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

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

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

Mining bacteria parts to build around-the-clock biosensors

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

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

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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...

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

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

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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...

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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!

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Zombie Starfish | Nature's Weirdest Events

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Developing human corneal tissue ... in the lab

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-human-corneal-tissue.html?ut...

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https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/14/health/coronavirus-prone-positio...

Why positioning Covid-19 patients on their stomachs can save lives

Prone Positioning in Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1214103

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https://www.sciencenews.org/article/gravitational-waves-unevenly-si...

Gravitational waves have revealed the first unevenly sized black hole pair

One big black hole and one little one partnered up, LIGO and Virgo detections show

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https://www.sciencealert.com/woman-s-life-saved-after-her-breast-im...

Woman's Breast Implant Saved Her Life by Deflecting a Bullet, Case Study Shows

Pumping Charged Particles onto Airplane Surfaces Could Reduce Lightning Strikes  

Tests reveal that an imbalance of charge buildup can trigger airplane lightning 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pumping-charged-particle...

How SARS-CoV-2 gets into respiratory tissue—and how it may exploit one of our defenses

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-sars-cov-respiratory-tissuea...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-nanoparticle-treatment-bon...

Scientists invent nanoparticle that could improve treatment for bone defects

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-confined-youtube.html?utm_sourc...

How we end up 'confined' on YouTube

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-tissues-dna-mechanical-stress.html?ut...

Tissues protect their DNA under mechanical stress

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-multiple-rna-elements-micr...

Scientists discover how multiple RNA elements control microRNA biogenesis

Thinking differently: DNA may not be life's instruction book—just a jumbled list of ingredients

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-dna-life-bookjust-jumbled-ingredients...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-peptide-antibiotics-effective-doses-u...

Fighting resistance: A peptide can render antibiotics effective again – at doses 100 times lower than usual

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-human-uterus-colonized-clone...

Human uterus colonized by clones with cancer-driving mutations that arise early in life

--

https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/ozone-can-be-used-to-destroy-...

Ozone Can Be Used To Destroy The New Coronavirus And Disinfect Areas

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Is ozone safe to breathe?

*Coronavirus pandemic is paving the way for an increase in superbugs

https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-pandemic-is-paving-the-way-...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-ocean-biodiversity-substantially-hund...

Ocean biodiversity has not increased substantially for hundreds of millions of years: study

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-method-precisely-therapeutics-body.ht...

A novel method to precisely deliver therapeutics inside the body

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-drug-particles-forensic-lab.html?utm_...

In glowing colors: Seeing the spread of drug particles in a forensic lab

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-coronaviruses-evolving-millions-years...

Coronaviruses and bats have been evolving together for millions of years

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-ferroelectricity-atomic-scale.html?ut...

Researchers discover ferroelectricity at the atomic scale

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-birth-snowman-edge-solar.html?utm_sou...

The birth of a 'snowman' at the edge of the solar system

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=345&v=xe-f4gokRBs&a...

https://www.sciencealert.com/this-high-speed-footage-of-bullets-hit...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=468&v=24q80ReMyq0&a...

Engineered microbes can produce biodegradable plastics at lower cost and environmental impact than plant-based plastics

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-microbes-biodegradable-plastics-envir...

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-brain-computer-interface-tec...

Researchers restore injured man's sense of touch using brain-computer interface technology

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* https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-protein-sepsis-lowers-blood-...

Protein produced in sepsis lowers blood pressure, treatment identified to reverse effects

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-loss-age-affects-brain.html?...

How hearing loss in old age affects the brain

Insects’ extreme farming methods offer us lessons to learn and oddities to avoid

Six-legged farmers grew their own food millions of years before humans did

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/insects-ants-extreme-farming-me...

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Scientists discover just how runny a liquid can be

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-scientists-runny-liquid.html?utm_sour...

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Cyberattack can steal data via cooling fan vibrations

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-cyberattack-cooling-fan-vibrati...

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-sunlight-coronavirus-quickly...

Sunlight destroys coronavirus quickly, say US scientists

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-material-homemade-masks-combination-f...

The best material for homemade face masks may be a combination of two fabrics

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-decoy-nanoparticles-block-hiv-infecti...

'Decoy' nanoparticles can block HIV and prevent infection

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-superheavy-elements-eighth-period-per...

