** Andean condors, at 10kg or more, are among the world’s heaviest flying birds. Once birds get this big, the energetic costs of flapping are so high they instead rely on currents of rising air to travel long distances.

on average, condors fly for three hours a day, but they flap for less than two minutes of this – just 1% of their flight time. One bird even flew for more than five hours without a single flap, covering 172km. Surprisingly, the amount they flapped hardly changed whether they were in the Andes or the steppe, or whether it was windy or not.

Moving between weak thermals of air seemed more challenging as birds flapped towards the end of the glides, when they were likely to be close to the ground. This is a critical time as birds need to find rising air to avoid an unplanned landing.

Thermals can behave like lava lamps, with bubbles of air rising intermittently from the ground when the air is warm enough. Birds may therefore arrive in the right place for a thermal, but at the wrong time. And the lengths of time when the bubbles are not rising sufficiently rapidly to be useful to a condor will be longer when thermals are weaker.

Nonetheless, even in weak thermal conditions, which may occur in winter, our results suggest condors may flap for only around two seconds per km. This remarkably low investment in flapping flight is on a par with albatrosses. In fact, albatrosses appear to flap more than condors – between (1% and 15% of their flight time outside take-off) –although it is unclear how their overall energy expenditure compares.

What is particularly striking about this findings is that all the birds teh researchers studied were immature. There was some suggestion that flight performance improved with age, but the demonstration that all birds flap so rarely shows that it is possible for even young condors to invest little energy in flying.

https://theconversation.com/we-tagged-andean-condors-to-find-out-ho...

https://theconversation.com/heres-how-scientists-know-the-coronavir...

Here’s how scientists know the coronavirus came from bats and wasn’t made in a lab

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A brain-inspired architecture for human gesture recognition

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-brain-inspired-architecture-hum...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-burrowing-crabs-reshaping-salt-marshe...

**Burrowing crabs reshaping salt marshes, with climate change to blame

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-fault-southeastern-nepal.h...

**Scientists discover fault system in southeastern Nepal

Why does some frogs' skin colour  appear green? 

Frogs and toads are green for a very good reason—it makes them harder to see in their leafy environments. Good camouflage allows them to eat and not be eaten. But not all frogs have arrived at this life-saving greenness in the same way.

Most of these animals rely on color-controlling structures in their skin called chromatophores that use crystals to bend light to specific colors and make them appear green. But there are hundreds of species of frogs and toads that have nearly translucent skin and very few chromatophores.

Their greenness, which can be found deep in their lymphatic fluid, soft tissues and even bones, comes from a clever biochemical workaround that combines a normally virus-fighting type of protein with a toxic byproduct of blood breakdown.

many of these frogs contain very high levels of bile pigment called biliverdin that is a byproduct of breaking apart old red blood cells. This pigment is normally considered a toxin to be filtered out in the liver and excreted as quickly as possible. But these frogs are found to carry four times as much biliverdin as even the sickest human with liver disease, and 200 times as much as their chromatophore-equipped frog cousins.

When you see something green, its color really should be called 'everything but green,' because it is soaking up all the colors of incoming light except for green. The color we see is the frequency of light it does not absorb that bounces back to our eyes.

Biliverdin by itself would appear to be somewhat greenish, as sometimes seen in an old bruise, but the researchers found that a bound serpin, BBS, stretches out biliverdin's helical shape to fine-tune its light absorbance, making it more cyan, a blue-green. Cyan, added to some other yellow pigments scattered in the skin, bounces back just the right shade of green. It also makes biliverdin less toxic as well.

This new protein has the same spectroscopic properties or light absorption properties as some plant pigments.

So this is a convergence in evolution. Being arboreal (living in trees), they developed a different way to make their coloration. This shows how natural selection can co-opt proteins for just about any purpose.

Source: Carlos Taboada et al, Multiple origins of green coloration in frogs mediated by a novel biliverdin-binding serpin, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2006771117

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-green-skin-deep-hundreds-frog-species...

 Scientists investigate radiolabeling of calcium carbonate particles in vivo

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-radiolabeling-calcium-carb...

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 https://phys.org/news/2020-07-road-traffic-microplastics-world-ocea...

Road traffic microplastics flooding world's oceans: study

Researchers find sun and rain transform asphalt binder into potentially toxic compounds

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-sun-asphalt-binder-potentially-toxic....

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-air-pollution-affects-brain.html?utm_...

Air pollution affects brain development, but when does the damage start?

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-cloud-hidden-greenhouse-gas-emissions...

Cloud computing could be producing hidden greenhouse gas emissions

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-codes-smartphone-easily.html?ut...

'Knock codes' for smartphone security are easily predicted, researchers say

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https://www.sciencenews.org/article/time-universe-fundamental-cosmi...

The universe might have a fundamental clock that ticks very, very fast

Time could be the result of particles interacting with a ticking cosmic timepiece

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https://www.sciencealert.com/a-giant-wall-of-galaxies-has-been-foun...

A Giant 'Wall' of Galaxies Has Been Found Stretching Across The Universe

One in Three Young Adults at Risk of Severe Coronavirus Infections, Study Finds

certain factors that can put anyone at risk of serious illness, regardless of age. A new study from researchers at the University of California, San Francisco determined that one in three young adults ages 18 to 25 are vulnerable to severe COVID-19 cases.

Patients were considered vulnerable if they had least one risk factor, including a smoking habit or chronic illness like heart disease, diabetes, asthma, obesity, autoimmune disease, or liver problems.

https://www.sciencealert.com/smoking-may-explain-why-1-in-3-young-a...

Ex-Harvard Medical School faculty member warns COVID-19 herd immunity is ‘wishful thinking'

A Washington D.C.-based internist and former Harvard Medical School faculty member has claimed the idea that herd immunity may slow the coronavirus pandemic is "wishful thinking" after a 50-year-old patient was infected for a second time with COVID-19.

"During his first infection, my patient experienced a mild cough and sore throat," Dr. Clay Ackerly explained in an opinion piece for Vox. "His second infection, in contrast, was marked by a high fever, shortness of breath, and hypoxia, resulting in multiple trips to the hospital.

"It is possible, but unlikely, that my patient had a single infection that lasted three months," Dr. Ackerly added. "Some Covid-19 patients (now dubbed 'long haulers') do appear to suffer persistent infections and symptoms.

