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Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 29, 2020 at 5:59am

Faced with shortages, researchers combine heat and humidity to disinfect N95 masks

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-09-shortages-combine-humidity-d...

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Cement-free concrete beats corrosion and gives fatbergs the flush

Researchers have developed an eco-friendly zero-cement concrete, which all but eliminates corrosion

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200928103418.htm

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How sewage testing helps contain COVID-19

Scientists have found an early-warning tool for COVID-19 in our sewage to help detect its spread. Here's a run down on how it works.

https://ecos.csiro.au/how-sewage-testing-helps-contain-covid-19/?ut...

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There’s no single gene for left-handedness. At least 41 regions of DNA are involved

https://theconversation.com/theres-no-single-gene-for-left-handedne...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 29, 2020 at 5:54am

Scientists precisely measure total amount of matter in the universe

A top goal in cosmology is to precisely measure the total amount of matter in the universe, a daunting exercise for even the most mathematically proficient. A team led by scientists  has now done just that.

The team determined that matter makes up 31% of the total amount of matter and energy in the universe, with the remainder consisting of dark energy.

"To put that amount of matter in context, if all the matter in the universe were spread out evenly across space, it would correspond to an average mass density equal to only about six hydrogen atoms per cubic meter.

However, since we know 80% of matter is actually dark matter, in reality, most of this matter consists not of hydrogen atoms but rather of a type of matter which cosmologists don't yet understand.

*one well-proven technique for determining the total amount of matter in the universe is to compare the observed number and mass of galaxy clusters per unit volume with predictions from numerical simulations. Because present-day galaxy clusters have formed from matter that has collapsed over billions of years under its own gravity, the number of clusters observed at the present time is very sensitive to cosmological conditions and, in particular, the total amount of matter.*

Researchers developed "GalWeight ", a cosmological tool to measure the mass of a galaxy cluster using the orbits of its member galaxies. The researchers then applied their tool to observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) to create "GalWCat19," a publicly available catalog of galaxy clusters. Finally, they compared the number of clusters in their new catalog with simulations to determine the total amount of matter in the universe.

 Mohamed H. Abdullah et al, Cosmological Constraints on Ω m and σ 8 from Cluster Abundances Using the GalWCat19 Optical-spectroscopic SDSS Catalog, The Astrophysical Journal (2020). DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/aba619

https://phys.org/news/2020-09-scientists-precisely-total-amount-uni...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 29, 2020 at 5:49am

Low doses of the insecticide, Imidacloprid, cause blindness in insects

New research has identified a mechanism by which low levels of insecticides such as, the neonicotinoid Imidacloprid, could harm the nervous, metabolic and immune system of insects, including those that are not pests, such as our leading pollinators, bees. This study shows that low doses of Imidacloprid trigger neurodegeneration and disrupt vital body-wide functions, including energy production, vision, movement and the immune system, in the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster.

With insect populations  declining around the world and intense use of insecticides suspected to play a role, the findings provide important evidence that even small doses of insecticides reduce the capacity of insects to survive, even those that are not pests.

Felipe Martelli el al., "Low doses of the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid induce ROS triggering neurological and metabolic impairments in Drosophila," PNAS (2020). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2011828117

https://phys.org/news/2020-09-insect-armageddon-doses-insecticide-i...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 29, 2020 at 5:42am

Commercial battery cells that can monitor their own chemical and thermal state

Battery technology can sometimes be unstable and volatile, two characteristics that impair its safety and reliability. Actively monitoring the chemical and thermal state of battery cells over time could help to detect changes that may cause incidents or malfunctions, giving users the chance to intervene before a problem arises.

Researchers  have recently designed a Na(Li)-ion battery that can monitor its own chemical and thermal state via a series of optical sensors integrated in its cells. This unique self-monitoring battery, presented in a paper published in Nature Energy, could provide greater safety and a more sustained efficiency compared to conventional battery technologies.

Jiaqiang Huang et al. Operando decoding of chemical and thermal events in commercial Na(Li)-ion cells via optical sensors, Nature Energy (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41560-020-0665-y

C. P. Grey et al. Sustainability and in situ monitoring in battery development, Nature Materials (2016). DOI: 10.1038/nmat4777

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-09-commercial-battery-cells-chemic...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 28, 2020 at 10:40am

Common pelvic pain drug is ineffective, study finds

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Plastic-eating enzyme 'cocktail' heralds new hope for plastic waste

The scientists who re-engineered the plastic-eating enzyme PETase have now created an enzyme 'cocktail' which can digest plastic up to six times faster.

