|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Breakthrough in Zika virus vaccine
Researchers have made significant advances in developing a novel vaccine against Zika virus, which could potentially lead to global elimination of the disease.
|
|
|
|
|
Synthetic nanopores made from DNA
A scientific collaboration has resulted in the construction of a synthetic DNA nanopore capable of selectively translocating protein-size macromolecules across lipid bilayers.
|
|
|
Moongoose females compete over reproduction
A new study on wild banded mongooses reveals that females may use spontaneous abortion to cope with reproductive competition, and to save their energy for future breeding attempts in better conditions.
|
|
|
|
Bone bandage soaks up pro-healing biochemical to accelerate repair
Researchers have engineered a patch or bandage that captures a pro-healing molecule called adenosine that briefly surges at the site of a bone break or fracture to accelerate and improve the natural healing process. In a proof-of-principle study with mice, the bandage helped to accelerate callus formation and vascularization to achieve better bone repair by three weeks.
|
|
|
|
|
Human teeth used as jewellery in Turkey 8,500 years ago
At a prehistoric archaeological site in Turkey, researchers have discovered two 8,500-year-old human teeth, which had been used as pendants in a necklace or bracelet. Researchers have never documented this practice before in the prehistoric Near East, and the rarity of the find suggests that the human teeth were imbued with profound symbolic meaning for the people who wore them.
|
|
|
Knowledge-sharing: a how-to guide
How is knowledge exchanged and shared when interdisciplinary research teams work together? Researchers have investigated this by studying several different research projects. Their study makes concrete recommendations for how teams can best work together and achieve effective collaborations.
|
|
|
Standard pathology tests outperform molecular subtyping in bladder cancer
While trying to develop a comparatively easy, inexpensive way to give physicians and their patients with bladder cancer a better idea of likely outcome and best treatment options, scientists found that sophisticated new subtyping techniques designed to do this provide no better information than long-standing pathology tests.
|
|
|
Better studying superconductivity in single-layer graphene
A new study demonstrates that an existing technique is better suited for probing superconductivity in pure, single-layer graphene than previously thought. The insight could allow physicists to understand more about the widely varied properties of graphene; potentially aiding the development of new technologies.
|
|
|
|
Barrels of ancient Antarctic air aim to track history of rare gas
An Antarctic field campaign last winter led by the US and Australia has successfully extracted some of the largest samples of air dating from the 1870s until today. Researchers will use the samples to look for changes in the molecules that scrub the atmosphere of methane and other gases.
|
|
|
|
|
 Print me an organ - Why are we not there yet?
Singapore (SPX) Dec 12, 2019
3D bioprinting is a highly-advanced manufacturing platform that allows for the printing of tissue, and eventually vital organs, from cells. This could open a new world of possibilities for the medical field, while directly benefiting patients who need replacement organs.
Instead of waiting for a suitable donor or having the risk of their body rejecting a transplanted organ, 3D printed orga
|
|
|
OneWeb to use advanced grappling tech from Altius Space Machines
London, UK (SPX) Dec 12, 2019
OneWeb, whose goal is to connect everyone everywhere, and OneWeb Satellites, a joint venture between Airbus and OneWeb are coming together to advance the OneWeb Responsible Space program with a commitment to implement an advanced-technology grappling fixture, developed by Altius Space Machines, on OneWeb's satellites.
Dedicated to the idea that Space is a shared natural resource and if use
|
|
|
Scientists present new ionosphere images and science
Space Weather at NASA
by Lina Tran for GSFC News
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Dec 12, 2019
In a Dec. 10 press event at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco, three scientists presented new images of the ionosphere, the dynamic region where Earth's atmosphere meets space. Home to astronauts and everyday technology like radio and GPS, the ionosphere constantly responds to changes from space above
|
|
|
Newfound aurora in Mars atmosphere the most common
Washington DC (SPX) Dec 13, 2019
A type of Martian aurora first identified by NASA's MAVEN spacecraft in 2016 is actually the most common form of aurora occurring on the Red Planet, according to new results from the mission. The aurora is known as a proton aurora and can help scientists track water loss from Mars' atmosphere.
