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• Reconfigurable metasurfaces provide nanoscale light control
• A recent reversal in the response of western Greenland’s ice caps to climate change
• Transforming ‘sewer gas’ into clean hydrogen fuel
• Groundbreaking technique yields important new details on silicon, subatomic particles and possible ‘fifth force’
• Food science meets cell science in bid to explain inner workings of membrane-free cell compartments
• Enzyme could be major driver of preeclampsia
• Potential indicator for obesity risk detected during sleep
• Newly developed software unveils relationships between RNA modifications and cancers
• New ways to improve the science of ‘trade-offs’
• Marine Protected Area status can boost fish populations by almost 400%
• Scientists discover that taste cells can control a whole animal’s foraging strategy
• Disease genes help developing brains
• Office air quality may affect employees’ cognition, productivity
• GaN-on-diamond semiconductor material that can take the heat - 1,000 degrees to be exact
• Surprisingly high emissions from fuel-powered auxiliary heaters in cars
• Learning by doing: How the brain's motor system can support vocabulary learning
• Transforming marine biodiversity discovery and monitoring
• ESO captures best images yet of peculiar 'dog-bone' asteroid
• Behind the scenes, brain circuit ensures vision remains reliable
• New embryo identification IVF method set to boost cow milk and meat production
• Limiting screen time for young adults after concussion results in shorter duration of symptoms
• Firefighter exposure to wildfire smoke compounds varies, depending on duties
• Combining sunlight and wastewater nitrate to make the world’s No. 2 chemical
• Using electricity to give chemistry a boost
• What the brain shows: The benefits of virtual reality in creative arts therapies
• People with Parkinson's may benefit from seven walking strategies
• No serious COVID-19 vaccine side effects in breastfeeding moms, infants, study finds
• Environmental conditions of early humans in Europe
• Forest fires linked to tens of thousands of avoidable deaths
• Good sleep-time recovery is associated with a healthier diet and lower alcohol consumption
• New information on the early stages of dementia with Lewy bodies
• New opportunities for light-powered battery and fuel cell design
• Interfacing stretchable circuits for deformable devices and displays
• Impaired immune response may cause bone resorption in patients with genetic disorder
• Hand pollination of crops is of major importance
• ‘Anti-rust’ coating for plants protects against disease with cellulose nanofiber
• Zoning policies that boost affordable housing: Good for the heart?

Reconfigurable metasurfaces provide nanoscale light control Posted: 09 Sep 2021 02:11 PM PDT Researchers have designed new metasurfaces using nanoscale techniques inspired by kirigami that could offer a new chip-based way to achieve nanoscale control of light, which could lead to better optical displays, information encoding and digital light processing.

A recent reversal in the response of western Greenland’s ice caps to climate change Posted: 09 Sep 2021 01:22 PM PDT Greenland may be best known for its enormous continental scale ice sheet that soars up to 3,000 meters above sea level, whose rapid melting is a leading contributor to global sea level rise. But surrounding this massive ice sheet, which covers 79% of the world's largest island, is Greenland's rugged coastline dotted with ice capped mountainous peaks. These peripheral glaciers and ice caps are now also undergoing severe melting due to anthropogenic (human-caused) warming. However, climate warming and the loss of these ice caps may not have always gone hand-in-hand.

Transforming ‘sewer gas’ into clean hydrogen fuel Posted: 09 Sep 2021 01:22 PM PDT Scientists have found a new chemical process to turn a stinky, toxic gas into a clean-burning fuel.

Groundbreaking technique yields important new details on silicon, subatomic particles and possible ‘fifth force’ Posted: 09 Sep 2021 11:12 AM PDT Using a groundbreaking new technique, researchers has revealed previously unrecognized properties of technologically crucial silicon crystals and uncovered new information about an important subatomic particle and a long-theorized fifth force of nature.

Food science meets cell science in bid to explain inner workings of membrane-free cell compartments Posted: 09 Sep 2021 11:12 AM PDT Researchers report that food science principles have helped them determine how unusual droplets within cells stay organized and avoid dissolving into the rest of the cell's gelatinous interior.

Enzyme could be major driver of preeclampsia Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:42 AM PDT A new study indicates that an enzyme called protein phosphatase 2 (PP2A) appears to be a major driver of preeclampsia, a dangerous pregnancy complication characterized by the development of high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine. The finding could lead to new treatments for preeclampsia other than premature delivery, which is often the only option.

Potential indicator for obesity risk detected during sleep Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:40 AM PDT Researchers have shown that people with inflexible metabolisms burn less fat at night than those with flexible metabolism. The team measured the respiratory quotient throughout the night and found that despite equal ages, BMIs, and amount of fat, people with inflexible metabolisms burned more carbohydrates and less fat than did people with flexible metabolisms. The higher sleep-time quotient could be a previously unknown indicator for the risk of future metabolic disease.

