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• New simulation finds max cost for cost-effective health treatments
• 'Transparent solar cells' can take us towards a new era of personalized energy
• Self-watering soil could transform farming
• Lizard skull fossil is new and 'perplexing' extinct species
• Discrimination increases against Asian and Asian American population, affecting health
• Hot or cold, weather alone has no significant effect on COVID-19 spread
• Genomic data 'catches corals in the act' of speciation and adaptation
• New cause of COVID-19 blood clots identified
• A.I. tool provides more accurate flu forecasts
• Microfluidics helps engineers watch viral infection in real time
• New remote sensing technique could bring key planetary mineral into focus
• Vitamin D levels during pregnancy linked with child IQ
• Agriculture: A loan for lean season
• Longer mud season, no snow could alter northeast US rivers by 2100
• Excessive alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Consequences of glacier shrinkage
• Teens who participate in extracurriculars, get less screen time, have better mental health
• To predict how crops cope with changing climate, 30 years of experiments simulate future
• Beetle larvae think with brain 'under construction'
• Machine learning predicts anti-cancer drug efficacy
• Hungry plants rely on their associated bacteria to mobilize unavailable iron
• For plant and animal immune systems the similarities go beyond sensing
• New study finds earliest evidence for mammal social behavior
• Artificial night lighting has widespread impacts on nature
• Room temperature conversion of CO2 to CO: A new way to synthesize hydrocarbons
• Silk road contains genomic resources for improving apples
• Root bacterium to fight Alzheimer's
• A 40-year-old catalyst unveils its secrets
• Follow your gut: How farms protect from childhood asthma
• Emergency care doctors not getting sufficient 'down time'
• Malaria test as simple as a bandage
• How the immune system remembers viruses
• Age is a primary determinant of melanoma treatment resistance
• It's not if, but how people use social media that impacts their well-being
• An underwater navigation system powered by sound
• Researchers invent flexible and highly reliable sensor
• Ultrapotent COVID-19 vaccine candidate designed via computer
• Birdwatching from afar: Amazing new AI-enabled camera system to target specific behaviors
• Seven different 'disease forms' identified in mild COVID-19
• First light on a next-gen astronomical survey toward a new understanding of the cosmos
• Focus on COVID-19 deaths in under-65s for better insights into infection rates
• Outcome of 2016 US election associated with poorer mental health in Clinton voters
• Building cities with wood would store half of cement industry's current carbon emissions
• Criss-crossing viruses give rise to peculiar hybrid variants
• Rotation of a molecule as an 'internal clock'
• The protein dress of a neuron
• Warming of 2°C would release billions of tons of soil carbon
• Intelligent cameras enhance human perception
• Starting kindergarten on the right foot

New simulation finds max cost for cost-effective health treatments Posted: 02 Nov 2020 02:32 PM PST As health care costs balloon in the U.S., experts say it may be important to analyze whether those costs translate into better population health. A new study analyzed existing data to find a dividing line - or ''threshold - for what makes a treatment cost-effective or not.

'Transparent solar cells' can take us towards a new era of personalized energy Posted: 02 Nov 2020 02:32 PM PST Solar power has shown immense potential as a futuristic, 'clean' source of energy. No wonder environmentalists worldwide have been looking for ways to advance the current solar cell technology. Now, scientists have put forth an innovative design for the development of a high-power transparent solar cell. This innovation brings us closer to realizing our goal of a sustainable green future with off-the-grid living.

Self-watering soil could transform farming Posted: 02 Nov 2020 01:26 PM PST A new type of soil created by engineers can pull water from the air and distribute it to plants, potentially expanding the map of farmable land around the globe to previously inhospitable places and reducing water use in agriculture at a time of growing droughts.

Lizard skull fossil is new and 'perplexing' extinct species Posted: 02 Nov 2020 01:26 PM PST A new species of extinct lizard, Kopidosaurus perplexus, has just been described. The first part of the name references the lizard's distinct teeth; a 'kopis' is a curved blade used in ancient Greece. But the second part is a nod to the 'perplexing' matter of just where the extinct lizard should be placed on the tree of life.

Discrimination increases against Asian and Asian American population, affecting health Posted: 02 Nov 2020 12:54 PM PST Reports of racial discrimination against Asians and Asian-Americans have increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States, coinciding with an increase in reported negative health symptoms, according to researchers.

