A delicate remote control operation to remove a tracking collar from a tiger on an epic 13-month trek through India is carried out to avoid the device choking the animal. The feline explorer, named Walker for the roughly 3,000 kilometres (1,800 miles) of terrain it covered, has been tracked by Indian wildlife experts through forests, farms, highways and villages.

Dogs and cats ... and now a Tiger at NYC's Bronx Zoo tests positive for coronavirus

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-tiger-nyc-bronx-zoo-positive...

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Dogs, cats can't pass on coronavirus, but can test positive

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-03-dogs-cats-coronavirus-positi...

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-02-pet-dog-quarantined-hong-kon...

Hong Kong pets face coronavirus quarantine after dog tests positive

--

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00965-x

Coronavirus lockdowns have changed the way Earth moves

An Ingredient in Some Medicinal Mouthwashes Could Put Teeth at Great Risk of Cavities

A new study suggests oral rinses that rely on a particular chemical called chlorhexidine may actually leave your teeth more open to damage.

Although this chemical is said to be 'antibacterial', that's only true in some cases. Recent findings suggest the solution can disturb the microbiome in your mouth, leading to an abundance of lactate-producing bacteria, which makes your saliva more acidic.

That's not exactly good for your teeth. Saliva plays an important role in keeping the pH of your mouth relatively neutral, but if that changes, it might cause issues in your gums and gnashers.

Using chlorhexidine mouthwash not only decreased microbial diversity and increased acidity, it also lowered the saliva's ability to buffer pH.

Saliva lactate and glucose concentrations were elevated after using this mouthwash, and it also disrupted the conversion of nitrate into nitrite, which may support our circulation.

This is important, because the authors found increased systolic blood pressure when the real mouthwash was used. 

This weird effect has popped up in previous studies, and the authors think the use of CHX mouthwash may be more accentuated in people with high blood pressure levels. 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-61912-4

https://www.sciencealert.com/your-mouthwash-could-be-putting-your-t...

Viruses don't have a metabolism; but some have the building blocks for one

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-viruses-dont-metabolism-blocks.html?u...

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-breakthrough-genetic-potential-ocean-...

Breakthrough in unlocking genetic potential of ocean microbes

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-neuroscientists-memory-cells...

Neuroscientists find memory cells that help us interpret new situations

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-state.html?utm_source=nwletter&ut...

Researchers expand search for new state of matter

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-milky-satellites-reveal-link-dark.htm...

The Milky Way's satellites help reveal link between dark matter halos and galaxy formation

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-genes-juvenile-to-adult-transition-tr...

* 

Study: Genes that time juvenile-to-adult transition are triggered by a single protein

Cement vs. concrete: Their differences

There's a lot the average person doesn't know about concrete. For example, it's porous; it's the world's most-used material after water; and, perhaps most fundamentally, it's not cement.

Though many use "cement" and "concrete" interchangeably, they actually refer to two different—but related—materials: Concrete is a composite made from several materials, one of which is cement.

Cement production begins with limestone, a sedimentary rock. Once quarried, it is mixed with a silica source, such as industrial byproducts slag or fly ash, and gets fired in a kiln at 2,700 degrees Fahrenheit. What comes out of the kiln is called clinker. Cement plants grind clinker down to an extremely fine powder and mix in a few additives. The final result is cement.

Cement is then brought to sites where it is mixed with water, where it becomes cement paste. If you add sand to that paste it becomes mortar. And if you add to the mortar large aggregates—stones of a diameter of up to an inch—it becomes concrete.

What makes concrete so strong is the chemical reaction that occurs when cement and water mix—a process known as hydration.

Hydration occurs when cement and water react. During hydration, the clinker dissolves into the calcium and recombines with water and silica to form calcium silica hydrates. Calcium silica hydrates, or CSH, are the key to cement's solidity. As they form, they combine, developing tight bonds that lend strength to the material. These connections have a surprising byproduct—they make cement incredibly porous. Within the spaces between the bonds of CSH, tiny pores develop—on the scale of 3 nanometers, or around 8 millionths of an inch. These are known as gel pores. On top of this, any water that hasn't reacted to form CSH during the hydration process remains in the cement, creating another set of larger pores, called capillary pores.cement paste is so porous that 96 percent of its pores are connected.

More here:

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-cement-concretetheir-differences-oppo...

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-birds-vulnerable-extinction.html?utm_...

Innovative birds are less vulnerable to extinction

--

Scientists' warning to humanity on insect extinctions

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-humanity-insect-extinction...

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-lifestyle-trumps-geography-makeup-gut...

Lifestyle trumps geography in determining makeup of gut microbiome

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-invasive-species-charisma-easier.html...

Invasive species with charisma have it easier

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-frailty-impacts-blood.html?u...

Leaving its mark: How frailty impacts the blood

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-gut-newly-digestive-brain-ax...

