Tech
A research group led by Professor HASUNUMA Tomohisa of Kobe University's Engineering Biology Research Center have succeeded in synthesizing the natural pigment astaxanthin using the fast-growing marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC7002.
The survival of Earth's life is not a battle of humans versus nature. In this week's Science, an independent group of international experts, including one from Michigan State University (MSU), deliver a sweeping assessment of nature, concluding victory needs both humans and nature to thrive.
"Pervasive human-driven decline of life on Earth points to the need for transformative change" explores how human impacts on life on Earth are unprecedented, requiring transformative action to address root economic, social and technological causes.
Boston, MA, USA -- 6 December 2019
The near ubiquitous penetration of mobile phones among smallholder farmers in developing countries has enabled a powerful new tool for dispensing agricultural advice to farmers. Low acquisition and marginal costs make digital extension scalable at low cost when compared to traditional in person extension practices.
Whales' large bodies help them consume their prey at high efficiencies, a more than decade-long study of around 300 tagged whales now shows, but their gigantism is limited by prey availability and foraging efficiency. These results, though seemingly intuitive, have been difficult to confirm with quantitative data because of challenges studying these gargantuan mammals in the field. However, this information is a necessary beginning to efforts to preserve these endangered giants, says Terrie Williams in a related Perspective.
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. More than 90% of cancer patients die of distal metastases rather than as a direct result of the primary tumor. Cancer metastases usually develop from single disseminated cancer cells, which evade the body's immune surveillance system. Up to now, comprehensive detection of these cells within the entire body has not been possible, owing to the limited resolution of imaging techniques such as bioluminescence and MRI.
New research suggests that physicians evaluating young patients with hip pain should consider more than such patients' physical health. They also should consider screening those patients for clinical depression and anxiety -- impairments that researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found can have a negative impact on outcomes following hip surgery, such as pain, slower recoveries and inadequate return to activity.
The findings are published online Dec. 12 in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
WASHINGTON -- Students who are better able to understand and manage their emotions effectively, a skill known as emotional intelligence, do better at school than their less skilled peers, as measured by grades and standardized test scores, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Spider webs are one of nature's most fascinating manifestations. Many spiders extrude proteinaceous silk to weave sticky webs that ensnare unsuspecting prey who venture into their threads. Despite their elasticity, these webs possess incredible tensile strength. In recent years, scientists have expressed increased interest in the spider orb-web as a biological-mechanical system. The web's sensory mechanisms are especially fascinating, given that most web-weaving spiders--regardless of their vision level--use generated vibrations to effectively locate ensnared prey.
Monsoons can have a significant impact on human populations all around the world, bringing heavy rainfall associated with flooding and mudslides that can damage crops and pose a health and safety risk. In countries such as India, monsoons also provide a vital source of water needed for growing crops. Being able to accurately forecast monsoons, as well as predict climate changes that drive these events, is of great benefit to humanity as it can help communities to better prepare and plan, which can improve safety and reduce economic losses.
According to the CDC, the suicide rate for individuals 10-24 years old has increased 56% between 2007 and 2017. In comparison to the general population, more than half of people experiencing homelessness have had thoughts of suicide or have attempted suicide, the National Health Care for the Homeless Council reported.
Phebe Vayanos, assistant professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering and Computer Science at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering has been enlisting the help of a powerful ally -artificial intelligence- to help mitigate the risk of suicide.
The transformation and degradation of natural landscapes due to human activities has been intensifying for several decades. This is especially true for forestland: its area decreases each year, especially in tropical regions. In Southeast Asia, tropical rainforests are cut down to make room for new plantations. Around 0.4 mln ha of forests are destroyed every year on Sumatra (Indonesia) only.
Highlights
- Secure data backup of medical records based on secret sharing
- Restoration of medical records via a satellite link within 9 sec after searching a patient ID
- Cross reference of medical records between different organizations using standardized data format
Abstract
The evolution of human dance has been studied by psychologists in chimpanzees
Researchers from the University of Warwick, Durham University and Free University of Brussels found two chimpanzees performed a duo dance-like behaviour, similar to a conga-line
Behaviours displayed by the chimpanzees forces an interest in the evolution of dance as humans are no longer the only ape species where it takes two individuals to tango.
As sea levels rise and adverse weather events become more common, vulnerable coastal communities are at increasing risk of devastation from storm surges and tsunamis. The death toll from tsunamis, at 260,000 during the past century, was higher than that from any other natural hazard. An international research team led by the University of Göttingen has now compared the effects of man-made and ecosystem protection to propose a hybrid approach including mangroves and coral reefs in coastal protection plans for tropical biodiversity hotspots.
Strong and tough yet as light as a feather - materials with this exceptional combination of properties are urgently needed in many industrial sectors and in medicine, as well as being of great interest for scientific research. A research team from the University of Bayreuth has now developed polymer fibres with precisely these properties. Together with partners in Germany, China and Switzerland, the polymer fibers were characterized. The scientists have published their results in the journal Science.