"My patient, however, cleared his infection — he had two negative PCR tests after his first infection — and felt healthy for nearly six weeks."

Typically, experts estimate that between 70 and 90 percent of a population must be immune to a contagious disease to achieve herd immunity -- whether through vaccination or other exposure to an infection.

However, a recent study in Spain, one of the countries hardest-hit by the pandemic, found just five percent of those surveyed had coronavirus antibodies. On a regional basis, the percentage varied from fewer than three percent in coastal regions to more than 10 percent in areas around Madrid.

https://www.foxnews.com/health/clay-ackerly-coronavirus-herd-immuni...

"My patient caught Covid-19 twice. So long to herd immunity hopes?" (Vox, 7/12/20) - original article

Researchers discover how cells remember infections decades later

https://phys.org/news/2017-12-cells-infections-decades.html

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An exploding white dwarf star blasted itself out of its orbit with another star in a "partial supernova" and is now hurtling across our galaxy, according to a new study from the University of Warwick.

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-blast-star-hurtling-milky.html?utm_so...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-uncover-key-ribosomes-prot...

Scientists uncover key process in the manufacture of ribosomes and proteins

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Scientists discover heavy element chemistry can change at high pressures

New research shows that one of the heaviest known elements can be manipulated to a greater degree than previously thought, potentially paving the way for new strategies to recycle nuclear fuel and better long-term storage of radioactive elements.

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-fsu-news-scientists-heavy-element.htm...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-true-scientists-discuss-evolution-whi...

Scientists discuss evolution of white coloration of velvet ants

Bacteria with a metal diet discovered in dirty glassware

Microbiologists have discovered bacteria that feed on manganese and use the metal as their source of calories. Such microbes were predicted to exist over a century ago, but none had been found or described until now.

The study also reveals that the bacteria can use manganese to convert carbon dioxide into biomass, a process called chemosynthesis. Previously, researchers knew of bacteria and fungi that could oxidize manganese, or strip it of electrons.

Researchers found the bacteria serendipitously after performing unrelated experiments using a light, chalk-like form of manganese. They had left a glass jar soiled with the substance to soak in tap water in their  office sink before departing for several months to work off campus. When they returned, the jar was coated with a dark material.

They wondered, 'What is that?' and systematically performed tests to figure that out.

The black coating was in fact oxidized manganese generated by newfound bacteria that had likely come from the tap water itself. There is evidence that relatives of these creatures reside in groundwater.

Manganese is one of the most abundant elements on the surface of the earth. Manganese oxides take the form of a dark, clumpy substance and are common in nature; they have been found in subsurface deposits and can also form in water-distribution systems.

There is a whole set of environmental engineering literature on drinking-water-distribution systems getting clogged by manganese oxides. But how and for what reason such material is generated there has remained an enigma. Clearly, many scientists have considered that bacteria using manganese for energy might be responsible, but evidence supporting this idea was not available until now.

The finding helps researchers better understand the geochemistry of groundwater. It is known that bacteria can degrade pollutants in groundwater, a process called bioremediation. When doing this, several key organisms will "reduce" manganese oxide, which means they donate electrons to it, in a manner similar to how humans use oxygen in the air. Scientists have wondered where the manganese oxide comes from in the first place.

The bacteria discovered now can produce it, thus they enjoy a lifestyle that also serves to supply the other microbes with what they need to perform reactions that we consider to be beneficial and desirable.

The research findings also have possible relevance to understanding manganese nodules that dot much of the seafloor.

Bacterial chemolithoautotrophy via manganese oxidation, Nature (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2468-5

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-bacteria-metal-diet-dirty-glassware.h...

Hallmark of severe COVID-19 patients identified

In analyzing blood, tissue, immune cells and other samples from the patients, the researchers came upon what they think is a signature for people with severe infections—a combination of an interferon response deficiency and exacerbated inflammation. They suggest the signature may represent a hallmark for severely ill COVID-19 patients. The researchers suggest their findings could lead to therapies that boost interferon response to an infection while also reducing inflammation.

More specifically, the researchers found that critically ill patients had a deficiency in the response of type I interferons—a kind of protein that is used by the immune system to fight infections. In addition, there were higher than normal levels of proinflammatory signaling. Together, the two responses left patients with little ammunition to fight their infections. The work builds on studies by other researchers finding that interferon signaling in infected areas may play a role in mitigating disease progression. Such work has shown that duration, timing and location of interferon exposure to the virus are critical factors that appear to underlie the degree of success with current therapies.

Jérôme Hadjadj et al, Impaired type I interferon activity and inflammatory responses in severe COVID-19 patients, Science (2020). DOI: 10.1126/science.abc6027

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-hallmark-severe-covid-patien...

Invasive alien species may soon cause dramatic global biodiversity loss

An increase of 20 to 30 per cent of invasive non-native (alien) species would lead to dramatic future biodiversity loss worldwide. This is the conclusion of a study by an international team of researchers.

Human activities intentionally and unintentionally introduce more and more plant and animal species to new regions of the world—for example, via commodity transport or tourism.

Some of these alien species have negative consequences for biodiversity and humans well-being, for example by displacing native species or transmitting diseases. However, while we have relatively good information on the historical spread of alien species, there is still little knowledge about their future development.

The study shows that an increase of 20 to 30 per cent in the number of newly introduced alien species is considered sufficient to cause massive global biodiversity loss—a value that is likely to be reached soon, as the number of introduced species is constantly increasing.

humans are the main driver of the future spread of alien species. The experts identify three main reasons, primarily the increasing global transport of goods, followed by climate change and then the impacts of economic development such as energy consumption and land use. The study also shows that the spread of alien species can be greatly slowed down by ambitious countermeasures.

Franz Essl et al, Drivers of future alien species impacts: An expert‐based assessment, Global Change Biology (2020). DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15199

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-invasive-alien-species-global-biodive...

Researchers develop first of its kind, simple test for identifying toxic silver ions

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-kind-simple-toxic-silver-ions.html?ut...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-car-microplastics-ocean-thousands-mil...

How your car sheds microplastics into the ocean thousands of miles away

A new study has revealed that microplastics released from car tires and brake systems are a major source of marine plastic pollution

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-cases-black-hole-mistaken-identity.ht...