Follow your gut: Newly identified digestive-brain axis controls food choice

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-strength-early-diabetes.html...

Evaluating grip strength to identify early diabetes

--

* https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-dental-pain-anti-inflammator...

Dental pain? Reach for the anti-inflammatories, not the antibiotics

--

$$https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01027-y?utm_source=Natur...

Safely conducting essential research in the face of COVID-19

https://www.wired.com/story/opinion-dont-be-fooled-by-covid-19-carp...

“We all just need to be careful to indicate how certain we are and ...

--

https://indscicov.in/

--

https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-theres-no-one-perfect-model...

Coronavirus: there’s no one perfect model of the disease

--

https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-is-growing-exponentially-he...

Coronavirus is growing exponentially – here’s what that really mean

--

* https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/heart-damage-in-covid-pa...

Heart Damage in COVID Patients Puzzles Doctors

Up to 1 in 5 hospitalized patients have signs of heart injury. Cardiologists are trying to learn whether the virus attacks the organ

Researchers devise treatment that relieved depression in 90% of participants in small study

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-treatment-relieved-depressio...

--

$$

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-coronavirus-patients-benefit...

Coronavirus patients can benefit from blood of the recovered, new study shows$$

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-dynamics-reveal-bottles-faster.html?u...

Bubble dynamics reveal how to empty bottles faster

--

$$

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-simulations-extreme-opinions-polarize...

Simulations show extreme opinions can lead to polarized groups $$

--

$$ https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-covid-average-actual-infecti...

COVID-19: On average, only 6% of actual infections detected worldwide

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-bethe-experimentally.html?utm_source=...

Bethe strings experimentally observed

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-personalized-microrobots-biological-b...

Personalized microrobots swim through biological barriers, deliver drugs to cells

Hackers' new target during pandemic: video conference calls

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-hackers-pandemic-video-conferen...

--

https://theconversation.com/social-media-fuels-wave-of-coronavirus-...

Social media fuels wave of coronavirus misinformation as users focus on popularity, not accuracy

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China becomes world's top patent filer: UN

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-china-world-patent-filer.html?u...

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-soil-microbes-resist-disease.html?utm...

How soil microbes help plants resist disease

--

* https://phys.org/news/2020-04-evolution-team-butterfly-wings-shift....

The evolution of color: Team shows how butterfly wings can shift in hue

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-babies-retain-events-nap.htm...

Babies retain even detailed events during a nap

--

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/high-tech-ghost-ships-wi...

High-Tech Ghost Ships Will Set Sail sans Sailors

Maritime technology groups are building robotic vessels to cross the oceans

*Common protein in skin can 'turn on' allergic itch

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-common-protein-skin-allergic...

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* https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-human-skin-suppresses-inflam...

Human skin suppresses inflammation after exposure to ultraviolet radiation

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-electric-cars-pacemaker.html...

No need to steer clear of electric cars if you have a pacemaker

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-04-electric-cars-dont-jolt-impl...

Electric cars don't jolt implanted heart devices: study

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What The Heck Is This Long, Hypnotic Stringy Thing Floating in The Ocean?

https://www.sciencealert.com/researchers-filmed-the-longest-known-s...

Climate change could cause sudden biodiversity losses worldwide

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-climate-sudden-biodiversity-losses-wo...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-black-hole.html?utm_source=nwletter&a...

Black hole bends light back on itself

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-house-nanoscale.html?utm_source=nwlet...

cleaning surfaces at the atomic level!

--

* https://sciencex.com/news/2020-04-traffic-contagious-lesscommon.htm...

https://theconversation.com/traffic-jams-are-contagious-understandi...

Traffic jams are contagious. Understanding how they spread can help make them less common

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-magnetic-field-billion-years-debate.h...

Earth's magnetic field is powered by the solidification of the planet's liquid iron core. The cooling and crystallization of the core stirs up the surrounding liquid iron, creating powerful electric currents that generate a magnetic field stretching far out into space. This magnetic field is known as the geodynamo.

Multiple lines of evidence have shown that the Earth's magnetic field existed at least 3.5 billion years ago. However, the planet's core is thought to have started solidifying just 1 billion years ago, meaning that the magnetic field must have been driven by some other mechanism prior to 1 billion years ago. Pinning down exactly when the magnetic field formed could help scientists figure out what generated it to begin with.

Don't look to mature forests to soak up carbon dioxide emissions

The plants take 'a limited quantity of CO2,  convert the absorbed carbon into sugars, but they can't use those sugars to grow more, because they don't have access to additional nutrients from the soil. Instead, they send the sugars below-ground where they 'feed' soil microbes who release teh CO2 back to atmosphere!

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-dont-mature-forests-carbon-dioxide.ht...

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-basic-assumption-universe.html?utm_so...

Rethinking cosmology: Universe expansion may not be uniform (Update)

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-simultaneous-simulation-gravitation-m...