Hot or cold, weather alone has no significant effect on COVID-19 spread Posted: 02 Nov 2020 12:54 PM PST New research is adding some clarity on weather's role in COVID-19 infection, with a new study finding that temperature and humidity do not play a significant role in coronavirus spread.

Genomic data 'catches corals in the act' of speciation and adaptation Posted: 02 Nov 2020 12:54 PM PST A new study revealed that diversity in Hawaiian corals is likely driven by co-evolution between the coral host, the algal symbiont, and the microbial community.

New cause of COVID-19 blood clots identified Posted: 02 Nov 2020 11:22 AM PST A new study reveals that COVID-19 triggers production of antibodies circulating through the blood, causing clots in people hospitalized with the disease.

A.I. tool provides more accurate flu forecasts Posted: 02 Nov 2020 11:22 AM PST Scientists developed an A.I. tool using real-world state and regional data from the U.S. and Japan, then tested its forecasts against historical flu data. By incorporating location data, the A.I. system is able to outperform other state-of-the-art forecasting methods, delivering up to an 11% increase in accuracy and predicting influenza outbreaks up to 15 weeks in advance.

Microfluidics helps engineers watch viral infection in real time Posted: 02 Nov 2020 11:22 AM PST Watching a viral infection happen in real time is like a cross between a zombie horror film, paint drying, and a Bollywood epic on repeat. Over a 10-hour span, chemical engineers from Michigan Tech watched viral infections happen with precision inside a microfluidics device and can measure when the infection cycle gets interrupted by an antiviral compound.

New remote sensing technique could bring key planetary mineral into focus Posted: 02 Nov 2020 11:22 AM PST The mineral olivine, thought to be a major component inside all planetary bodies, holds secrets about the early formation of the solar system, and a team of researchers has a new way to study it remotely.

Vitamin D levels during pregnancy linked with child IQ Posted: 02 Nov 2020 11:22 AM PST A study showed that mothers' vitamin D levels during pregnancy were associated with their children's IQ, suggesting that higher vitamin D levels in pregnancy may lead to greater childhood IQ scores.

Agriculture: A loan for lean season Posted: 02 Nov 2020 10:33 AM PST For farmers in rural Zambia, payday comes just once a year, at harvest time. This fact impacts nearly every aspect of their lives, but until now researchers hadn't realized the true extent.

Longer mud season, no snow could alter northeast US rivers by 2100 Posted: 02 Nov 2020 10:33 AM PST Researchers have found that snow cover is on the decline in northeastern US due to climate change and by the end of century, the vernal window, sometimes referred to as mud season, could be two to four weeks longer which means significantly less melting snow that could be detrimental to key spring conditions in rivers and surrounding ecosystems.

Excessive alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic Posted: 02 Nov 2020 10:33 AM PST The full impact of COVID-19 on alcohol use is not yet known, but rates have been rising during the first few months of the pandemic. There's an urgent need for public health and medical responses to address harmful alcohol use.

Consequences of glacier shrinkage Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:49 AM PST Scientists have investigated the causes of a glacial lake outburst flood in the Ladakh region of India. They drew on field surveys and satellite images to create an inventory of glacial lakes for the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh, identifying changes in the size and number of glacial lakes, including undocumented outburst floods. The inventory aims to improve risk assessment for future events.

Teens who participate in extracurriculars, get less screen time, have better mental health Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:48 AM PST A new study from UBC researchers finds that teens, especially girls, have better mental health when they spend more time taking part in extracurricular activities, like sports and art, and less time in front of screens.

To predict how crops cope with changing climate, 30 years of experiments simulate future Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:01 AM PST A new review synthesizes 30 years of 'Free-Air Concentration Enrichment' (FACE) data to grasp how global crop production may be impacted by rising CO2 levels and other factors.

Beetle larvae think with brain 'under construction' Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:01 AM PST In human brains, hundreds of billions of nerve cells are interconnected in the most complicated way. This is no different for insects, although their brains 'only' have up to one million nerve cells. To a large extent, the brain develops in the embryo, but in many animals it is completed only after birth. Biologists found that beetle larvae start using their brains, although still 'under construction'.

Machine learning predicts anti-cancer drug efficacy Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:01 AM PST Research on anti-cancer drug response in patient-derived artificial organoids and transcriptome learning of genes associated with anti-cancer target proteins.