Cases of black hole mistaken identity

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Researchers create a robotic camera backpack for insects

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-gopro-beetles-robotic-camera-ba...

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-alexa-siri-cortana-private-conv...

Are Alexa, Siri, and Cortana recording your private conversations?

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“The world has now witnessed the compression of 6 years of work int...

The Covid-19 Vaccine-Development Multiverse

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2025111?utm_source=Natur...

How Galileo Battled the Science Deniers of His Time

The man who discovered Jupiter’s satellites and the mountains of the moon had no patience for idiots

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-galileo-battled-the-...

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On Antarctica, humanity's small footprint has big impact

Humanity's accelerating impact on the vast wilderness of Antarctica extends well beyond scientific stations and eco-tourism along its fringes, both in scope and intensity, scientists warned 

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-antarctica-humanity-small-footprint-b...

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Researchers find technique for 3-D printing on nanoscale that can correct mistakes

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-technique-d-nanoscale.html?utm_source...

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$$ Is psychiatry shrinking what’s considered normal?

https://theconversation.com/is-psychiatry-shrinking-whats-considere...

Palaeontologists Have Unearthed a Distinctive Hook-Clawed Dinosaur 

https://www.sciencealert.com/paleontologists-have-unearthed-one-of-...

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https://www.sciencealert.com/for-the-first-time-scientists-have-com...

For The First Time, Scientists Have Completely Sequenced a Human Chromosome

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-scientists-uncover-sars-cov-...

Scientists uncover SARS-CoV-2-specific T cell immunity in recovered COVID-19 and SARS patients

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-devices-fibers-laundry.html?utm_sourc...

Using fiber-catching devices as part of the laundry process can dramatically reduce the amount of microscopic particles potentially entering the marine environment, according to new research.

Devices can reduce fibers produced in laundry cycle by up to 80%

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Blood vessels communicate with sensory neurons to decide their fate

Blood vessels communicate with sensory neurons to decide whether they remain as a reservoir of stem cells or differentiate

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/upf--bvc071620.php

Decoding Butterfly Color

Scientists Modify Biology with Technology

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https://www.ted.com/talks/christina_agapakis_what_happens_when_biol...

Study reveals how a dangerous parasite controls its host cell to spread around the body

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-reveals-dangerous-parasite-host-cell....

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-dietary-guidelines-compatible-global-...

Most dietary guidelines are not compatible with global health and environmental targets

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-galaxies-die-insights-quenching-star....

How galaxies die: New insights into the quenching of star formation

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-astronomers-black-hole-corona-reappea...

In a first, astronomers watch a black hole's corona disappear, then reappear

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https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/ou-ppr071420.php

In a random crossover trial, researchers were able to reduce phantom-limb pain after only three days of training with a brain-computer-interface

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https://www.sciencealert.com/some-masks-are-better-than-others-here...

The Best And Worst Face Masks For COVID-19, Ranked by Their Level of Protection

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Identified: Molecular Predictors of Rheumatoid Arthritis Relapse

Siberia heat 'almost impossible' without climate change

A heatwave in Siberia that saw temperature records tumble as the region sweltered in 38-degree Celsius highs was "almost impossible" without the influence of manmade climate change, leading scientists said.

An international team of researchers found that the record-breaking warm period was more than 2C hotter than it would have been if humans had not warmed the planet through decades of greenhouse gas emissions.

This is further evidence of the extreme temperatures we can expect to see more frequently around the world in a warming climate.

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-siberia-impossible-climate.html?utm_s...

Immunity to COVID-19 may not last. This threatens a vaccine and herd immunity

An important new study released online this week could have a large bearing on how our future looks in 2021 and beyond.

It suggests our immunity to SARS-CoV-2 does not last very long at all — as little as two months for some people. If this is the case, it means a potential vaccine might require regular boosters, and herd immunity might not be viable at all.

https://theconversation.com/immunity-to-covid-19-may-not-last-this-...

Replacing lithium with sodium in batteries

An international team of scientists  has found that instead of lithium (Li), sodium (Na) "stacked" in a special way can be used for battery production. Sodium batteries would be significantly cheaper and equivalently or even more capacious than existing lithium batteries.

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-lithium-sodium-batteries.html?utm_sou...

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Scientists achieve major breakthrough in preserving integrity of sound waves

In a breakthrough for physics and engineering, researchers have presented the first demonstration of topological order based on time modulations. This advancement allows the researchers to propagate sound waves along the boundaries of topological metamaterials without the risk of waves traveling backwards or being thwarted by material defects.

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-major-breakthrough.html?ut...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-power-toxic-dominance-groups.html?utm...

Dominance reduces influence in groups

dominant individuals can influence a group through force, but passive individuals are far better at bringing a group to consensus.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-chemical-thermometers-temperature-nan...

Chemical thermometers take temperature to the nanometric scale

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-uncover-atomic-epstein-bar...

Scientists uncover first atomic structure of Epstein-Bar virus nucleocapsid

'Erasing' drug-associated memories may help prevent addiction relapse

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-erasing-drug-associated-memo...

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Blood test detects positive COVID-19 result in 20 minutes

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-blood-positive-covid-result-...

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Atomtronic device could probe boundary between quantum, everyday worlds

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-atomtronic-device-probe-boundary-quan...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-hairpin-vortices-supersonic-turbulenc...

Study confirms hairpin vortices in supersonic turbulence

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**Measuring drug-induced molecular changes within a cell at sub-wavelength scale

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-drug-induced-molecular-cell-sub-wavel...

Sperm discovery reveals clue to genetic 'immortality'

New insights into an elusive process that protects developing sperm cells from damage in growing embryos, sheds light on how genetic information passes down, uninterrupted, through generations.

The study identified a protein, known as SPOCD1, which plays a key role in protecting the early-stage precursors to sperm, known as germ cells, from damage in a developing embryo.

During their development, germ cells undergo a reprogramming process that leaves them vulnerable to rogue genes, known as jumping genes, which can damage their DNA and lead to infertility. 

Reprogramming is essential for correct germ cell development in embryos, but leaves them temporarily vulnerable to a subset their own genes, known as jumping genes, that threaten genetic chaos.

Evading such damage allows germ cells to become the pool of self-renewing cells that produce healthy sperm throughout adult life.