Simultaneous simulation of gravitation and magnetism of a protoplanetary disk

--

https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-the-danger-of-latex-gloves-...

Coronavirus: the danger of latex gloves

--

* https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-why-experts-disagree-so-str...

Coronavirus: why experts disagree so strongly over how to tackle the disease

--

https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-people-in-tall-buildings-ma...

Coronavirus: people in tall buildings may be more at risk – here’s how to stay safe

Scientists discovered and proposed explanation for night sky glow of STEVE

The northern and southern lights, or aurora, typically show up as swirling green ribbons of light spreading across the night sky near the poles. But STEVE is a thin ribbon of mauve or white light that stretches from east to west, closer to the equator than where auroras usually appear and at much higher altitudes.

Scientists first thought STEVE was a new kind of aurora, but previous research shows its light is not produced the same way. Researchers are still unsure of what generates STEVE's light, but a group of space physicists now suspect STEVE lights up when fast-flowing rivers of plasma jumpstart certain chemical reactions high in the atmosphere.

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-explanation-night-sky-stev...

The first scientific study published on STEVE found a stream of fast-moving plasma—a hot gas of charged particles and electrons—passing through the atmosphere right where STEVE events occurred. The researchers suspected these particles were connected to STEVE but were unsure whether they were the cause of it. These super-fast plasma flows stream through the upper atmosphere when the magnetosphere is disturbed, at about the speed it takes to orbit Earth, and STEVE occurs only during the fastest flows.

Scientists suspect the fastest plasma rivers break chemical bonds in the upper atmosphere, triggering reactions that produce light.
They propose that when the streams of plasma are hot and fast enough, they can split apart nitrogen molecules (N2), which then combine with single oxygen atoms to form nitric oxide (NO). The nitric oxide then grabs another free oxygen atom to create nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a reaction that also produces light. The researchers suspect STEVE's glow is the light from this chemical reaction, which makes sense because STEVE is found right where these plasma streams occur.

Crisis informatics expert offers three tips to avoid misinformation during COVID-19

three things we can do to find relevant and trustworthy information online during these uncertain times:

1. Solid sources: Look at information from sources where it is their job to be on top of a global pandemic. For example, The World Health Organization or local county health departments who are monitoring your local conditions are good sources.
2. Be skeptical: Take the messages you see on your social network with a grain of salt, especially if they evoke an emotional reaction, and fact check them with official sources. Many messages that contain misinformation are designed to make you angry, upset, or emotional in some way, which makes you more likely to share them.
3. Dig a little to verify: Trustworthy accounts often have a complete profile and have a professional look and tone, though these things can be faked. So, in addition, look for features that are harder to fake, such as the credibility of an account's past messages, or who follows the account (Are they followed by reliable sources?).

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-crisis-informatics-expert-misin...

Bluetooth signals from your smartphone could automate Covid-19 contact tracing while preserving privacy

Experts from many institutions are developing a system that augments "manual" contact tracing by public health officials, while preserving the privacy of all individuals. The system relies on short-range Bluetooth signals emitted from people's smartphones. These signals represent random strings of numbers, likened to "chirps" that other nearby smartphones can remember hearing.

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-bluetooth-smartphone-automate-c...

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scents-d-videos-reveal-nose.html?utm_...

Making sense of scents: 3-D videos reveal how the nose detects odor combinations

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-year-old-egg-reveals-complexity-ancie...

5,000-year-old egg hunt: Research reveals surprising complexity of ancient ostrich egg trade

--

* https://phys.org/news/2020-04-d-printed-corals-bioenergy-coral-reef...

3-D-printed corals could improve bioenergy and help coral reefs

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-technique-path-biomanufacturing-medic...

Technique offers path for biomanufacturing medicines during space flights

'Houston, we've had a problem': Remembering Apollo 13 at 50
And the real story behind the movie ... read this gripping narrative that depicts the 'heroism' behind space science.

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-houston-weve-problem-apollo.html?utm_...

and

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-apollo-famous-quotes-hollywood.html?u...

--

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-robots-heroes-war-coronavirus.h...

Robots may become heroes in war on coronavirus

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-enzyme-pet-ten-hours.html?utm_source=...

Engineered enzyme able to break down PET (plastic) in ten hours

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-metal-surfaces-instant-bacteria-kille...

With a little bit of tweaking with lasers, now metal surfaces can be instant bacteria killers. What if your door knobs can kill germs you transfer to them as soon as you touch them?

--

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/why-the-pursuit-o...

* 

Why the Pursuit of Scientific Knowledge Will Never End

It’s because the more we learn, the more questions we find to ask

--

The science of how diet can change the way sugar tastes

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-science-diet-sugar.html?utm_...

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-identical-mice-gut-bacteria-...

Identical mice, different gut bacteria, different levels of cancer: how microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract can tweak the development of colorectal cancer.