Newly developed software unveils relationships between RNA modifications and cancers Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:40 AM PDT Researchers have developed a software called ModTect that can help reveal the relationships between RNA modifications and the development of diseases and disorders. Their work highlights the potential of using RNA modifications as biomarkers to test for diseases.

New ways to improve the science of ‘trade-offs’ Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:40 AM PDT Researchers working on complicated problems in agriculture, ecology and medicine have developed a mathematical model to enable faster solutions.

Marine Protected Area status can boost fish populations by almost 400% Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:39 AM PDT Researchers have been monitoring the impact of the Lyme Bay Marine Protected Area (MPA). It was designated in 2008, and researchers now found there are 370% more fish within the MPA than in similar areas outside it where bottom-towed fishing is still permitted.

Scientists discover that taste cells can control a whole animal’s foraging strategy Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:39 AM PDT Neuroscientists have developed a computer model to explain how a nematode worm searches for food, revealing that single brain cells can both sense the environment and control a whole animal's foraging strategy. The study involved the microscopic nematode species, Caenorhabditis elegans.

Disease genes help developing brains Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:39 AM PDT If the cerebral hemispheres of the forebrain fail to divide properly in an unborn child, this results in holoprosencephaly. A team has discovered candidate genes that can positively influence the severity of this congenital malformation of the forebrain.

Office air quality may affect employees’ cognition, productivity Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:39 AM PDT The air quality within an office can have significant impacts on employees' cognitive function, including response times and ability to focus, and it may also affect their productivity, according to new research.

GaN-on-diamond semiconductor material that can take the heat - 1,000 degrees to be exact Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:39 AM PDT Researchers succeed in the direct bonding of diamond and gallium nitride (GaN) at room temperature and demonstrate that the bond can withstand heat treatments of 1,000 degrees Celsius, making it ideal for the high temperature fabrication process of GaN-based devices. GaN-on-diamond semiconductor material will allow for the next generation of high power, high frequency devices.

Surprisingly high emissions from fuel-powered auxiliary heaters in cars Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:39 AM PDT Fuel-powered auxiliary heaters can be significant sources of particulate emissions from vehicles, a new study shows.

Learning by doing: How the brain's motor system can support vocabulary learning Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:39 AM PDT Neuroscientists present new findings on how the motor cortex can help learn foreign vocabulary more quickly. The new data suggests that learning techniques that involve the performance of gestures instead of simple audio or visual information can benefit learners.

Transforming marine biodiversity discovery and monitoring Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:39 AM PDT A new system for sampling fragments of DNA from marine organisms drifting in the ocean is set to create new opportunities for research on biodiversity and ways of supporting conservation activities. The results showed the ferry-collected samples had traces of DNA from all parts of the vertebrate ecosystem, ranging from small prey fish at the base of the food chain, such as anchovies and sardines, through small and larger predatory fish such as tuna and swordfish, all the way to dolphins, and ocean giants including fin and sperm whales.

ESO captures best images yet of peculiar 'dog-bone' asteroid Posted: 09 Sep 2021 09:38 AM PDT Astronomers have obtained the sharpest and most detailed images yet of the asteroid Kleopatra. The observations have allowed the team to constrain the 3D shape and mass of this peculiar asteroid, which resembles a dog bone, to a higher accuracy than ever before. Their research provides clues as to how this asteroid and the two moons that orbit it formed.

Behind the scenes, brain circuit ensures vision remains reliable Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:06 PM PDT As mice watched movies, neuroscientists watched their brains to see how vision could be represented reliably. The answer is that consistency in representation is governed by a circuit of inhibitory neurons.

New embryo identification IVF method set to boost cow milk and meat production Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:06 PM PDT New research has established a method of significantly improving in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in cattle.

Limiting screen time for young adults after concussion results in shorter duration of symptoms Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:06 PM PDT Newly published research shows that young adults who limited screen time for 48 hours immediately after suffering a concussion had a significantly shorter duration of symptoms than those who were permitted screen time.

Firefighter exposure to wildfire smoke compounds varies, depending on duties Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:06 PM PDT Every summer, wildfires rage across the western U.S., and wildland firefighters are tasked with putting them out. But in the process, they inhale smoke and all the compounds in it, which can be harmful at high amounts. Now, researchers have evaluated the presence of particulate matter and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) around firefighters actively combating blazes, finding the highest exposures among hotshot crews and those creating firebreaks.