A second enzyme, found in the same rubbish dwelling bacterium that lives on a diet of plastic bottles, has been combined with PETase to speed up the breakdown of plastic.

PETase breaks down polyethylene terephthalate (PET) back into its building blocks, creating an opportunity to recycle plastic infinitely and reduce plastic pollution and the green house gasses driving climate change.

Brandon C. Knott el al., "Characterization and engineering of a two-enzyme system for plastics depolymerization," PNAS (2020). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2006753117

https://phys.org/news/2020-09-plastic-eating-enzyme-cocktail-herald...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 28, 2020 at 10:38am

Optical Wi-Fi allows for ultrafast underwater communications

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 28, 2020 at 10:33am

**Mutation leading to biological changes may play role in cancer

A new study from McGill University’s Goodman Cancer Research Centre (GCRC) has revealed significant biological changes in mice expressing an activated, mutant form of the Estrogen Receptor alpha (ER alpha), shedding new light on the role of this important gene in development and cancer. Over-expressed in approximately 70 % of breast cancer cases, the Estrogen Receptor is often associated with breast cancer therapy resistance when it mutates and therefore can contribute to poor patient outcomes. To understand how the biological effects of ER alpha mutations can lead to cancer, researchers at the GCRC have generated the first mouse model expressing one of these mutations early in development, bringing new insight on its effects on the development of the sexual organs.

https://researchnews.cc/news/2743/Mutation-leading-to-biological-ch...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 28, 2020 at 10:30am

Study finds that high levels of a growth factor increases risk for several cancers

A study of almost 400,000  participants has identified a new link between raised levels of the growth factor IGF-1 and increased thyroid cancer risk and has confirmed associations with breast, prostate and colorectal cancer. This could lead to new preventative strategies, including diet and lifestyle interventions.

IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) helps to support normal cell growth and development, processes which can lead to cancer if they become dysregulated.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-09-15-study-finds-high-levels-growth....

https://researchnews.cc/news/2729/Study-finds-that-high-levels-of-a...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 28, 2020 at 10:22am

Electrons that flow like water in ultra-pure graphene

Since its discovery in 2004, graphene has largely been known for its quantum properties. But recently, researchers discovered that electron flow in graphene at certain temperatures could be described using the very classical laws of hydrodynamics.

People observed that electrons in graphene flowed collectively, akin to water in a pipe. This was exciting not only because it provided a new playground to study electron interactions but also because it could also provide a new way to control electrons.”

Since that initial discovery, researchers wondered if the behavior could be replicated in other quantum materials.

Now, a team of researchers have classified different types of hydrodynamic behaviours which could arise in quantum materials where electrons flow collectively. This research opens the door to studying exotic physics and electron hydrodynamics in a range of new materials beyond graphene and paves the way for potentially interesting applications for extremely energy efficient electronics.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1788-9

https://researchnews.cc/news/2744/Electrons-that-flow-like-water-ar...

Comment by Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa on September 28, 2020 at 10:15am

First Compelling Evidence of Organisms That Eat Viruses as a Food Source

Two types of single-celled organisms found drifting in the waters of the Gulf of Maine off North America's coast just might be the first true virophages known to science.

Researchers identified the virus grazers after sifting nearly 1,700 plankton cells collected from the waters of the gulf and the Mediterranean Sea, and amplifying the DNA inside each and every one to create individualised genomic libraries.

In the gulf sample, half of the libraries contained snippets of genes from 50 or more different viruses. In the Mediterranean sample it was closer to a third of the sample.

Most of the virus sequences appeared to be from bacteriophages – pathogens that invade and replicate inside bacterial cells.

Bacteria are a common food source for marine protozoans, so finding their dinner came pre-infected isn't much of a surprise.

But representatives belonging to groups known as choanozoans and picozoans, both collected from the waters off North America, stood out as a little unusual.

For one thing, in many cases there was not a shred of bacterial DNA in sight. Without any signs of a bacterial brunch, it's hard to know how bacteriophage genes might have ended up inside the planktons' cells.

More compelling still is that the two completely different phyla of protozoans shared near-identical viral sequences, making it hard to argue that infection was responsible.

While the evidence for a diet of virus snacks could be considered circumstantial, it's not unlike finding dark crumbs dusting your toddler's fingers near an empty box of Oreos. Nobody's going to blame you for being suspicious.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.524828/full

https://www.sciencealert.com/first-compelling-evidence-of-organisms...

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