collaborators have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that uses computer vision to analyse tissue samples from cancer patients. They have shown that the algorithm can distinguish between healthy and cancerous tissues, and can also identify patterns of more than 160 DNA and thousands of RNA changes in tumours.
Forces that shape the Earth's surface are recorded in a number of natural records, from tree rings to cave formations.
In a recent study, researchers from The University of Texas at Austin show that another natural record - sediments packed together at basin margins - offers scientists a powerful tool for understanding the forces that shaped our planet over millions of years, with implications on present day understanding
Imagery from NASA's Terra satellite was used to create an animation showing Douglas' movement past the Hawaiian Islands.
Although the Hawaiian Islands missed a landfall from Hurricane Douglas, the storm was certainly close enough to bring strong surf, heavy rains and gusty winds to the islands. NASA's Terra satellite imagery showed the storm's track as it moved just north of the islands.
Researchers at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA have identified the process by which stem cells in the airways of the lungs switch between two distinct phases -- creating more of themselves and producing mature airway cells -- to regenerate lung tissue after an injury.
The study, published in Cell Stem Cell, also sheds light on how aging can cause lung regeneration to go awry, which can lead to lung cancer and other diseases.
Nanoparticles are tiny. At just 1/1000th of a millimeter, they're impossible to see with the naked eye. But, despite being small, they're extremely important in many ways. If scientists want to take a close look at DNA, proteins, or viruses, then being able to isolate and monitor nanoparticles is essential.
Many reactions that we use to produce chemical compounds in food, medical, and industrial fields would not be feasible without the use of catalysts. A catalyst is a substance that, even in small quantities, accelerates the rate of a chemical reaction and sometimes allows it to occur at milder conditions (lower temperature and pressure). A good catalyst can sometimes multiply the throughput of an industrial-scale reactor or shave more than 100°C off of its operating temperature.
Osaka, Japan - Alzheimer's disease is the leading cause of dementia worldwide and a major cause of disability. Now, researchers at Osaka University and Hokkaido University have shown that repeated precipitation-dissolution events of salt crystals do occur even at low salt concentrations in nanoscales, and that it can accelerate the aggregation of the neurotoxic amyloid-β peptides implicated in its pathogenesis.