At Earth, aurora are commonly seen as colorful displays of light in the night sky near the polar
|
|
|
Russian cosmonauts planning two spacewalks at ISS in 2020
Moscow (Sputnik) Dec 12, 2019
Russian cosmonauts plan to carry out two spacewalks at the International Space Station next year, a source in the space industry said.
"EVA-47 (the 47th extravehicular activity on the ISS under the Russian program) is planned for 15 January 2020, but the timing of it depends on NASA", the source said on Wednesday.
He explained that during the spacewalk, Russian cosmonauts Aleksandr S
|
|
|
Interstellar comet 2I Borisov swings past Sun
Baltimore MD (SPX) Dec 13, 2019
When astronomers see something in the universe that at first glance seems like one-of-a-kind, it's bound to stir up a lot of excitement and attention. Enter comet 2I/Borisov. This mysterious visitor from the depths of space is the first identified comet to arrive here from another star. We don't know from where or when the comet started heading toward our Sun, but it won't hang around for long.
|
|
| | | |
|
Scaling up for the next generation of rocket technology Down Under
Gold Coast, Australia (SPX) Dec 13, 2019
Australia's leading rocket company, Gilmour Space Technologies, has signed a Statement of Strategic Intent and Cooperation with the Australian Spa?ce Agency, demonstrating their commitment to launch Australia to space.
The signing ceremony, held at the company's new facility in Gold Coast, Queensland, was attended by Australia's Minister of Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews, a
|
|
|
Inner to outer space: studying biological changes with plants on rockets
Edwards AFB CA (SPX) Dec 12, 2019
What happens to the genes of organisms as they travel from the ground, through Earth's atmosphere and into space? Does their expression change? Are the changes subtle or dramatic? Do they happen quickly or gradually?
Answering such fundamental research questions is essential to our understanding of the impact of space travel on humans and other organisms. Two researchers from the Universit
|
|
|
SubX shows promise for improved monthly weather forecasts
Miami FL (SPX) Dec 09, 2019
Scientists working on the next frontier of weather forecasting are hoping that weather conditions 3-to-4 weeks out will soon be as readily available as seven-day forecasts. Having this type of weather information - called subseasonal forecasts - in the hands of the public and emergency managers can provide the critical lead time necessary to prepare for natural hazards like heat waves or the nex
|
|
|
Iridium Continues GMDSS Readiness with Announcement of Launch Partners
McLean VA (SPX) Dec 12, 2019
Iridium Communications Inc. has announced the first seven companies it has authorized to provide its Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) services, planned for commercial introduction in the first half of 2020. The seven companies, Arion Communications, AST, Marlink, Marsat, NSSLGlobal, Satcom Global and Speedcast will be the first in the industry to provide truly global satellite
|
|
|
Water common yet scarce in exoplanets
Cambridge UK (SPX) Dec 12, 2019
The most extensive survey of atmospheric chemical compositions of exoplanets to date has revealed trends that challenge current theories of planet formation and has implications for the search for water in the solar system and beyond.
A team of researchers, led by the University of Cambridge, used atmospheric data from 19 exoplanets to obtain detailed measurements of their chemical and the
|
|
|
MAVEN maps winds in upper atmosphere of Mars that mirror the terrain below and gives clues to climate
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Dec 13, 2019
Researchers have created the first map of wind circulation in the upper atmosphere of a planet besides Earth, using data from NASA's MAVEN spacecraft that were collected during the last two years. The new map of Mars winds helps scientists to better understand the workings of the Martian climate, giving them a more accurate picture of its ancient past and its ongoing evolution.
MAVEN, the
|
|
|
Kepler Communications selects SpaceX to launch two batches of its nanosatellite constellation
Toronto, Canada (SPX) Dec 13, 2019
Kepler Communication has selected SpaceX as launch partner to deliver a portion of its first Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation into space onboard SpaceX's reusable Falcon 9 launch vehicle.
Kepler has procured 400 kg of launch capacity from SpaceX for the deployment of multiple satellites. These spacecraft incorporate both a high-capacity Ku-band communications system and a narr
|
|
|
NASA selects site for asteroid sample collection on Bennu
Washington DC (SPX) Dec 13, 2019
After a year scoping out asteroid Bennu's boulder-scattered surface, the team leading NASA's first asteroid sample return mission has officially selected a sample collection site.
