Tech
A new study finds volcanic activity played a direct role in triggering extreme climate change at the end of the Triassic period 201 million year ago, wiping out almost half of all existing species. The amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere from these volcanic eruptions is comparable to the amount of CO2 expected to be produced by all human activity in the 21st century.
ANN ARBOR--A new data-processing approach created by scientists at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute offers a simpler, faster path to data generated by cryo-electron microscopy instruments, removing a barrier to wider adoption of this powerful technique.
At the regional level and worldwide, the occurrence of large shallow earthquakes appears to follow a mathematical pattern called the Devil's Staircase, where clusters of earthquake events are separated by long but irregular intervals of seismic quiet.
TAMPA, Fla. - An active immune system plays an important role in stopping cancer progression by identifying tumor cells and targeting them for destruction. Any deviation in the normal activities of the immune system could lead to accelerated tumor growth. Moffitt Cancer Center researchers wanted to determine how myeloid cells, a type of immune cell, contribute to the progression of cancer.
Scientists at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have fabricated a solar cell with an efficiency of nearly 50%.
The six-junction solar cell now holds the world record for the highest solar conversion efficiency at 47.1%, which was measured under concentrated illumination. A variation of the same cell also set the efficiency record under one-sun illumination at 39.2%.
DALLAS - April 14, 2020 - Blood pressure readings taken from neuroscience intensive care unit (NSICU) patients had marked differences between opposite sides of the body and different anatomical sites in each individual, highlighting the significant and sometimes extreme variability of this measure even in the same person depending on where it's taken, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center report in a new study.
New Rochelle, NY, April 13, 2020--A new study examined how well American states are using Internet-based platforms to disseminate electoral information and communicate with voters. The study, which focused on website information provided on electoral administrators' websites, use of social media such as Facebook and Twitter, and responsiveness to voters' email communication, is published in Election Law Journal, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.
As COVID-19 continues to ravage global populations, the world is singularly focused on finding ways to battle the novel coronavirus. That includes the UC Santa Barbara's Solid State Lighting & Energy Electronics Center (SSLEEC) and member companies. Researchers there are developing ultraviolet LEDs that have the ability to decontaminate surfaces -- and potentially air and water -- that have come in contact with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
OAK BROOK, Ill. - Extended periods in space have long been known to cause vision problems in astronauts. Now a new study in the journal Radiology suggests that the impact of long-duration space travel is more far-reaching, potentially causing brain volume changes and pituitary gland deformation.
The Earth's inner core, hidden 5150 km below our feet, is primarily composed of solid iron and is exposed to pressures between 329 and 364 GPa (which are ~3.3 to 3.6 million times that of atmospheric pressure) and temperatures of ~5000 to ~6000 K (Image 1). Seismological observations previously revealed that the velocity of seismic waves produced by earthquakes depend strongly on their direction when travelling through the inner core, a phenomenon known as "seismic anisotropy".
In a new study, Stanford researchers have strongly bolstered the theory that a lack of oxygen in Earth's oceans contributed to a devastating die-off approximately 444 million years ago. The new results further indicate that these anoxic (little- to no-oxygen) conditions lasted over 3 million years - significantly longer than similar biodiversity-crushing spells in our planet's history.
Wind power surged worldwide in 2019, but will it sustain? More than 340,000 wind turbines generated over 591 gigawatts globally. In the U.S., wind powered the equivalent of 32 million homes and sustained 500 U.S. factories. What's more, in 2019 wind power grew by 19 percent, thanks to both booming offshore and onshore projects in the U.S. and China.
A study by Cornell University researchers used supercomputers to look into the future of how to make an even bigger jump in wind power capacity in the U.S.
In recent years, RNA molecules, with the ability to affect or turn off pathogenic genes, have become promising drug candidates in several areas. However, it has been a challenge to develop techniques to deliver the RNA molecules into the cells where they have an effect. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now developed a sensitive technique that makes it possible to study the delivery into the cell, and have shown a possible way to effectively deliver RNA drugs to tumours. The study has now been published in Nature Communications.
According to a recent analysis of data from two major eye disease studies, adherence to the Mediterranean diet - high in vegetables, whole grains, fish, and olive oil - correlates with higher cognitive function. Dietary factors also seem to play a role in slowing cognitive decline. Researchers at the National Eye Institute (NEI), part of the National Institutes of Health, led the analysis of data from the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) and AREDS2. They published their results today in the journal Alzheimer's and Dementia.
Flamingos form friendships that last for years, new research shows.
The five-year study reveals that, despite being highly social as part of large flocks, flamingos consistently spend time with specific close "friends".
They also avoid certain individuals, suggesting some flamingos just don't get on.
The University of Exeter study examined four flamingo species at WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, and found social bonds including "married" couples, same-sex friendships and even groups of three and four close friends.