Germ cells are the vital link between generations but they need unique strategies to protect the genetic information they carry, so it can be passed successfully from parents to their offspring. 

The study is the first to reveal the role of the SPOCD1 protein, which helps to recruit protective chemical tags, known as DNA methylations, to disable jumping genes.

Scientists have long puzzled over how germ cells escape damage during the reprogramming process, as it temporarily wipes their genetic slate clean of existing protective tags.  

"The identification of SPOCD1 finally opens the doors to further investigation that will give a more elaborate understanding of this elusive process and male fertility. 

Tests in male mice revealed that loss of this protein leads to infertility because the DNA methylation process does not happen correctly, allowing jumping genes to damage the developing sperms' DNA.

Jumping genes make up over half of our DNA and move around the genome controlling how our genes are used. But their activity needs to be carefully regulated to avoid them causing damage.

The team discovered that early sperm's secret line of defence is activated when SPOCD1 binds with another protein, known as MIWI2, which is already known to have a role in silencing jumping genes.

Previous studies revealed that MIWI2 protein is bound to small molecules, known as piRNAs, that play a key role in disabling jumping genes through DNA methylation.

Ansgar Zoch et al. SPOCD1 is an essential executor of piRNA-directed de novo DNA methylation, Nature (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2557-5

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-sperm-discovery-reveals-clue-genetic....

New insight into the origin of water on the earth

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-insight-earth.html?utm_source=nwlette...

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 Cancer-causing dust released by earthworks

Tiny, needle-like fibers that can become airborne if bedrock is disturbed during earthworks has the potential to cause asbestos-type disease and should be investigated, scientists say.

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-cancer-causing-earthworks.html?utm_so...

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Enhanced water repellent surfaces discovered in nature

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-repellent-surfaces-nature.html?utm_so...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-airplanes.html?utm_source=nwletter&am...

  What if airplanes could repair their own damage?

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New explosive materials to bring nontoxic ammunition

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-explosive-materials-nontoxic-ammuniti...

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 https://www.sciencefocus.com/future-technology/cryonics-could-you-l...

Cryonics: Could you live forever?

A new facility will store tens of thousands of cryogenically-frozen people. The hope is to one day bring them back to life, but just how realistic are its aims?

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-chemistry-d-transition-metal-carbides...

Researchers discover new chemistry of 2-D transition metal carbides and carbonitrides

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-rainbow-pace.html?utm_source=nwletter...

A walk through the rainbow with PACE

For The First Time, Human Cartilage Has Been Engineered in Space

https://www.sciencealert.com/for-the-first-time-human-cartilage-has...

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Scientific evidence: Ancient Teeth Show 'Invasion' of Egypt 3,600 Years Ago Was No Invasion at All

https://www.sciencealert.com/archaeologists-think-the-foreign-invas...

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https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-why-our-mind-s-eye-sees-the-wor...

Brain Scans Show Why Our Mind's Eye Sees The World So Differently to Everyday Vision

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https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/uoc-sss071620.php

Scientists supercharge shellfish to tackle vitamin deficiency in humans

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$$ https://phys.org/news/2020-07-dogs-earth-magnetic-field.html?utm_so...

How can lost dogs return to their homes? 

Dogs may use Earth's magnetic field to navigate

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-exhaled-biomarkers-reveal-lung-diseas...

Exhaled biomarkers can reveal lung disease

What’s the difference between a scientific law and theory?

Scientists achieve first complete assembly of human X chromosome

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-human-chromosome.html?utm_...

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Herd immunity: why the figure is always a bit vague

https://theconversation.com/herd-immunity-why-the-figure-is-always-...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-volcanoes-venus.html?utm_s...

Scientists discover volcanoes on Venus are still active

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Cacti and other iconic desert plants threatened by solar development

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-cacti-iconic-threatened-solar.html?ut...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-covid-viral-shutdown-protein-synthesi...

COVID-19: Viral shutdown of protein synthesis method found

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-astrophysicists-billion-years-univers...

Astrophysicists fill in 11 billion years of the universe's expansion history

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Study reveals strange magnetic behaviour 8-11 million years ago

Research has revealed that strange behaviour of the magnetic field in the South Atlantic region existed as far back as eight to 11 million years ago, suggesting that today's South Atlantic Anomaly is a recurring feature and unlikely to represent an impending reversal of the Earth's magnetic field.

The South Atlantic Anomaly is an area characterized by a significant reduction in the strength of Earth's magnetic field compared with areas at similar geographic latitudes. Here, protection from harmful radiation from space is reduced. The most significant signs of this are technical malfunctions aboard satellites and spacecraft.

The geomagnetic records from the rocks covering 34 different volcanic eruptions that took place between eight and 11 million years ago revealed that at these occurrences the direction of the magnetic field for St Helena often pointed far from the North pole, just like it does today.

The Earth's magnetic field, or the geomagnetic field, not only gives us the ability of navigating with a compass, but also protects our atmosphere from charged particles coming from the sun, called solar wind. However, it is not completely stable in strength and direction, both over time and space, and it has the ability to completely flip or reverse itself with substantial implications.

The South Atlantic Anomaly is a topic of debate between scientists in this field. Besides the fact that it causes damages to space technology, it also raises the question of where it comes from and whether it represents the start of the total weakening of the field and a possible upcoming pole reversal.

study provides the first long term analysis of the magnetic field in this region dating back millions of years. It reveals that the anomaly in the magnetic field in the South Atlantic is not a one-off, similar anomalies existed eight to 11 million years ago.

"This is the first time that the irregular behaviour of the geomagnetic field in the South Atlantic region has been shown on such a long timescale. It suggests that the South Atlantic Anomaly is a recurring feature and probably not a sign of an impending reversal.

"It also supports earlier studies that hint towards a link between the South Atlantic Anomaly and anomalous seismic features in the lowermost mantle and the outer core. This brings us closer to linking behaviour of the geomagnetic field directly to features of the Earth's interior"

Elevated paleomagnetic dispersion at Saint Helena suggests long-lived anomalous behavior in the South Atlantic, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001217117

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-reveals-strange-magnetic-behaviour-.h...