The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-Rex) mission team concluded a site designated "Nightingale" - located in a crater high in Bennu's northern hemisp
|
|
|
NASA says Boeing Starliner ready to fly as early as Dec 20
Orlando FL (UPI) Dec 13, 2019
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner space capsule is ready for its maiden voyage as early as Dec. 20, NASA officials said Thursday.
The space agency said the capsule passed a flight readiness review Thursday. The review included dozens of managers and engineers from the space agency, Boeing and launch provider United Launch Alliance.
The scheduled launch date is Dec. 20, but alternate dates becaus
|
|
|
 Certain ZIP Codes Pick Losers
People in certain ZIP codes are more likely to purchase products that flop, buy homes that are poor investments, and pick political candidates who lose. Christopher Intagliata reports.
-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com
|
|
|
|
|
 Tour 10 of the Closest Black Holes to Earth
Black holes should be common in our Milky Way galaxy, but their dark nature means only dozens have been discovered to date. Here are a few nearby black holes astronomers know a little about.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Climate cycles and insect pests drive migration timing of reindeer's North American cousin
Biologists have discovered two unexpected drivers for migration timing that dispute long-held assumptions and provide insight into potential future effects of climate change on caribou. First, the start of migration is synchronized across North America and tied to large-scale, ocean-driven climate cycles. Second, warm, windless summers that favored insect pests lead to poorer maternal health and delayed arrivals at the calving grounds the following spring.
|
|
|
|
|
Deadly 'superbugs' destroyed by molecular drills
Motorized molecules activated by light target and drill through highly antibiotic resistant bacteria and kill them within minutes. The molecules can open bacteria to attack by drugs they previously resisted. The strategy could be applied to bacterial infections or diseases on the skin, in the lungs or in the gastrointestinal tract.
|
|
|
|
First identified comet to visit our solar system from another star
Comet 2I/Borisov is a mysterious visitor from the depths of space -- the first identified comet to arrive here from another star. Hubble images capture the comet streaking though our solar system and on its way back to interstellar space. It's only the second interstellar object known to have passed through the solar system.
|
|
|
|
|
To the brain, straight from the vein: IV treatment for TBI
A team of researchers has found that neural exosomes -- 'cargo' molecules within the nervous system that carry messages to the brain -- can minimize or even avert progression of traumatic brain injury when used as part of a new cell-to-cell messaging technology.
|
|
|
Breast cancer cells swallow a 'free lunch' of dietary fat particles from the bloodstream
A research team has previously shown that fatty particles from the bloodstream may boost the growth of breast cancer cells. They now show that through an unexpected mechanism not previously described in cancer cells, the fat particles bind to the breast cancer cell surface and are then taken into the cell, providing a large supply of fuel that drives proliferation of the cancer cells.
|
|
|
|
Achieving optimal collaboration when goals conflict
New research suggests that, when two people must work together on a physical task despite conflicting goals, the amount of information available about each other's actions influences how quickly and optimally they learn to collaborate.
|
|
|
|
New drug targets to treat Nipah virus
Nipah virus, which is transmitted to humans from bats and pigs, has a high mortality rate and there are no licensed drugs against it. Now, researchers have used information on the structure of the Nipah virus to identified 150 possible inhibitors of the virus.
|
|
|
|
| | |
|
The limits of ocean heavyweights: Prey curb whales' gigantic size
Scientists collected data from hundreds of feeding whales, allowing them to determine how much energy species of different sizes invest to capture their prey and which of these species reap the greatest rewards for their efforts. Their findings reveal that body size in all whales is limited by the availability of their prey, but only filter-feeding whales have evolved a feeding strategy that drives them to achieve the largest body sizes to have ever evolved.
|
|
|
|
Insight into the neglected tropical disease sleeping sickness
Researchers have shed light on how the parasite which causes sleeping sickness multiples inside its host. Human African Trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness, only occurs in Sub-Saharan Africa where an estimated 60 million people in 36 countries are at risk. The infection attacks the central nervous system and is fatal without treatment. Researchers have found that the parasite's cell division differs from that of humans and animals.
|
|
|
Scientists map a planet's global wind patterns for the first time, and it's not Earth
A new article documents the global wind patterns on any planet for the first time. Remote repogramming of the MAVEN spacecraft and its NGIMS instrument enabled the data collection. The results reveal seasonal stability in circulation patterns on Mars, but high short-term volatility in wind direction and speed. The data also allow researchers to infer the topography below based on waves created by the air mass flowing over features like mountains and canyons.