--

$$

Take this with a pinch of salt, we don't endorse it.
We may have spotted a parallel universe going backwards in time
Strange particles observed by an experiment in Antarctica could be evidence of an alternative reality where everything is upside down

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24532770-400-we-may-have-spo... $$

--

Colliding galaxies ...

First sighting of mysterious Majorana fermion on a common metal

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-sighting-mysterious-majorana-fermion-...

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-cats-susceptible-coronavirus...

Cats are far more susceptible to new coronavirus than dogs are, but people shouldn't be 'fearful' of their pets: study

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-geneticists-regulatory-mechanism-chro...

Geneticists discover regulatory mechanism of chromosome inheritance

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-protocol-fascinating-quantum-states.h...

New protocol identifies fascinating quantum states

--

https://www.space.com/universe-expansion-rate-may-vary.html

Surprise! The universe's expansion rate may vary from place to place

--

The maths logic that could help test more people for coronavirus

https://theconversation.com/the-maths-logic-that-could-help-test-mo...

$$

Bird social distancing ... 

Social distancing: We should take our cues from birds

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-social-distancing-cues-birds.html?utm...

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-reversing-irreversible-chanc...

Reversing the irreversible: A second chance with fertility

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-toss-syringe-oral-delivery-d...

Toss the syringe: New formulation allows for oral delivery of many injectable drugs, including insulin

$$

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Why We Have So Many Problems with Our Teeth

Our choppers are crowded, crooked and riddled with cavities. It hasn’t always been this way

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-we-have-so-many-prob...

It is best explained by a mismatch between today’s diets and those for which our teeth and jaws evolved.

• Dental problems such as crowding and cavities are common in people today. But other species tend not to have such afflictions, nor did our fossil forebears.
• Our teeth have evolved over hundreds of millions of years to be incredibly strong and to align precisely for efficient chewing. They developed these characteristics to function in a specific oral environment.
• Our dental disorders largely stem from a shift in the oral environment caused by the introduction of softer, more sugary foods than the ones our ancestors typically ate.

Moon mining is poised to become a thriving off-world industry

But what exactly does the moon, long considered a barren rock — or, in some quarters, a very old piece of cheese — have to offer?

Moon's resources can be broken down into three key elements.

The first, water, needs little introduction. It's the basis for life as we know it.

The second key element found beneath the lunar surface that humans would look to mine is Helium-3. Since the isotope isn't radioactive, it wouldn't generate dangerous waste products, prompting experts to tout Helium-3 as a safer source of nuclear energy.

The third chief draw to moon mining? Rare earth metals, like Yttrium, Lanthanum, and Samarium. These minerals aren't easy to come by on our planet. In fact, about 95 percent of them are controlled and stored by a single country: China.

But we all certainly need them. Everything from wind turbines to glass for solar panels to hybrid cars to your smartphone contains rare earth metals. Even guided missiles and other high-tech military equipment makes use of them.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/infographics/infographic.view.php?id=11272

--

https://www.sciencealert.com/a-man-injected-himself-with-his-own-se...

Where did he get this notion or misinformation?
A Man Injected Himself With His Own Semen to 'Cure' His Back Pain

How to spot a conspiracy theory – Expert guide to conspiracy theories part one

https://theconversation.com/how-to-spot-a-conspiracy-theory-expert-...

--

https://theconversation.com/who-believes-in-conspiracy-theories-and...

Who believes in conspiracy theories and why? Listen to part two of our expert guide

--

https://theconversation.com/a-short-history-of-conspiracy-theories-...

A short history of conspiracy theories – listen to part three of our expert guide

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-deadliest-malaria-strain-imm...

Deadliest malaria strain protects itself from the immune system

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-australian-home-blood-pressu...

Many home blood pressure monitors not validated for accuracy

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-gamma-ineffective-sterilizin...

The gamma radiation sterilized masks lost two-thirds of their filtering efficiency, essentially turning N95 into N30 masks

6 new coronaviruses discovered in bats

https://www.livescience.com/6-new-coronaviruses-found-bats.html

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-image-hubble-spirals-spiral.html?utm_...

Hubble spots spirals within a spiral

--

* https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-spacecraft-survive-surfs.html?u...

Spacecraft is designed to survive fire, surfs its own wave

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-blocks-gum-disease.html?utm_source=nw...

The building blocks of gum disease

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-zoos-animals-infected-toxoplasma-gond...

Study at zoos shows 42% of animals infected with 'Toxoplasma gondii'

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-pregnancies-vitro-fertilizat...

Why do so many pregnancies and in vitro fertilization attempts fail?

https://phys.org/news/2016-10-human-eggs-wrong-chromosomes.html 

Researchers uncover importance of aligning biological clock with day-night cycles

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-uncover-importance-aligning-biologica...

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-supernova-outshines.html?u...