Using drones to reduce disease-spreading mosquito populations

Vector-borne diseases are illnesses that can be transmitted to humans by blood-feeding insects, such as mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. Mosquitoes are known to contribute to the spread of a number of vector-borne diseases, including malaria, dengue, yellow fever and Zika.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), this class of diseases accounts for 17% of all infectious diseases in the world, causing over 1 million human deaths per year. Developing methods to reduce the spread and prevalence of these diseases is thus of utmost importance, as it could ultimately save countless human lives.

In recent years, scientists have devised a number of control methods to reduce or manage harmful insect populations without injecting harmful chemicals into the environment. One of these methods is the sterile insect technique (SIT), a form of insect birth control that entails the use of radiation to sterilize male mosquitoes, which are then released into the air in a target area and start mating with wild female insects.

As a sterile male and a fertile female do not produce any offspring after they mate, SIT produces a decline in the insect population. In order to reduce the incidence of vector-borne diseases, however, large amounts of good quality sterile insects need to be released continuously over affected geographical areas. Techniques for the cost-effective aerial release of sterile mosquitoes over extended geographical regions are thus a bottleneck to enabling the application of SIT on a large scale.

Researchers have recently developed a system to apply the SIT using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, to manage and reduce vector-borne-disease-transmitting mosquito populations. This unique system  entails the release of sterile mosquitoes in the air over large geographical areas using UAVs or drones. The system, tested in Brazil, enabled a uniform dispersal of sterile male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes while maintaining their quality, leading to a consistent sterile-to-wild male ratio.

The key goal of the study  was to measure the survival, dispersal and sexual competitiveness of sterile male mosquitoes after they were mass-produced, sorted, handled, irradiated, marked and released within a geographical area using UAVs. The UAV-based release system they devised uses a canister in which mosquitoes are chilled down to 8-12 °C and compacted. Each canister can contain up to 50,000 sterile males. When the canister opens, the mosquitoes fall into a rotating cylinder that releases them into the open air with each of its rotations. The rotation speed controls the number of sterile males released per minute. It is fully automated, and release rates can be controlled depending on the location and speed of the drone.

 J. Bouyer et al. Field performance of sterile male mosquitoes released from an uncrewed aerial vehicle, Science Robotics (2020). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aba6251

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-drones-disease-spreading-mosqui...

Poisons used to make food more beautiful, last longer

• Some fishermen using highly toxic pesticides to ‘catch’ fish
• Butchers preserving meat with formalin – a product normally applied to dead bodies
• Legal additives misused, putting consumer health at risk

https://www.scidev.net/global/health/feature/poisons-used-to-make-f...

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Oh No, Salmonella Has Found a Way to Avoid Being Washed Off Our Salads

Some Salmonella bacteria strains have found a way of evading plant defences and sneaking their way into leafy greens – a strategy that's effective enough to protect them against plant immune systems and from being washed off in the kitchen.

https://www.sciencealert.com/salmonella-sneaks-into-plant-air-holes...

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Even People With Mild COVID-19 Symptoms Are Experiencing Long-Term Fatigue

https://www.sciencealert.com/why-are-some-people-experiencing-long-...

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https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/could-covid-19-trigger-c...

Could COVID-19 Trigger Chronic Disease in Some People?

Interaction dynamics between designer microrobots and the immune system

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-interaction-dynamics-microro...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-unparalleled-human-gut-ecosystem.html...

Inventory of the human gut ecosystem: An international team of scientists has collated all known bacterial genomes from the human gut microbiome into a single large database, allowing researchers to explore the links between bacterial genes and proteins, and their effects on human health.

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-chronic-inflammation-evoluti...

Chronic inflammation alters the evolution of cells in the colon, study finds: researchers have compared diseased colon with healthy tissue to better understand how inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancers, at a molecular level.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-artificial-cells-viruses-safe.html?ut...

Artificial cells produce parts of viruses for safe studies

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-physicists-ways-gamma.html?utm_source...

Physicists find ways to control gamma radiation: by means of acoustics.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-carbon-footprint.html?utm_source=nwle...

New model proposed to reduce carbon footprint

New model proposed to reduce carbon footprint: to bring the carbon footprint of international conferences down. The model can apply to small regional conferences as well. The model identifies three key areas for action; carefully selecting venues to minimize transport emissions, hosting conferences every second year to instantly cut travel by 50%, and creating hubs so people travel shorter distances to still benefit from networking while linking virtually to other hubs.

Gamma-ray telescopes measure diameters of distant stars

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-gamma-ray-telescopes-diameters-distan...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-comprehensive-description-human-tissu...

A comprehensive description of the human tissue virome in healthy individuals

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-viruses-bacteria-gut-microbiome.html?...

How viruses and bacteria balance each other in the gut microbiome

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https://theconversation.com/what-makes-people-switch-to-reusable-cu...

What makes people switch to reusable cups? It’s not discounts, it’s what others do

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https://www.sciencealert.com/astrophysicists-unveil-biggest-ever-3d...

Scientists Just Revealed The Largest-Ever 3D Map of The Universe

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Proteins—and labs—coming together to prevent Rett syndrome

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-proteinsand-labscoming-rett-syndrome....

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-chemists-tough-plastics-recyclable.ht...

Chemists make tough plastics recyclable

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Diamonds shine a light on hidden currents in graphene

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-diamonds-hidden-currents-graphene.htm...

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Mapping the brain's sensory gatekeeper

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-brain-sensory-gatekeeper.htm...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-image-multi-planet-sun-like-star.html...

First image of a multi-planet system around a sun-like star

Genomic basis of bat superpowers revealed: Like how they survive deadly viruses

The genetic material that codes for bat adaptations and superpowers—such as the ability to fly, to use sound to move effortlessly in complete darkness, to tolerate and survive potentially deadly viruses, and to resist aging and cancer—has been revealed and published.

One aspect of the paper findings shows evolution through gene expansion and loss in a family of genes, APOBEC3, which is known to play an important role in immunity to viruses in other mammals. The details in the paper that explain this evolution set the groundwork for investigating how these genetic changes, found in bats but not in other mammals, could help prevent the worst outcomes of viral diseases in other mammals, including humans.

The team compared these bat genomes against 42 other mammals to address the unresolved question of where bats are located within the mammalian tree of life. Using novel phylogenetic methods and comprehensive molecular data sets, the team found the strongest support for bats being most closely related to a group called Fereuungulata that consists of carnivorans (which includes dogs, cats and seals, among other species), pangolins, whales and ungulates (hooved mammals).

