Culture
Reducing the viscosity of heavy oils for extraction is one of the most important research foci in contemporary petroleum science. KFU has long been concentrated on exactly this topic, more specifically, thermal treatment methods. The latest publication tackles the use of Fe, Co, Ni-based catalysts for this purpose.
"The catalysts showed good results under 300 degrees C in reducing viscosity, decreasing the ratio tars and asphaltenes, eliminating sulfur and nitrogen, reducing polyaromatic compounds, etc.," says Junior Research Associate Suweid Munir Abdo Mohammed.
Scientists have made a key discovery thanks to stardust found in meteorites, shedding light on the origin of crucial chemical elements.
Meteorites are critical to understanding the beginning of our solar system and how it has evolved over time. However, some meteorites contain grains of stardust that predate the formation of our solar system and are now providing important information about how the elements in the universe formed.
Some people get really sick from COVID-19, and others don't. Nobody knows why.
Now, a study by investigators at the Stanford University of Medicine and other institutions has turned up immunological deviations and lapses that appear to spell the difference between severe and mild cases of COVID-19.
Hamilton, ON (August 11, 2020) - Working together, researchers at McMaster University and the University of Waterloo are searching for how the SARS-CoV-2 virus infects the lungs - and they're challenging what has become an accepted truth about the virus.
Previously, scientists have determined that entry of SARS-CoV-2 into cells occurs through a receptor on the cell surface, known as ACE2. But the McMaster-Waterloo team has found that the ACE2 receptor is at very low levels in human lung tissue.
Inbreeding can reduce cooperation in banded mongooses according to a recent study by researchers.
A team from Swansea University, University of Bielefeld and University of Exeter studied inbreeding and cooperative care in banded mongooses - an African mammal which lives in colonies with a complex social structure.
In the 1930s it was proposed that for mammals to evolve complex cooperative societies similar to those seen In bees and wasps, they would have to become highly inbred so that all colony members were genetically related.
By José Tadeu Arantes | Agência FAPESP – Arthritis affects almost 2% of the world’s population, or some 150 million people, and currently, there is no completely effective treatment for this chronic disease. A new molecule developed in the laboratory has been shown to have potential therapeutic effects. Tested in mice with genetically induced arthritis, it suppressed the inflammatory process, reducing both inflammation and joint tissue wear and tear.
Using highly complex analytical techniques, a group of researchers from Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin were able to observe in detail how different metals are released from joint implants and accumulate in the surrounding bone tissue. Findings showed a steady release of metals from various implant components. In contrast to previous assumptions, this was not related to the degree of mechanical stress involved. The researchers' findings, which have been published in Advanced Science*, will help to optimize the materials used in implants and enhance their safety.
Research published in DeGruyter's International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health suggests TikTok is rich with untapped educational potential. The platform could play a vital role in conveying important health information alongside lip-syncing videos and viral dance challenges, the paper's authors say.
LA JOLLA--(August 10, 2020) While your skeleton helps your body to move, fine skeleton-like filaments within your cells likewise help cellular structures to move. Now, Salk researchers have developed a new imaging method that lets them monitor a small subset of these filaments, called actin.
Connections with friends and family are key to helping communities adapt to the devastating impact of climate change on their homes and livelihoods, a new study shows.
The research found people are more empowered to respond when they see others doing the same.
Scientists analysed how an island community in Papua New Guinea of around 700 people coped with the impact of encroaching sea-levels and dwindling fish stocks. The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, examined the actions households took to deal with these impacts.
Albert Einstein once said, "I see my life in terms of music." Perhaps inspired by his words, scientists at the Center for Self-assembly and Complexity (CSC), within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS, South Korea) now see chemical reactions in the presence of music. The IBS research team has reported that audible sound can control chemical reactions in solution by continuously supplying energy sources into the interface between air and the solution. The sound-controlled air-liquid chemical interactions "painted" intriguing and aesthetic patterns on the surface and bulk of the solution.
Animal behaviour scientists from the University of Lincoln, UK, have discovered that filling your home with appeasing pheromones could be the key to a happy household where both dogs and cats are living under the same roof.
The new research, led by Professor Daniel Mills and Dr Miriam Prior, explored the effects of two different pheromone products on cat-dog interactions in homes where owners could see room for improvement in their pets' relationships.
Their new scientific paper is now available to read online via the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
Leipzig/Halle. Human changes to the environment have been linked to widespread pollinator declines. New research published in Nature Communications shows that intensive land use will further decrease pollination and reproductive success of wild plants, especially of those plants that are highly specialized in their pollination.
Tiny factories float inside our cells and provide them with almost all the energy they need: the mitochondria. Their effectiveness decreases when we get older, but also when we face many diseases such as diabetes, cancer or Parkinson's. This is why scientists are increasingly interested in how they work. At EPFL, a team has developed a protocol to measure their activity live in living animals. Described in Nature Chemical Biology, the method relies on the molecule responsible for the firefly's bioluminescence.
With the rise of genomic sequencing, health technology companies are promising parents they can detect rare metabolic disorders in newborns who, despite a healthy appearance, may need immediate treatment.