Scientists discover supernova that outshines all others

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-formation-theory-mysterious-interstel...

New formation theory explains the mysterious interstellar object 'Oumuamua

--

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=56&v=bsfITaEonlU&am...

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-novae-sky.html?utm_source=nwletter&am...

Study finds new way novae light up the sky

--

 https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-mathematical-accurate-pictur...

Mathematical modeling draws more accurate picture of coronavirus cases

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-team-carbon-nanostructure-stronger-di...

 carbon nanostructure stronger than diamonds

Loss of smell and taste validated as COVID-19 symptoms in patients with high recovery rate

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-loss-validated-covid-symptom...

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-material-mechanically-robust-shape-sh...

A new material to print mechanically robust and shape-shifting structures

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-vulnerable-cells-armor-infection-depl...

Vulnerable cells armor themselves against infection by depleting surface cholesterol

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-large-earthquakes-devil-staircase-pat...

Timing of large earthquakes follows a 'devil's staircase' pattern - a mathematical pattern, where clusters of earthquake events are separated by long but irregular intervals of seismic quiet.

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-methane-space-conditions-laboratory.h...

Methane forms under space conditions in laboratory

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-spider-venom-key-pain-relief.html?utm...

Spider venom key to pain relief without side-effects: researchers have designed a novel tarantula venom mini-protein that can potentially relieve severe pain without addiction.

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-longevity-gene.html?utm_source=nwlett...

Longevity gene discovered in plants: Using it may allow for several harvests from the same crop and thus to increase the yield per plant.

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-viruses-emerging-humans-animal-host.h...

Risk of viruses emerging in humans may not depend on their animal host: it is the characteristic traits of the viruses, rather than their animal hosts, that will be the more useful predictors of zoonotic transmission.

$$

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-coronaviruses.html?utm_sou...

Scientists discover six new coronaviruses in bats

Scientists provide new insight on how bacteria share drug resistance genes in hospitals

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-insight-bacteria-drug-resi...

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-synthetic-toxic-sugar-mosq...

Scientists develop synthetic toxic sugar to manage mosquito populations

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-right-brained-left-brained-m...

Being right-brained or left-brained comes down to molecular switches: The answer lies in how certain genes on each side of the brain are switched "on" and "off" through a process called epigenetic regulation.

Each cell in the brain has the same genes but it is epigenetics that dictate whether those genes are switched "on" or "off." Labrie and her collaborators found numerous epigenetic differences between the hemispheres of healthy brains that are linked to variations in gene activity. Notably, these differences, or asymmetry, could make one side of the brain more vulnerable to neurological diseases.

For example, epigenetic abnormalities on one side of the brain could make that hemisphere more susceptible to the processes that cause the death of brain cells in Parkinson's. The differences in cell death across hemispheres leads to the appearance of the disease's hallmark symptoms, such as tremor, on one side of the body before the other. As the disease progresses, symptoms on the side first affected often are more severe than symptoms on the other side of the body.

The findings also give scientists a vital window into the various biological pathways that contribute to symptom asymmetry in Parkinson's, including brain cell development, immune function and cellular communication.

"We all start out with prominent differences between the left and right sides of our brains. As we age, however, our hemispheres become more epigenetically similar. 

For Parkinson's, this is significant: people whose hemispheres are more alike early in life experienced faster disease progression, while people whose hemispheres were more asymmetric had slower disease progression. There is huge potential to translate these findings into new therapeutic strategies."

Peipei Li et al, Hemispheric asymmetry in the human brain and in Parkinson's disease is linked to divergent epigenetic patterns in neurons, Genome Biology (2020). DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-01960-1

Long spaceflights affect astronaut brain volume

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-spaceflights-affect-astronau...

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-breakthrough-technology-eye-...

Discovered: eye damage from repeated intravitreal injections

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-electrospun-manuka-honey-nan...

Returning to roots: Manuka honey nanofibrous wound dressings

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-earth-atmosphere-dustier-previously-b...

* Earth's atmosphere far dustier than previously believed

--

 https://phys.org/news/2020-04-carbons-absorbing-lightand-people-hea...

As the temperatures in a cookstove begin to drop, and the black smoke turns grayish-white, soot (or black carbon) emission is replaced by organic carbon.

despite its whitish appearance, organic carbon particles absorb as much—if not more—sunlight in the atmosphere as black carbon. And its health effects may be worse for the nearly 2.7 billion households worldwide that use them.

Researchers find organic carbons are also absorbing light—and likely harming people's health

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-fanfare-apple-iphone-budget-min...

Apple launches new iPhone for the budget-minded

*COVID-19 puts new science to the pressure test

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-covid-science-pressure.html?utm_sourc...

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New research helps explain why the solar wind is hotter than expected

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-solar-hotter.html?utm_source=nwletter...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-satellite-galaxies-milky-dark-theory....