|
|
|
Unique polymer fibers: Light, strong, and tough
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 has developed polymer fibers with precisely these properties.
|
|
|
Researchers perfect nanoscience tool for studies of nuclear waste storage
Studying radiation chemistry and electronic structure of materials at scales smaller than nanometers, scientists prepared samples of clay in ultra-thin layers. Working at the TRIUMF particle accelerator, they bombarded the samples with antimatter subatomic particles. They found their system is a proven tool for radiation studies of material to be used to store nuclear waste -- important for Canadian nuclear industry looking to build its first geological repository.
|
|
|
|
Chemists' calculations may advance cancer prediction
A computational study by chemists showed the dynamics of tumor formation don't necessarily correlate with clinical data on lifetime cancer risks. It suggests biomarkers may someday be able to help predict when mutations in cells will turn cancer-prone cells into full-blown cancer.
|
|
|
Metabolic adaptation ensures survival of colon cancer cells
Colon cancer cells deficient in p53, one of the most important control proteins in cell growth, activate a particular metabolic pathway to adapt to the lack of oxygen and nutrients inside the tumor. Statins, which are often prescribed to lower cholesterol, block this metabolic pathway and cause the cancer cells to die, as scientists have now discovered. The researchers now intend to investigate this potential treatment strategy in more detail in cancer cells and animal experiments.
|
|
|
|
Deforestation, erosion exacerbate mercury spikes near Peruvian gold mining
Scientists have developed a model that can predict the amount of mercury being released into a local ecosystem from deforestation. The research could point toward ways to mitigate the worst effects of mercury poisoning in regions already experiencing elevated mercury levels caused by small-scale gold mining practices, such as those in the Peruvian Amazon.
|
|
|
|
High-precision map of Antarctic ice sheet bed topography
Glaciologists have unveiled the most accurate portrait yet of the contours of the land beneath Antarctica's ice sheet -- and, by doing so, have helped identify which regions of the continent are going to be most vulnerable to the impact of future climate warming.
|
|
|
Bovine kobuvirus in US
A virus that afflicts cattle that was first discovered in Japan in 2003 has made its way to the US, researchers report.
|
|
|
Virus multiplication in 3D
Vaccinia viruses serve as a vaccine against human smallpox and as the basis of new cancer therapies. Two studies now provide fascinating insights into their unusual propagation strategy at the atomic level.
|
|
|
Tracking lab-grown tissue with light
Someday, doctors would like to grow limbs and other body tissue for soldiers who have lost arms in battle, children who need a new heart or liver, and many other people with critical needs. Scientists are supporting this field of research by developing a promising new kind of light-based sensor to study tissue growth in the lab.
|
|
|
|
|
|
US Air Force Head mulls declassifying secret programs to gain support for Space Force in Congress
Moscow (Sputnik) Dec 11, 2019
The Pentagon has recently been actively pursuing the development and deployment of new equipment in space, including designed to detect early launches of ballistic intercontinental missiles from the territory of potential adversaries.
Barbara Barrett, chief of the US Air Force, has come up with an unusual strategy to find support among not just US lawmakers, but also among the public for T
|
|
|
Self-driving microrobots
New York NY (SPX) Dec 11, 2019
Most synthetic materials, including those in battery electrodes, polymer membranes, and catalysts, degrade over time because they don't have internal repair mechanisms. If you could distribute autonomous microrobots within these materials, then you could use the microrobots to continuously make repairs from the inside.
A new study from the lab of Kyle Bishop, associate professor of chemica
|
|
|
Trisept and Satellite Applications Catapult team to advance space access in the UK and beyond
Oxford UK (SPX) Dec 11, 2019
TriSept Corporation, a leading provider of launch integration management services for commercial and government missions, has signed a comprehensive teaming agreement with Satellite Applications Catapult, to explore and accelerate new innovations, missions and space access across the burgeoning UK space industry and beyond.
Satellite Applications Catapult, part of The Catapult network and
|
|
|
Stardust from Red Giants
Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Dec 10, 2019
Some of the Earth's building material was stardust from red giants, researchers from ETH Zurich have established. They can also explain why the Earth contains more of this stardust than the asteroids or the planet Mars, which are farther from the sun.
