Tech
A research group led by Prof. WANG Jian from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) proposed a continuous-scanning near-infrared sky brightness monitor (CNISBM). It can measure 2.5 to 5 μm infrared sky brightness based on an InSb detector and a linear variable filter.
This study was published on Jouranl of Astronomical Telescopes, Instruments, and Systems on August 13.
University of Guam research has revealed that younger cycad seeds pose a greater risk for toxicity when consumed than more mature seeds, bringing the scientific community one step closer to understanding the origins of a neurodegenerative disease prevalent on Guam in World War II and closer to understanding related neurological disorders elsewhere. The research was the cover story of the June 2020 issue of Horticulturae, a peer-reviewed journal published by MDPI.
An international research team headed by Anne Bierbrauer, Dr. Lukas Kunz, Dr. Carlos Gomez and Professor Nikolai Axmacher from Ruhr-Universität Bochum and Universitätsklinikum Freiburg now reports that problems in spatial navigation can also be detected in people with a genetic risk for Alzheimer's. Their article was published in the journal Science Advances, released online on 28 August 2020. The team from Bochum, Freiburg, Dortmund, Sevilla, Madrid, Parma and Brussels explored the ability of path integration.
Finding paths without external cues
Imagine working on a jigsaw puzzle with so many pieces that even the edges seem indistinguishable from others at the puzzle's centre. The solution seems nearly impossible. And, to make matters worse, this puzzle is in a futuristic setting where the pieces are not only numerous, but ever-changing. In fact, you not only must solve the puzzle, but "un-solve" it to parse out how each piece brings the picture wholly into focus.
An international study reveals how future climate change could affect malaria transmission in Africa over the next century.
Malaria is a climate sensitive disease; it thrives where it is warm and wet enough to provide surface water suitable for breeding by the mosquitoes that transmit it.
For more than two decades now, scientists have suggested that climate change may alter the distribution and length of transmission seasons due to new patterns of temperature and rainfall.
Hamilton, ON (August 28, 2020) - Brain cancer in children is always a devastating diagnosis, but McMaster University researchers may have found a way to have the most serious types of pediatric brain cancer respond better to therapies.
Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant childhood brain tumour and it has recently been categorized into four molecular subtypes. Group 1 tumors have excellent outcomes, rarely spread, and are rarely lethal. But Groups 2, 3 and 4 are still aggressive, have metastatic spread and are lethal in 20-30% of patients despite full treatment.
On an expedition to the Central Andean Plateau, researchers from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and colleagues were astounded to find a huge fossil-tree buried in the cold, grassy plain. The plant fossil record from this high-altitude site in southern Peru contains dramatic reminders that the environment in the Andes mountains changed drastically during the past 10 million years, but not in the ways that climate models of the past suggest. Findings from the expedition are presented in the journal Science Advances.
Understanding the skin damage caused by rubbing could lead to better topical skin treatments and help prevent the formation of new routes for viral and bacterial infection.
Sunflower oil, which is found in almost every home, can be used not only in cooking, everyday life and cosmetology - it will help avoid complications (gas hydrates and corrosion) during oil and gas production. Scientists of the priority area of Kazan University intend to apply inhibitors developed on its basis in harsh Arctic conditions. Unique reagents have shown high efficiency during laboratory tests. They can prevent freezing in wells when producing hydrocarbon resources in the Arctic.
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Feelings of panic when a person is away from their smartphone could be connected to general feelings of inadequacy and inferiority, a new study of young people in Portugal suggests.
The study, published in the most recent issue of the journal Computers in Human Behavior Reports, found that gender has no bearing on whether people will feel apprehensive or anxious without their phones. But people who feel that way tend to be more anxious and obsessive-compulsive in their day-to-day lives than other people, the study suggests.
The data of 61,751 pregnant women, out of approximately 100,000 collected by the Japan Environment and Children's Study analyzed the association between the maternal usage of insecticides and insect repellents during pregnancy and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia. The Koshin Unit Center at Shinshu University played a central role in this analysis. Newborns appear jaundiced, or appear to have yellow skin and sclera of the eyes when bilirubin in the blood becomes too high. When bilirubin builds up in the brain and is left untreated, neurotoxic damage can occur in newborns.
A simple coffee and a quick catnap could be the cure for staying alert on the nightshift as new research from the University of South Australia shows that this unlikely combination can improve attention and reduce sleep inertia.
New biomaterials developed at the University of Bayreuth eliminate risk of infection and facilitate healing processes. A research team led by Prof. Dr. Thomas Scheibel has succeeded in combining these material properties which are highly relevant to biomedicine. These nanostructured materials are based on spider silk proteins. They prevent colonization by bacteria and fungi, but at the same time proactively assist in the regeneration of human tissue. They are therefore ideal for implants, wound dressings, prostheses, contact lenses, and other everyday aids.
The ten km long, bright white coast of Germany's largest island, Rügen, is shaped by episodically occurring failures. These failures were typically assumed to happen due to strong rain storms. In a study carried out over more than two years, scientists of GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences were able to draw a new and surprisingly detailed picture of coastal cliff failure activity. The study is based on continuous seismic measurements and high resolution aerial images, and has been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.
Ithaca, N.Y.--Ecosystems can be incredibly complex, with many interacting species. In many habitats, predators shape they behavior of prey and prey shape the behavior of predators. This paper provides a detailed look at the predator-prey relationship between bats and katydids, a group of insects related to crickets and grasshoppers.