Satellite galaxies of the Milky Way help test dark matter theory

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-fossil-analysis-hints-evolutionary-in...

Fossil record analysis hints at evolutionary origins of insects' structural colours

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-covid-quickly-accurately-viral-dna.ht...

New COVID-19 test quickly and accurately detects viral DNA

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-didnt-universe-annihilate-neutrinos.h...

Why didn't the universe annihilate itself? Neutrinos may hold the answer

Why didn't the universe annihilate itself in a humungous burst of energy not long after the Big Bang?

The new research suggests that the answer comes down to a subtle discrepancy in the way that neutrinos and their evil twins, the antineutrinos, behave—one of the first indications that phenomena called matter and antimatter may not be the exact mirror images many scientists believed.

New textile could keep you cool in the heat, warm in the cold

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-textile-cool-cold.html?utm_source=nwl...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-probiotic-bifidobacteria-celiac-disea...

How probiotic Bifidobacteria could help celiac disease patients

Cavitation science: heard about it before?

A type of damage in soft materials and tissue called cavitation is one of the least-studied phenomena in physics, materials science and biology, say expert observers. But strong evidence suggesting that cavitation occurs in the brain during sudden impact leading to traumatic brain injury (TBI) has accelerated interest recently.

The researchers intend it to spark fresh discussion and drive collaboration among new communities of biologists, chemists, materials scientists, physicists and others to advance knowledge. They define high-priority goals and point out new opportunities in the field of how matter deforms and flows with cavitation.

Researchers are breaking down barriers that separate different scientific fields to spur progress in understanding cavitation—how it causes difficult-to-diagnose injuries or unseen failure in soft materials."

Studied mainly in fluids for many years, cavitation is the creation and collapse of bubbles in liquids. . When bubbles collapse they force liquid into a smaller area, causing a pressure wave and increased temperature, which lead to damage. In a pump, cavitation can erode metal parts over time, for example. Cavitation inside artificial heart valves can damage not only the parts but the blood, he says. Microcavitation in the brain as a result of high-impact blows or being near an explosion are factors in TBI.

Scienitsts hope this will lead to advances in medical devices for diagnosing disease, novel devices for protective gear and new sustainable approaches for cleaning materials.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavitation

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-perspectives-cavitation-sc...

How does COVID-19 kill? Uncertainty is hampering doctors’ ability to choose treatments

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01056-7?utm_source=Natur...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-kombucha.html?utm_source=nwletter&...

Kombucha is fermented tea

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-autism-males-linked-defect-b...

Autism in males linked to defect in brain immune cells, microglia

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-stress-remodels-brain.html?u...

Research shows how stress remodels the brain

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-sight-mice-skin-cells-light-...

Researchers restore sight in mice by turning skin cells into light-sensing eye cells

Physical distance? 'Cough chamber' shows six feet not far enough!

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-chamber-feet.html?utm_source...

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-adult-brain.html?utm_source=...

When damaged, the adult brain repairs itself by going back to the beginning

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-massive-reveals-hypermutated...

Massive study reveals how 'hypermutated' malignant brain tumors with many mutations escape chemotherapy, immunotherapy

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-heavy-wildfire-out-of-hospit...

Breathing heavy wildfire smoke may increase risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest

--

* https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-high-blood-pressure-night-ef...

Could high blood pressure at night have an effect on your brain?

--

https://www.space.com/comet-atlas-falling-apart-photos.html

Comet Atlas is falling apart, new photos confirm

--

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/exotic-creature-in-antar...

Exotic Creature In Antarctica Has Survived More Than 30 Ice Ages

Its perseverance is rewriting the history of life, and of ice, across the continent 

Bats Are a Key Source of Human Viruses—but They May Not Be Special

Statistical analyses suggest surveillance efforts for the next pandemic should look beyond the flying mammals

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bats-are-a-key-source-of...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-evidence-elusive-metabolon.html?utm_s...

Study finds evidence for existence of elusive 'metabolon'- the enzyme clusters

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-key-component-autonomous-cars.html?ut...

Engineers are trying to shrink a key component to help make autonomous cars affordable to common people

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-superconducting-metal-hydr...

Scientists find a rule to predict new superconducting metal hydrides: a new 'law within a law' discovered showed a link between an element's position in the Periodic Table and its potential to form a high-temperature superconducting hydride.

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-healthy-climate-news-fava-beans.html?...

Healthy climate news: Fava beans could replace soy

Very Large Telescope sees star dance around supermassive black hole, proves Einstein right

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-eso-telescope-star-supermassive-black...

--

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-bacteria-around-the-clock-biose...

Mining bacteria parts to build around-the-clock biosensors

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-high-glucose-flu-patients-se...