Combining sunlight and wastewater nitrate to make the world’s No. 2 chemical Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:05 PM PDT Engineers have created a solar-powered electrochemical reaction that not only uses wastewater to make ammonia -- the second most-produced chemical in the world -- but also achieves a solar-to-fuel efficiency that is 10 times better than any other comparable technology.

Using electricity to give chemistry a boost Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:05 PM PDT Chemists have discovered an efficient and sustainable way to produce iron-based metal organic framework (MOF) materials directly using renewable electricity at room temperature. Previously, MOFs -- which have applications as catalysts, sensors and for gas storage -- were typically produced using processes that required high heat and high pressure.

What the brain shows: The benefits of virtual reality in creative arts therapies Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:05 PM PDT Researchers examined the differences in prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation between two distinct drawing tasks in virtual reality. Results of the study indicated significant differences between a rote tracing task and a creative self-expression task, with the rote tracing task showing an increase in PFC activity. It also showed there was reduced PFC activation for creative self-expressive tasks, indicating a possible relaxation response.

People with Parkinson's may benefit from seven walking strategies Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:05 PM PDT Various strategies can help people with Parkinson's who have difficulty walking, but a new study finds that many people have never heard of or tried these strategies. The study also found that how well different compensation strategies worked depended on the context in which they were used, such as indoors versus outdoors, under time pressure or not.

No serious COVID-19 vaccine side effects in breastfeeding moms, infants, study finds Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:05 PM PDT Researchers found that breastfeeding mothers who received either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccination reported the same local or systemic symptoms as what has been previously reported in non-breastfeeding women, with no serious side effects in the breastfed infants.

Environmental conditions of early humans in Europe Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:05 PM PDT The conditions under which early members of the genus Homo dispersed outside Africa were analysed on a broader scale, across Europe during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. The model is based on the comparison of functional trait distribution of large herbivorous mammals in sites with archaeological or fossil evidence of human presence and in sites, which lack evidence of human presence.

Forest fires linked to tens of thousands of avoidable deaths Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:05 PM PDT Setting fire to forest and agricultural land in Southeast Asia to prepare it for cultivation or grazing causes air pollution that is contributing to an estimated 59,000 premature deaths a year, according to a new study.

Good sleep-time recovery is associated with a healthier diet and lower alcohol consumption Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:04 PM PDT Good sleep-time recovery is associated with a health-promoting diet and health-promoting eating habits, as well as with lower consumption of alcohol, according to a new study investigating psychological and physiological well-being among working-age Finnish adults.

New information on the early stages of dementia with Lewy bodies Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:04 PM PDT Results from a new study reinforce the notion that dementia with Lewy bodies can be pathologically classified into two different disease types.

New opportunities for light-powered battery and fuel cell design Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:04 PM PDT Researchers induced substantial motion of oxide ions within perovskite crystals by using pulses of ultraviolet light. Such motion provides a means to store energy in the crystals. This development will help researchers improve the functionality of solid-state electrolytes in batteries and fuel cells.

Interfacing stretchable circuits for deformable devices and displays Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:04 PM PDT Researchers have developed a stretchable anisotropic conductive film (S-ACF) for electrical interfacing in high-resolution stretchable circuits.

Impaired immune response may cause bone resorption in patients with genetic disorder Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:04 PM PDT Researchers have determined that enhanced bone resorption activity due to a faulty immune response may underpin multifocal osteomyelitis -- painful, chronic bone infections -- in children with MSMD, a rare genetic condition resulting from a range of immune system mutations.

Hand pollination of crops is of major importance Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:04 PM PDT Pollinators -- such as bees, butterflies and birds -- are essential for agricultural production. However, natural pollination can also fail or be insufficient, which can lead to lower yields and poorer quality. This means alternative solutions are needed. Hand pollination, in which pollen is applied manually or mechanically to the flower, can supplement or replace pollination by animals. Researchers now present the first systematic review of hand pollination of food crops. They show that hand pollination is used worldwide on 20 crops, including economically important plants such as apple, oil palm and cocoa.

‘Anti-rust’ coating for plants protects against disease with cellulose nanofiber Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:04 PM PDT Researchers have found that coating soybean plant leaves with cellulose nanofiber (CNF) gives protection against an aggressive fungal disease. The CNF coating changed leaf surfaces from water repellent to water absorbent, and suppressed pathogen gene expression associated with infection mechanisms, offering resistance to the destructive Asian rust disease. This is the first study to examine CNF application for controlling plant diseases, and it offers a sustainable alternative to managing plant disease.

Zoning policies that boost affordable housing: Good for the heart? Posted: 08 Sep 2021 03:04 PM PDT Inclusionary zoning policies that increase the supply of affordable housing may be good for the heart, according to new research. The study notes that such zoning programs were associated with lower rates of heart disease.

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