To uncover genomic changes that contribute to the unique adaptations found in bats, the team systematically searched for gene differences between bats and other mammals, identifying regions of the genome that have evolved differently in bats and the loss and gain of genes that may drive bats' unique traits

The researchers found evidence the exquisite genomes revealed "fossilized viruses," evidence of surviving past viral infections, and showed that bat genomes contained a higher diversity of these viral remnants than other species providing a genomic record of ancient historical interaction with viral infections. The genomes also revealed the signatures of many other genetic elements besides ancient viral insertions, including 'jumping genes' or transposable elements.

Six reference-quality genomes reveal evolution of bat adaptations, Nature (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2486-3

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-genomic-basis-superpowers-revealed-su...

Researchers diffract a beam of organic molecules

A team of researchers has succeeded in diffracting a beam of organic molecules. In their paper published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the researchers describe demonstrating Bragg diffraction of the molecules ciprofloxacin and phthalocyanine.

Over the long history of wave-particle research, scientists have found that light is both a wave and a particle. They have also shown that electrons have a similar wave-particle duality. Physicists theorize that wave-particle duality is a fundamental feature of the universe. This suggests that all matter should have wave-like phenomena, which means that it should be able to behave in ways that are similar to light and electrons. As one example, it should be possible to demonstrate interference and diffraction of matter, such as whole molecules. In this new effort, the researchers have done exactly that by demonstrating a type of diffraction pattern with molecules of ciprofloxacin (an antibiotic) and phthalocyanine (a kind of dye).

The work involved firing a laser beam at a sheet of glass upon which the ciprofloxacin and phthalocyanine molecules were applied, forcing them to fly off the glass at a very rapid speed. The molecules flew toward a barrier with a vertical slit that allowed only those molecules traveling in the desired direction to pass through. Those that passed through were met by another laser beam focused with a standing wave pattern. The high-intensity parts of the beam deflected the molecules in a way akin to passing through a gap, which led to the creation of a diffraction pattern. The molecules were then directed through another slit and immediately thereafter impacted a flat screen, where they adhered. And because the types of molecules the researchers chose for the experiment glow when exposed to UV or blue light, the researchers were able to see them. By running the experiment for a short period of time, the researchers were able to observe a pattern appear on the screen—evidence of a diffraction pattern.

The researchers were able to create different patterns by using different initial laser velocities and different incident angles. They note also that the patterns were weak, though still observable, and agreed with theory.

Sophia Chen. Defracting a Beam of Organic Molecules, Physics (2020). DOI: 10.1103/Physics.13.s93

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-diffract-molecules.html?utm_source=nw...

'Seeing' and 'manipulating' functions of living cells

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-functions-cells.html?utm_source=nwlet...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-leak-sea-bed-methane-antarctica.html?...

Active leak of sea-bed methane discovered in Antarctica for first time

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-evidence-hormone-disruptor-chemical-t...

Evidence of "hormone disruptor" chemical threats grows

A growing number of chemicals in pesticides, flame retardants, and certain plastics have been linked to widespread health problems including infertility, diabetes, and impaired brain development, a set of reviews of hundreds of studies concludes.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-toxic-wildfire-ages.html?utm_source=n...

 'Four times more toxic': How wildfire smoke ages over time

Enormous plumes of smoke thrown into the atmosphere by uncontrolled wildfires may be affecting the health of people living hundreds of miles away.

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 https://phys.org/news/2020-07-unique-narrow-wavebands-uv-germs.html...

Researchers describe unique system for testing how well narrow wavebands of UV light kill germs

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-cells.html?utm_source=nwletter&ut...

 Cells communicate by doing the 'wave'

https://theconversation.com/bacteria-and-viruses-are-travelling-the...

Bacteria and viruses are travelling the world on highways in the sky

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** Chronic fatigue syndrome may hold keys to understanding post-Covid syndrome

https://www.statnews.com/2020/07/21/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-keys-u...

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 https://www.sciencealert.com/new-study-says-a-blood-test-can-find-5...

New Blood Test Detects 5 Types of Cancer Years Before Standard Diagnosis

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 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/quantum-tunneling-is-not...

Quantum Tunneling Is Not Instantaneous, Physicists Show

A new experiment tracks the transit time of particles burrowing through barriers, revealing previously unknown details of a deeply counterintuitive phenomenon

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** New research identifies the rules that termites use to build their nests

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-termites.html?utm_source=nwletter&...

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 https://www.the-scientist.com/notebook/fly-colonies-help-calculate-...

Forensic science: Fly Colonies Help Calculate Time of Death of Car Trunk Cadavers

COVID-19 lockdown caused 50% global reduction in human-linked Earth vibrations

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-covid-lockdown-global-reduction-human...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-topological-magnet-exotic-...

Scientists discover a topological magnet that exhibits exotic quantum effects

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-technique-capture-carbon-dioxide-grea...

New technique to capture carbon dioxide could greatly reduce power plant greenhouse gases

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-quantum-physicists-mystery-strange-me...

Quantum physicists crack mystery of 'strange metals,' a new state of matter

Dark energy: map gives clue about what it is – but deepens dispute about the cosmic expansion rate

https://theconversation.com/dark-energy-map-gives-clue-about-what-i...

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-laughter-unique-biometric-signa...

Laughter as a unique biometric signature

The popular view of biometric security often invokes fingerprint readers, iris or retinal scans, and voice-activated systems. However, any unique human characteristic whether the shape of one's ears, the whole face, the pattern of blood vessels in the back of the hand, walking pattern, heart rhythm or even how one types at a keyboard, might be used to provide a secure signature of login. Some traits are easier to analyze than others and some, such as fingerprints, can be spoofed.

Research published in the International Journal of Biometrics has taken an amusing trait to demonstrate how the way a person laughs might be used in biometrics.

people can recognize other people by the unique nature of their laughter, perhaps in an even more obvious way than their voice. Moreover, while many people are adept at impersonating the voices of other people, mimicking someone's laugh is far more difficult. The team has now used statistical analyses of the various audible frequencies present in a person's laugh to create a digital signature for each unique laugh.

Tests on the approach show their prototype recognition algorithm to be 90 percent accurate, which compares very favorably with the 65% accuracy of a conventional Gaussian model. However, combining their algorithm with the Gaussian approach can boost accuracy overall by more than 5 percent.