High glucose levels may explain why some flu patients have more severe symptoms

--

Computer scientists and engineers are working on a smartphone app that could let people know if they have come in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, while protecting the privacy of all parties. The app  uses Bluetooth-enabled cell phones to notify a person if they have come into close proximity with someone infected with SARS-CoV-2. The app requires many people to use it, whether they have had COVID-19 or not. The app transmits and captures random Bluetooth signals via nearby cell phones that also have the app installed. App users who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 voluntarily and anonymously report their positive results, which then causes their Bluetooth pings from the last 14 days to be uploaded to a database that's coded to ensure that the diagnosed user is uploading their own pings. From there, those signals are compared with pings of other app participants in the system. The app then alerts users of possible proximity to an infected person, and subsequently directs them to follow up with health officials (or their doctor). All of the uploaded information is verified by a public health agency, and all apps must be installed by users voluntarily.

Watch that smell! Scents can regulate fat storage

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-scents-fat-storage.html?utm_...

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-aspirin-linked-reduction-can...

Aspirin linked to reduction in risk of several cancers of the digestive tract

--

Pandemic history: https://theconversation.com/this-isnt-the-first-global-pandemic-and...

--

https://theconversation.com/dry-wet-barking-hacking-a-guide-to-coug...

Dry, wet, barking, hacking: a guide to coughs in the time of coronavirus

--

Video: Neuroscientist gives guided tour of your stressed-out brain

The woman who discovered the first human coronavirus was the daughter of a Scottish bus driver, who left school at 16.

June Almeida went on to become a pioneer of virus imaging, whose work has come roaring back into focus during the present pandemic.

The woman, yes you heard it right, 'woman', who discovered the first coronavirus

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-52278716?utm_source=Nature+Bri...

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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-bodies-of-people-who...

The Bodies of People Who Died from COVID-19 May Still Be Contagious

A forensic worker in Thailand most likely caught the virus from a deceased patient, a preprint study suggests

--

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/covid-19-patients...

COVID-19 Patients Need to be Tested for Bacteria and Fungi, Not Just the Coronavirus

Many hospitalized victims are developing potentially lethal secondary co-infections such as bacterial pneumonia and sepsis

A lab that reads—and writes—our dreams

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-lab-readsand-writesour.html?utm...

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-cloud-brightening-great-ba...

Scientists try 'cloud brightening' to protect Great Barrier Reef

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-olive-oil-discovery-universal-law.htm...

Olive oil leads to discovery of new universal law of phase transitions

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-genetic-barcode-rapidly-revealing-cov...

Genetic tracing 'barcode' is rapidly revealing COVID-19's journey and evolution

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-heavy-heart-men-women-diseas...

How men and women develop heart disease differently

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-heavy-sanitizer-boosts-antimicrobial-...

The excessive use of cleaning products and hand sanitisers (with chemicals other than alcohol) can lead to antimicrobial resistance in bacteria.

--

Scientists are considering this too: Study points to evidence of stray dogs as possible origin of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-evidence-stray-dogs-sars-cov...

Cute peacock spiders!

--
Zombie Starfish | Nature's Weirdest Events

--

https://massivesci.com/articles/queer-science-valentines-nature-ani...

Love, nature style

"She" discovered coronaviruses decades ago—but got little recognition

She discovered coronaviruses decades ago—but got little recognition

As Comet ATLAS crumbles away, Comet SWAN arrives to take its place for skywatchers

https://www.space.com/comet-swan-arrives-as-comet-atlas-crumbles.html

--

https://www.sciencealert.com/we-finally-have-an-answer-explaining-w...

Solar Winds Hitting Earth Are Hotter Than They Should Be, And We May Finally Know Why

--

https://www.sciencealert.com/earth-s-core-could-be-leaking-heavy-ir...

Earth's Core Could Be Leaking Heavy Iron Isotopes, New Study Reveals

--

Doctors Have Reported The First Known Case of a Person Who Urinates Alcohol ... and it is naturally brewed in in her bladder from the fermentation of yeast.

The condition, which researchers propose to call either 'bladder fermentation syndrome' or 'urinary auto-brewery syndrome', is similar to another incredibly rare condition, auto-brewery syndrome, where simply ingesting carbohydrates can be enough to make you inebriated, even without consuming any alcohol via regular means. In the case, doctors became aware of what seems to be a related syndrome, after attending upon a 61-year-old patient who presented with liver damage and poorly controlled diabetes.

The doctors thought she 's an addict but noted that plasma test results for ethanol and urine test results for ethyl glucuronide and ethyl sulfate, which are the metabolites of ethanol, were negative, whereas urine test results for ethanol were positive!

Furthermore, in addition to consistently denying having consumed alcohol, the patient did not appear to show signs of intoxication during visits to the clinic, even though her urine showed high levels of ethanol content.

Another mystery was the presence of large amounts of glucose in her urine – a condition called hyperglycosuria – with abundant levels of budding yeast seen in urine samples.

"These findings led us to test whether yeast colonising in the bladder could ferment sugar to produce ethanol," the researchers write.