Hungry plants rely on their associated bacteria to mobilize unavailable iron Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:01 AM PST Researchers have found that, faced with limiting iron, plants direct their microbiota to mobilize this essential nutrient for optimal growth.

For plant and animal immune systems the similarities go beyond sensing Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:01 AM PST Researchers have discovered that plants have independently evolved a family of immune proteins that are strikingly similar to animals.

New study finds earliest evidence for mammal social behavior Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:00 AM PST A new study by paleontologists indicates that the earliest evidence of mammal social behavior goes back to the Age of Dinosaurs. The multituberculate Filikomys primaevus engaged in multi-generational, group-nesting and burrowing behavior, and possibly lived in colonies, some 75.5 million years ago.

Artificial night lighting has widespread impacts on nature Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:00 AM PST Artificial night-time lighting has a diverse range of effects across the natural world and should be limited where possible, researchers say.

Room temperature conversion of CO2 to CO: A new way to synthesize hydrocarbons Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:00 AM PST Researchers have demonstrated a room-temperature method that could significantly reduce carbon dioxide levels in fossil-fuel power plant exhaust, one of the main sources of carbon emissions in the atmosphere.

Silk road contains genomic resources for improving apples Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:00 AM PST The fabled Silk Road is responsible for one of our favorite and most valuable fruits: the domesticated apple. Researchers have now assembled complete reference genomes and pan-genomes for apple and its two main wild progenitors, providing detailed genetic insights into apple domestication and important fruit traits that could help plant breeders improve the crop's flavor, texture, and resistance to stress and disease.

Root bacterium to fight Alzheimer's Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:00 AM PST A bacterium found among the soil close to roots of ginseng plants could provide a new approach for the treatment of Alzheimer's. Rhizolutin, a novel class of compounds with a tricyclic framework, significantly dissociates the protein aggregates associated with Alzheimer's disease both in vivo and in vitro, as reported by scientists.

A 40-year-old catalyst unveils its secrets Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:00 AM PST 'Titanium silicalite-1' (TS-1) is not a new catalyst: It has been almost 40 years since its development and the discovery of its ability to convert propylene into propylene oxide, an important basic chemical in the chemical industry. Now, by combining various methods, a team of scientists has unveiled the surprising mechanism of action of this catalyst.

Follow your gut: How farms protect from childhood asthma Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:00 AM PST Asthma impacts millions of children already at a young age. Children growing up on a farm have a lower risk of developing asthma than children not living on a farm. The mechanisms behind this protective farm effect on childhood asthma are largely unknown. A group of researchers has now clarified how the children's gut microbiome is involved in the protection process.

Emergency care doctors not getting sufficient 'down time' Posted: 02 Nov 2020 09:00 AM PST A survey of more than 4,000 UK emergency care doctors has shown that they need more support to recover from work pressures between shifts.

Malaria test as simple as a bandage Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:59 AM PST A test for malaria looks like a bandage, but can diagnose the disease in minutes without the need for medical expertise or specialized equipment.

How the immune system remembers viruses Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST For a person to acquire immunity to a disease, T cells must develop into memory cells after contact with the pathogen. Until now, the number of cells that do this was believed to depend above all on the magnitude of the initial immune response. A team of researchers has now called this into question.

Age is a primary determinant of melanoma treatment resistance Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST Age may cause identical cancer cells with the same mutations to behave differently. In animal and laboratory models of melanoma cells, age was a primary factor in treatment response.

It's not if, but how people use social media that impacts their well-being Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST New research indicates what's important for overall happiness is how a person uses social media. Researchers took a close look at how people use three major social platforms -- Facebook, Twitter and Instagram -- and how that use can impact a person's overall well-being.

An underwater navigation system powered by sound Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST Underwater backscatter localization could allow for battery-free ocean exploration. The system is akin to subsea GPS and has potential applications in marine conservation, aquaculture, underwater robotics, and more.

Researchers invent flexible and highly reliable sensor Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST A novel sensor material is five times better than conventional soft materials and could be used in wearable health technology devices, or in robotics to perceive surface texture.