Comfort Oluwaseyi Folorunso et al. Laughter signature: a novel biometric trait for person identification, International Journal of Biometrics (2020). DOI: 10.1504/IJBM.2020.108480

Mammal cells could struggle to fight space germs

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-mammal-cells-struggle-space-germs.htm...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-lightning-million-year-tropics.html?u...

estimate that more than 100 million lighting strikes on land each year will radically alter forests and other ecosystems in the region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-mosquitoes-human-blood-future.html?ut...

How mosquitoes got their taste for human blood and what it means for the future

Of about 3,500 mosquito species around the world, only a few have taken to specifically targeting people for biting, making them important spreaders of infectious diseases. To predict and help control the spread of those mosquito-borne illnesses, it's important to know where and why, evolutionarily speaking, certain mosquitoes got their taste for biting humans in the first place. Now, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on July 23 have identified two major factors: a dry climate and city life. Based on these findings, they predict that increased urbanization in the coming decades will mean even more human-biting mosquitoes in the future. They 

 found that in their native range of sub-Saharan Africa, they show extremely variable attraction to human hosts, ranging from strong preference for humans to strong preference for non-human animals."

"Mosquitoes living near dense human populations in cities such as Kumasi, Ghana, or Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, showed increased willingness to bite human hosts," adds Noah Rose, also of Princeton. "But they only evolve a strong preference for human hosts in places with intense dry seasons—in particular, in the Sahel region, where rainfall is concentrated in just a couple months out of the year. We think this is because mosquitoes in these climates are especially dependent on humans and human water storage for their life cycle."

Noah H. Rose et al, Climate and Urbanization Drive Mosquito Preference for Humans, Current Biology (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.092

https://theconversation.com/as-if-space-wasnt-dangerous-enough-bact...

bacteria become more deadly in microgravity

Worryingly, research from space flight missions has shown bacteria become more deadly and resilient when exposed to microgravity (when only tiny gravitational forces are present).

In space, bacteria seem to become more resistant to antibiotics and more lethal. They also stay this way for a short time after returning to Earth, compared with bacteria that never left Earth.

Adding to that, bacteria also seem to mutate quicker in space. However, these mutations are predominately for the bacteria to adapt to the new environment – not to become super deadly.

More research is needed to examine whether such adaptations do, in fact, allow the bacteria to cause more disease.

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https://theconversation.com/the-ten-factors-linked-to-increased-ris...

The ten factors linked to increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease

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https://www.acsh.org/news/2020/07/21/science-communicators-are-rout...

** Science Communicators Are Routinely Lied About, Harassed, Threatened

How to stop your glasses from fogging up while wearing a face mask

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**How Does Caffeine Affect Sleep?

https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_walker_how_caffeine_and_alcohol_affe...

Experts Provide Tips on How to Wear a Mask Without Fogging Glasses or Short Breath

 https://www.sciencealert.com/experts-provide-tips-on-how-to-wear-a-...

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L-type calcium channel blockers may contribute to heart failure, study finds

L-type calcium channel blockers (LCCBs)—the most widely used drugs for treating hypertension—may harm the heart as much as help it, according to a new study.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-l-type-calcium-channel-block...

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-drug-delivery-particles-neur...

Novel drug delivery particles use neurotransmitters as a 'passport' into the brain

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-coronavirus-cells-1.html?utm...

Coronavirus makes changes that cause cells not to recognize it

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** 

Genetic mutations help super bug become highly resistant to antibiotics

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-genetic-mutations-super-bug-highly.ht...

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 https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-key-restricting-antibiotic...

Scientists discover key to restricting antibiotic resistant bacteria

Coronavirus makes changes that cause cells not to recognize it

With an alarm code, we can enter a building without bells going off. It turns out that the SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has the same advantage entering cells. It possesses the code to waltz right in.

How can the coronavirus achieves this?

The scientists resolved the structure of an enzyme called nsp16, which the virus produces and then uses to modify its messenger RNA cap. It's a camouflage. Because of the modifications, which fool the cell, the resulting viral messenger RNA is now considered as part of the cell's own code and not foreign.

How do scientists overcome this? 

Deciphering the 3-D structure of nsp16 paves the way for rational design of antiviral drugs for COVID-19 and other emerging coronavirus infections. The drugs, new small molecules, would inhibit nsp16 from making the modifications. The immune system would then pounce on the invading virus, recognizing it as foreign.

Structural basis of RNA cap modification by SARS-CoV-2, Nature Communications (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17496-8

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-coronavirus-cells-1.html?utm...

Neanderthal gene linked to increased pain sensitivity

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02202-x?utm_source=Natur...

Quantum Tunneling Is Not Instantaneous, Physicists Show

A new experiment tracks the transit time of particles burrowing through barriers, revealing previously unknown details of a deeply counterintuitive phenomenon

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/quantum-tunneling-is-not...

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How the Bits of Quantum Gravity Can Buzz

In cell studies, seaweed extract outperforms remdesivir in blocking COVID-19 virus

Heparin, a common anitcoagulent, could also form basis of a viral trap for SARS-CoV-2

In a test of antiviral effectiveness against the virus that causes COVID-19, an extract from edible seaweeds substantially outperformed remdesivir, the current standard antiviral used to combat the disease.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200724104228.htm

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How COVID-19 Causes Loss of Smell

How to test whether your home made face mask works properly or not

https://theconversation.com/does-your-homemade-mask-work-142675

To get an idea of how much this might happen, a simple test involving trying to blow out a candle directly in front of the wearer could be tried. Initially, the distance coupled with the strength of exhalation could be investigated, but then face coverings made from different materials and critically with different numbers of layers could be tried. The design of face covering that made it hardest to divert the candle flame will probably provide the best barrier for projecting the virus forward and through the face covering.

To prevent the next pandemic, we might need to cut down fewer trees

Study weighs costs of reducing virus spillover from animals against the toll of disease outbreak

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic-p...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-phage-therapy-potential-prosthetic-jo...

Phage therapy shows potential for treating prosthetic joint infections

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https://www.sciencealert.com/physicists-find-a-new-way-to-show-mass...

Physicists Find a New Way to Reveal The Strange, Wave-Like Nature of Massive Molecules

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/sunscreen-chemicals-accumulate-in-body...