Around 4.5 billion years ago, an interstellar molecular cloud collapsed. At its centre, the Sun was formed; around that, a disc of gas and d
|
|
|
Revealing the physics of the Sun with Parker Solar Probe
Greenbelt MD (SPX) Dec 12, 2019
Nearly a year and a half into its mission, Parker Solar Probe has returned gigabytes of data on the Sun and its atmosphere. Following the release of the very first science from the mission, five researchers presented additional new findings from Parker Solar Probe at the fall meeting of the American Geophysical Union on Dec. 11, 2019.
Research from these teams hints at the processes behind
|
|
|
Looking Toward Work on NASA's Potential Asteroid-Hunting Space Telescope
Tucson AZ (SPX) Dec 11, 2019
The University of Arizona is spearheading work that would begin efforts to construct a space-based infrared telescope that could provide the capabilities NASA needs to search for asteroids and comets that pose impact hazards to Earth, called near-Earth objects, or NEOs.
Professor Amy Mainzer of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona will provide technical leadershi
|
|
|
The return to Venus and what it means for Earth
Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 12, 2019
Sue Smrekar really wants to go back to Venus. In her office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, the planetary scientist displays a 30-year-old image of Venus' surface taken by the Magellan spacecraft, a reminder of how much time has passed since an American mission orbited the planet. The image reveals a hellish landscape: a young surface with more volcanoes than any oth
|
|
|
NASA's treasure map for water ice on Mars
Pasadena CA (JPL) Dec 12, 2019
NASA has big plans for returning astronauts to the Moon in 2024, a stepping stone on the path to sending humans to Mars. But where should the first people on the Red Planet land?
A new paper published in Geophysical Research Letters will help by providing a map of water ice believed to be as little as an inch (2.5 centimeters) below the surface.
Water ice will be a key consideration
|
|
|
Quantum expander for gravitational-wave observatories
Changchun, China (SPX) Dec 12, 2019
Ultra-stable laser light that was stored in optical resonators of up to 4km length enabled the first observations of gravitational waves from inspirals of binary black holes and neutron stars. Due to the rather low bandwidth of the optical resonator system, however, the scientifically highly interesting post-merger signals at frequencies above a few hundred hertz could not be resolved. Such info
|
|
|
Spaceflight Inc. closes 2019 with 3 successful launches in one week across three continents
Seattle WA (SPX) Dec 12, 2019
Spaceflight, the leading provider of mission management and rideshare integration services, reports it has successfully executed nine missions in 2019, the most rideshare launches the company has performed in one year, representing a 300 percent growth from the previous year.
The company ended last year with its historic dedicated rideshare mission, SSO-A, and continued to execute many mor
|
|
|
ALMA spots most distant dusty galaxy hidden in plain sight
Charlottesville VA (SPX) Dec 12, 2019
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have spotted the light of a massive galaxy seen only 970 million years after the Big Bang. This galaxy, called MAMBO-9, is the most distant dusty star-forming galaxy that has ever been observed without the help of a gravitational lens.
Dusty star-forming galaxies are the most intense stellar nurseries in the universe
|
|
|
Second stellar population found in Milky Way's thick disk
Rome, Italy (SPX) Dec 11, 2019
A new study led by Dr. Daniela Carollo - researcher of the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics - on the kinematics and chemical composition of a sample of stars in the vicinity of the Sun, revealed that the stars that make up the thick disk of our galaxy, the Milky Way, belong to two distinct stellar populations with different characteristics and not to a single one, as has been thought
|
|
|
|
:origin()/pre09/cfad/th/pre/i/2017/074/4/5/sends_your_heart_a_flutter_by_funkybytes-db2damw.jpg)
:origin()/pre11/82b3/th/pre/f/2016/130/7/a/asian_lawyer_by_giantessfan27-da1zm2q.jpg)
)
:origin()/pre00/7898/th/pre/f/2019/082/8/7/fury_of_the_jungle_by_acidrain101-dd2v6y3.jpg)
:origin()/pre00/1d66/th/pre/i/2017/315/4/d/beautiful_by_synnibear03-dbthf74.png)