Running tests on her urine, the team confirmed remarkably high levels of ethanol production, suggesting her strange results were due to yeast fermenting sugar in the bladder.

The yeast in question was identified as Candida glabrata, a natural yeast found in the body and related to brewer's yeast, but not normally discovered in such abundance.

Unfortunately, efforts to eliminate the yeast with antifungal treatments failed, perhaps due to the patient's poorly controlled diabetes.

While researching the woman's case, the doctors became aware of other reports involving similar production of ethanol in urine, but only in one postmortem case, and in experiments run in vitro.

That said, it's possible other patients have presented with this rare medical condition before, but the symptoms weren't recognised, due to the unusual and largely unknown nature of the pathology.

"The experience we describe here of two liver transplant teams at different institutions demonstrates how easy it is to overlook signals that urinary auto-brewery syndrome may be present," the doctors said.

"Clinicians must be diligent about paying close attention to medical record documentation and laboratory results and should always investigate in the event of incongruences."

https://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/2761824/urinary-auto-brewer...

https://www.sciencealert.com/doctors-have-reported-the-first-known-...

Origins of human language pathway in the brain at least 25 million years old

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-human-language-pathway-brain...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-astronomers-planet.html?utm_source=nw...

Astronomers discover planet that never was

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-quantum-entanglement-unprecedented-pr...

Quantum entanglement offers unprecedented precision for GPS and more

--

Scientists uncover principles of universal self-assembly

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-uncover-principles-univers...

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-coronavirus-air-pollution-nitrogen-di...

Coronavirus and air pollution: Does nitrogen dioxide impact fatalities?

--

* https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-air-quality-puzzle-ozone.h...

Scientists solve air quality puzzle: Why does ozone linger long after its ban?

--

* https://phys.org/news/2020-04-relationship-red-stalagmites-paleocli...

Possible relationship between the red color of stalagmites and paleoclimatic changes

--

First ever satellite-on-satellite rescue

https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/04/mission-extension-vehicle-s...

Cholera studies reveal mechanisms of biofilm formation and hyperinfectivity

Free-swimming cholera bacteria are much less infectious than bacteria in biofilms, aggregates of bacterial cells embedded in a sticky matrix that form on surfaces. This accounts for the surprising effectiveness of filtering water through cloth, such as a folded sari, which can reduce infections dramatically in places where the disease is endemic, despite the fact that individual cholera bacteria easily pass through such a filter.

Biofilms are important not only in causing infections, but also in the survival of cholera bacteria (Vibrio cholerae) in the environment.

A surprising finding in the PNAS paper is that bacteria growing in biofilms have already activated the genes for virulence factors such as toxin production, before they have even infected a host.

"Two of the main virulence factors are the toxin co-regulated pilus, which allows the bacteria to adhere to the intestine, and the cholera toxin which enters intestinal cells and makes people really sick," said Jennifer Teschler, a postdoctoral researcher in the Yildiz lab and a co-first author of the paper. "These virulence factors are more highly expressed in biofilm cells, so they are already primed for causing infections."

The study also showed differences in the colonization patterns of free-swimming ("planktonic") and biofilm-grown cholera cells in the intestines of infected mice. 

The bacterium has to attach to a surface, stop swimming, and start building a matrix. As a swimming cell nears a surface, the pilus will bind to the surface, and retraction of the pilus helps pull the cell closer to the surface. The cell then makes more pili to anchor it down to the surface.

 A. L. Gallego-Hernandez el al., "Upregulation of virulence genes promotes Vibrio cholerae biofilm hyperinfectivity," PNAS (2020). https://www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/1 … 1073/pnas.1916571117

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-cholera-reveal-mechanisms-biofilm-for...

Survival tricks

Scientists lead study of galaxy's 'water worlds'

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-galaxy-worlds.html?utm_sou...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-lizards-language-animal-chemical-shif...

Lizards develop new 'love language': Animal chemical signals shift after only four generations

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-coronavirus-pandemic-sick.html?utm_so...

The coronavirus pandemic might make buildings sick, too. 

Water is sitting in the pipes of empty office buildings and gyms, getting old and potentially dangerous. When water isn't flowing, organisms and chemicals can build up in the plumbing. It can happen in underused gyms, office buildings, schools, shopping malls and other facilities. These organisms and chemicals can reach unsafe levels when water sits in water pipes for just a few days. But, what happens when water sits for weeks or months?

Just like food that sits in a refrigerator for too long, water that sits in a building's pipes for too long can make people sick.

Harmful organisms, like the bacteria that cause Legionnaire's disease, can grow. If not maintained, devices like filters, water tanks, heaters and softeners can become organism incubators.

With certain pipe materials, water can accumulate unsafe levels of lead and copper , which can cause learning disabilities, cardiovascular effects, nausea and diarrhea.