Sunscreen Chemicals Accumulate in Body at High Levels

Seismic waves help scientists 'see' chemical changes beneath a watershed

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-seismic-scientists-chemical-beneath-w...

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Designer nanozymes for reactive-oxygen species scavenging anti-inflammatory therapy

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-nanozymes-reactive-oxygen-species-sca...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-high-capacity-oil-adsorbing-mats-depl...

High-capacity oil-adsorbing mats could be deployed in oil spill emergencies to limit ecological damage

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-publish-seminal-impact-nan...

Scientists publish seminal study into impact of nanoparticles on living species

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-strategy-therapies-brain.html?utm_sou...

Developing a new strategy to selectively deliver therapies to the brain

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https://physicsworld.com/a/earths-atmosphere-rings-like-a-giant-bel...

Earth’s atmosphere rings like a giant bell, say researchers

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https://elifesciences.org/articles/60080?utm_source=content_alert&a...

Meta-Research: The growth of acronyms in the scientific literature

Abstract

Psychologists show that embedding primes in a person's speech can influence people's decision making

psychologists found that embedding primes in a person's speech and gestures can influence people's decision-making

In both psychology and magic circles, primes are known as actions or words that unconsciously influence the thinking of another person One example is a policeman interrogating a witness tapping his ring while inquiring about jewelry a suspect might have been wearing. It is a technique magicians have used for years. They prime a person or audience by giving them subtle verbal or physical clues to get them to choose a number during a guessing trick, or a card during a card trick. In this new effort, the researchers tested the practice to see if it actually works.

The experiments involved asking volunteers to watch a live or taped performance of a person who, unbeknownst to them, was trying to prime them. The research began with 90 volunteers who were split into two groups. One group watched Pailhès (who is also an amateur magician) perform a live magic act—the other group watched a video version of the same act on a laptop. The act consisted of attempting to get the crowd of observers to pick a predesignated card—the three of diamonds.

As part of the routine, she mimicked an act by British illusionist Derren Brown in which he asks a member of the crowd to mentally transmit the correct card to the others in the crowd. He also asks the crowd to think about a bright, vivid colored card (more descriptive of a red card than a black one). He also mimes the shape of a diamond with his hands and asks the audience to think of the little numbers at the corners (ruling out double digits and face cards) and even draws the number "3" in the air with his hands—and asks the audience to imagine things in the middle as he says, "boom, boom, boom."

After mimicking this act, the researchers asked the audience members to write down a card by suit and number, which they turned in. Inspection of the cards showed that 17.8 percent of the audience members chose the three of diamonds—38.9 percent chose a three of any suit and 33.3 percent chose a diamond of any number, results that were far better than chance.

Alice Pailhès et al. Influencing choices with conversational primes: How a magic trick unconsciously influences card choices, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2000682117

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-psychologists-embedding-prim...

Researchers create 'decoy' coatings that trick infrared cameras

Light can sometimes play tricks on our eyes. If you look at a shiny surface, what you see will largely depend on the surrounding environment and lighting conditions.

Researchers have now taken ocular distortion a step further, finding a way to imbed visual "decoys" into surfaces of objects in a way that can fool people into thinking they detect a specific image in the infrared that actually isn't there.

Infrared light is invisible to the human eye, but can be detected by a range of devices, such as night-vision goggles and thermal-imaging cameras. In this work,researchers can effectively tune target objects into emitting the same infrared radiation as the surrounding environment, making them invisible to infrared detection devices.

But what makes the researchers' work particularly novel is that they can manipulate the coatings in a way that a person trying to view the object with such a device would instead see a false image.

"This structure offers a general platform for unprecedented manipulation and processing of infrared signals. 

 this method provides better, more consistent camouflage because the product is mechanically flexible, power free and inherently self-adaptive to temporal fluctuation as well as spatial variation of the target temperature.

Additionally, by manipulating the configuration and composition of tungsten-doped vanadium dioxide on coatings applied to the PE tape, researchers can create an infrared decoy.

"How we grow the material changes the image people ultimately think they see.

This kind of technology could prove useful for military and intelligence agencies, as they seek to thwart increasingly sophisticated surveillance technologies that pose a threat to national security. It might also incubate future encryption technology, allowing information to be safely concealed from unauthorized access.

Kechao Tang et al. A Thermal Radiation Modulation Platform by Emissivity Engineering with Graded Metal–Insulator Transition, Advanced Materials (2020). DOI: 10.1002/adma.201907071

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-decoy-coatings-infrared-cameras.html?...

Testing Chernobyl fungi as a radiation shield for astronauts

How can astronauts survive high radiations during interplanetary travel? 

A team of researchers has tested the viability of using a type of fungus found growing in some of the destroyed nuclear reactors at the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant site to shield astronauts from radiation.

Some fungi are able to flourish in a very highly radioactive place here on Earth—inside the destroyed reactors at the Chernobyl site in Ukraine. Testing of several types of the fungi has showed that they not only survive in the former reactors, but actually flourish. They have the ability to absorb radiation and to convert it into energy for their own use. To look into the possibility of using such types of fungus as a shield for humans, the researchers arranged with NASA to send a sample of one of the types of fungus found at Chernobyl—cladosporium sphaerospermum—to the International Space Station.

Once the fungus sample arrived at the ISS, astronauts monitored the petri dish set up by the researchers. One side of the petri dish was coated with the fungus; the other side had no fungus and served as a control. A detector was affixed to the back of the petri dish to measure radiation coming through. The detector was monitored for 30 days. The researchers found that the side of the petri dish that was covered with fungus reduced radiation levels coming through the dish by approximately 2% compared to the control side. That alone is inadequate as a safety shield, but the experiment serves as an indicator of what might be possible. On its own, the fungus is known to grow, which means a rocket carrying humans could carry just a small amount with them. Once on Mars, the fungus could be cultivated on a shield structure and allowed to thicken, offering perhaps one layer of protection very nearly free of charge.

Graham K. Shunk et al. A Self-Replicating Radiation-Shield for Human Deep-Space Exploration: Radiotrophic Fungi can Attenuate Ionizing Radiation aboard the International Space Station, bioRxiv (2020). DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.16.205534

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-chernobyl-fungi-shield-astronauts.htm...