Ultrapotent COVID-19 vaccine candidate designed via computer Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST An ultrapotent nanoparticle candidate vaccine against COVID-19 has been developed with structure-based vaccine design techniques invented at UW Medicine. It is a self-assembling protein nanoparticle that displays 60 copies of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein's receptor-binding domain in a highly immunogenic array. The molecular structure of the vaccine roughly mimics that of a virus, which may account for its enhanced ability to provoke an immune response.

Birdwatching from afar: Amazing new AI-enabled camera system to target specific behaviors Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST Researchers have developed an innovative animal-borne data-collection system assisted by artificial intelligence to track previously unobserved behaviors in wild animals. The method uses low-cost sensors to automatically detect and record behaviors of specific interest. The new system greatly outperformed previous random sampling methods in capturing the target behavior and the researchers were able to observe previously unreported foraging behaviors in gulls. These findings can be applied to support further data collection in the wild.

Seven different 'disease forms' identified in mild COVID-19 Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST A new study finds that there are seven 'forms of disease' in COVID-19 with mild disease course and that the disease leaves behind significant changes in the immune system, even after 10 weeks. These findings could play a significant role in the treatment of patients and in the development of a potent vaccine.

First light on a next-gen astronomical survey toward a new understanding of the cosmos Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST The Sloan Digital Sky Survey's fifth generation collected its very first observations of the cosmos at 1:47 a.m. on October 24, 2020. As the world's first all-sky time-domain spectroscopic survey, SDSS-V will provide groundbreaking insight into the formation and evolution of galaxies -- like like our own Milky Way -- and of the supermassive black holes that lurk at their centers.

Focus on COVID-19 deaths in under-65s for better insights into infection rates Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST Simply comparing the total number of deaths across countries may provide a misleading representation of the underlying level of transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, because of large differences in reported COVID-19 death rates in elderly populations in different countries.

Outcome of 2016 US election associated with poorer mental health in Clinton voters Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST There were 54.6 million more days of poor mental health among adults in states that voted for Hillary Clinton in December 2016, compared to October 2016, according to a new study. No such increase in poor mental health following the 2016 US election was observed in states that voted for Donald Trump. The increase in average number of poor mental health days per person in Clinton-voting states largely persisted in the six months after the election.

Building cities with wood would store half of cement industry's current carbon emissions Posted: 02 Nov 2020 08:00 AM PST A new study has found that shifting to wood as a building construction material would significantly reduce the environmental impact of building construction. If 80% of new residential buildings in Europe were made of wood, and wood was used in the structures, cladding, surfaces, and furnishings of houses, the buildings would store 55 million tons of carbon dioxide a year. That is equivalent to about 47% of the annual emissions of Europe's cement industry.

Criss-crossing viruses give rise to peculiar hybrid variants Posted: 02 Nov 2020 06:09 AM PST Biologists investigate a recently discovered class of viruses that have taken the characteristic versatility of the viral world to new heights. Referred to as cruciviruses, these minute forms reveal a fusion of components from both RNA and DNA viruses, proving that these previously distinct genomic domains can, under proper conditions, intermingle, producing a hybrid or chimeric viral variant.

Rotation of a molecule as an 'internal clock' Posted: 02 Nov 2020 06:08 AM PST Using a new method, physicists have investigated the ultrafast fragmentation of hydrogen molecules in intense laser fields in detail. They used the rotation of the molecule triggered by a laser pulse as an "internal clock" to measure the timing of the reaction that takes place in a second laser pulse in two steps. Such a "rotational clock" is a general concept applicable to sequential fragmentation processes in other molecules.

The protein dress of a neuron Posted: 02 Nov 2020 06:08 AM PST New method marks proteins and reveals the receptors in which neurons are dressed.

Warming of 2°C would release billions of tons of soil carbon Posted: 02 Nov 2020 04:29 AM PST Global warming of 2°C would lead to about 230 billion tons of carbon being released from the world's soil, new research suggests.

Intelligent cameras enhance human perception Posted: 02 Nov 2020 04:29 AM PST A team of researchers has developed an intelligent camera that achieves not only high spatial and temporal but also spectral resolution. The camera has a wide range of applications that can improve environmental protection and resource conservation measures as well as autonomous driving or modern agriculture.

Starting kindergarten on the right foot Posted: 02 Nov 2020 04:29 AM PST Going into kindergarten already well-prepared gives a child advantagesgives a child many advantages later in life and lowers costs for society in the long term, researchers in Canada find.

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