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• Coronavirus does not infect the brain but still inflicts damage, study finds
• Highly dense urban areas are not more vulnerable to COVID-19, researchers say
• Uncovering the secrets of some of the world's first color photographs
• Neanderthal nuclear DNA retrieved from sediments helps unlock ancient human history
• Deciduous trees offset carbon loss from Alaskan boreal fires
• Entanglement-based quantum network
• Parasites and kelp forests
• Plankton genomes used as global biosensors of ocean ecosystem stress
• Oxygen migration enables ferroelectricity on nanoscale
• The whitest paint is here - and it's the coolest. Literally.
• Tracking the progress of fusion power through 60 years of neutral particle analysis
• Environmental protection could benefit from 'micro' as well as 'macro' thinking
• Water purification system engineered from wood, with help from a microwave oven
• Physicists develop theoretical model for neural activity of mouse brain
• Plastics could see a second life as biodegradable surfactants
• Investigating heavy quark physics with the LHCb experiment
• Coral reefs prevent more than $5.3 billion in potential flood damage for US property owners
• Water scarcity footprint reveals impacts of individual dietary choices in US
• In surprising twist, some Alzheimer's plaques may be protective, not destructive
• Researcher uses bat-inspired design to develop new approach to sound location
• Experts' predictions for future wind energy costs drop significantly
• Study of marten genomes suggests coastal safe havens aided peopling of Americas
• Estrogen status - not sex - protects against heightened fear recall

Coronavirus does not infect the brain but still inflicts damage, study finds Posted: 16 Apr 2021 09:00 AM PDT SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, does not infect brain cells but can inflict significant neurological damage, according to a new study of dozens of deceased patients.

Highly dense urban areas are not more vulnerable to COVID-19, researchers say Posted: 16 Apr 2021 09:00 AM PDT A person who owns a car or who has a college education may be less vulnerable to COVID-19, according to an analysis of cases in Tehran, Iran, one of the early epicenters of the pandemic. While such variables do not inherently lower a person's risk, they do indicate an infrastructure of protection that persists despite how densely populated a person's district might be.

Uncovering the secrets of some of the world's first color photographs Posted: 15 Apr 2021 11:28 AM PDT Researchers have shed new light on one of the earliest color photography techniques, G. Lippmann's Nobel Prize-winning multispectral imaging method.

Neanderthal nuclear DNA retrieved from sediments helps unlock ancient human history Posted: 15 Apr 2021 11:26 AM PDT Researchers have retrieved Neanderthal nuclear DNA from cave deposits in northern Spain and southern Siberia, yielding new clues to the population history of Neanderthals. With the advent of nuclear DNA analyses of sediments, similar studies at other sites can provide new insights into the deep human past that do not rely on the discovery of bones and teeth.

Deciduous trees offset carbon loss from Alaskan boreal fires Posted: 15 Apr 2021 11:26 AM PDT More severe and frequent fires in the Alaskan boreal forest are emitting vast stores of carbon, but new research from shows those losses are offset by the fast-growing deciduous trees that replace black spruce forests in the region.

Entanglement-based quantum network Posted: 15 Apr 2021 11:26 AM PDT A team of researchers reports realization of a multi-node quantum network, connecting three quantum processors. In addition, they achieved a proof-of-principle demonstration of key quantum network protocols.

Parasites and kelp forests Posted: 15 Apr 2021 11:18 AM PDT Even the mention of parasites can be enough to make some people's skin crawl. But to recent doctoral graduate these creepy critters occupy important ecological niches, fulfilling roles that, in her opinion, have too often been overlooked.

Plankton genomes used as global biosensors of ocean ecosystem stress Posted: 15 Apr 2021 11:18 AM PDT By analyzing gains and losses in the genes of phytoplankton samples collected in all major ocean regions, researchers at have created the most nuanced and high-resolution map yet to show where these photosynthetic organisms either thrive or are forced to adapt to limited quantities of key nutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and iron.

Oxygen migration enables ferroelectricity on nanoscale Posted: 15 Apr 2021 11:18 AM PDT Hafnium-based thin films, with a thickness of only a few nanometres, show an unconventional form of ferroelectricity. This allows the construction of nanometre-sized memories or logic devices. However, it was not clear how ferroelectricity could occur at this scale. A study has now shown how atoms move in a hafnium-based capacitor: migrating oxygen atoms (or vacancies) are responsible for the observed switching and storage of charge.

The whitest paint is here - and it's the coolest. Literally. Posted: 15 Apr 2021 11:18 AM PDT In an effort to curb global warming, engineers have created the whitest paint yet. Coating buildings with this paint may one day cool them off enough to reduce the need for air conditioning, the researchers say.

Tracking the progress of fusion power through 60 years of neutral particle analysis Posted: 15 Apr 2021 10:32 AM PDT A review paper examines the 6-decade history of neutral particle analysis (NPA), a vital diagnostic tool used in magnetic plasma confinement devices such as tokamaks that will house the nuclear fusion process and generate the clean energy of the future.

Environmental protection could benefit from 'micro' as well as 'macro' thinking Posted: 15 Apr 2021 10:32 AM PDT Scientists have conducted a study that highlights the importance of studying a full range of organisms when measuring the impact of environmental change - from tiny bacteria, to mighty whales.

Water purification system engineered from wood, with help from a microwave oven Posted: 15 Apr 2021 10:31 AM PDT Researchers have developed a more eco-friendly way to remove heavy metals, dyes and other pollutants from water. The answer lies in filtering wastewater with a gel material taken from plant cellulose and spiked with small carbon dots produced in a microwave oven.

Physicists develop theoretical model for neural activity of mouse brain Posted: 15 Apr 2021 10:31 AM PDT The dynamics of the neural activity of a mouse brain behave in a peculiar, unexpected way that can be theoretically modeled without any fine tuning, suggests a new paper by physicists.

Plastics could see a second life as biodegradable surfactants Posted: 15 Apr 2021 10:31 AM PDT Scientists have discovered a chemical process that provides biodegradable, valuable chemicals, which are used as surfactants and detergents in a range of applications, from discarded plastics.

Investigating heavy quark physics with the LHCb experiment Posted: 15 Apr 2021 10:31 AM PDT A new review examines the three decades of the LHCb experiment, its achievements and future potential.

Coral reefs prevent more than $5.3 billion in potential flood damage for US property owners Posted: 15 Apr 2021 08:42 AM PDT Coral reefs provide many services to coastal communities, including critical protection from flood damage. A new study reveals how valuable coral reefs are in protecting people, structures, and economic activity in the United States from coastal flooding during storms.

Water scarcity footprint reveals impacts of individual dietary choices in US Posted: 15 Apr 2021 08:41 AM PDT A lot of attention has been paid in recent years to the carbon footprint of the foods we eat, with much of the focus on the outsize contribution of meat production and especially beef.

In surprising twist, some Alzheimer's plaques may be protective, not destructive Posted: 15 Apr 2021 08:41 AM PDT One of the characteristic hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the buildup of amyloid-beta plaques in the brain. Most therapies designed to treat AD target these plaques, but they've largely failed in clinical trials. New research upends conventional views of the origin of one prevalent type of plaque, indicating a reason why treatments have been unsuccessful.

Researcher uses bat-inspired design to develop new approach to sound location Posted: 15 Apr 2021 08:41 AM PDT Inspired by the workings of a bat's ear, a professor of mechanical engineering has created bio-inspired technology that determines the location of a sound's origin.

Experts' predictions for future wind energy costs drop significantly Posted: 15 Apr 2021 08:41 AM PDT Technology and commercial advancements are expected to continue to drive down the cost of wind energy, according to a new survey. Experts anticipate cost reductions of 17%-35% by 2035 and 37%-49% by 2050, driven by bigger and more efficient turbines, lower capital and operating costs, and other advancements.

Study of marten genomes suggests coastal safe havens aided peopling of Americas Posted: 15 Apr 2021 08:41 AM PDT Research into the genomes of the American pine marten and Pacific pine marten -- weasel-like mammals that range today from Alaska to the American Southwest -- could shed light on how the first humans populated the Americas.

Estrogen status - not sex - protects against heightened fear recall Posted: 15 Apr 2021 08:41 AM PDT A new study shows that markers of fear recall differ between men and women, but in a hormone-dependent manner.

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