Synthesizing new superheavy elements to open up the eighth period of the periodic table

New high-energy-density physics research provides insights about the universe

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-high-energy-density-physics-insights-...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-star-survives-black-hole.html?utm_sou...

The story of a Star that survived close call with a black hole

--

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-dont-anymore.html?utm_source=nw...

You don't have to spend $1,000 on a smart phone anymore. You can get them for $110, $249, $299 and $400 now.

--

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

Water molecules dance in three

--

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/appc-cas042420.php

Conservative and social media usage associated with misinformation about COVID-19

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-neandertals-older-mothers-younger-fat...

Neandertals had older mothers and younger fathers $$

How Blood Sugar Can Trigger a Deadly Immune Response in the Flu and Possibly COVID-19

Glucose metabolism plays a key role in the cytokine storm seen in influenza, and the link could have potential implications for novel coronavirus infections

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-blood-sugar-can-trig...

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https://www.the-scientist.com/infographics/infographic-building-bac...

Infographic: Building Bacteria to Fight Cancer

Researchers are engineering microbes to deliver therapeutics specifically to tumors, maximizing the treatments’ efficacy while minimizing side effects.

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-storm-lombardy-virus-disaste...

What happens when you don't listen to scientists? Perfect storm: Lombardy's virus disaster is lesson for world

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Scientists Have Recreated Medieval Battles to Solve Debate Over Ancient Bronze Swords

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-trade-blows-in-a-debate-ove...

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https://www.sciencenews.org/article/toxin-producing-skin-bacteria-c...

Toxin-producing bacteria can make this newt deadly

Microbes growing on skin produce tetrodotoxin, a paralytic chemical also found in pufferfish

"No evidence" that recovered COVID-19 patients cannot be reinfected: WHO

https://in.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-who/no-evidenc...

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http://www.idibell.cat/en/whats-on/noticies/nutrient-deficiency-tum...

Nutrient deficiency in tumor cells attracts cells that suppress the immune system

--

https://theconversation.com/running-shoes-may-cause-injuries-but-is...

Running shoes may cause injuries – but is going barefoot the fix?

--

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-04-anxious-smart-speaker.html?utm_...

Anxious about public speaking? Your smart speaker could help

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-evidence-people-coronavirus-...

'No evidence' people with coronavirus are immunised: WHO

--

https://www.wired.com/story/how-space-tries-kill-you-make-you-ugly/

Interested in space travel? First try to understand 'How Space Tries to Kill You and Make You Ugly'. Oh also, it makes you blind and stupid, too.

Mesmerising Video Shows The View if You Could See Earth And The Moon at The Same Time: How Earth looks from the Moon / how the Moon looks from Earth, during April 2020

They remember: Communities of microbes found to have working memory

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-microbes-memory.html?utm_source=nwlet...

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Discovery: Scientists find for the first time how the eyes drain cellular waste and debris

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-discovery-scientists-eyes-ce...

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* https://phys.org/news/2020-04-explanation-human-fatherhood.html?utm...

A new explanation for the origins of human fatherhood

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* https://phys.org/news/2020-04-case-geologic-amnesia.html?utm_source...

Researchers dig into case of geologic amnesia

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-international-space-station-key-cultu...

Research on the International Space Station shows key changes in cultured heart cells

--

* 

Our Response to COVID-19 Is Male-Centric

We don’t know how the coronavirus may affect women and men differently, which prevents us from delivering appropriate and personalized care

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/voices/our-response-to-covid-1...

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New findings suggest laws of nature 'downright weird,' not as constant as previously thought

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-laws-nature-downright-weird-constant....

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-elegant-solution-reveals-universe.htm...

'Elegant' solution reveals how the universe got its structure

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-coupled-magnetic-materials-properties...

Coupled magnetic materials show interesting properties for quantum applications

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-weight-universe.html?utm_source=nwlet...

Weighing the universe: new insights into the density and structure of matter in the universe.

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-animals-dial-pain-stimuli.ht...

How animals 'dial up' the pain they experience from certain stimuli $$

Scientists have—for the first time—shown how chemical triggers in the nervous system can amplify the pain experienced by mammals in response to certain stimuli.

Quantum gases won't take the heat

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-quantum-gases-wont.html?utm_source=nw...

--

* https://phys.org/news/2020-04-viral-multiverse.html?utm_source=nwle...

Making sense of the viral multiverse

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-rethinking-traditional-vaccine-delive...

Inhalable vaccines: Rethinking the traditional vaccine delivery in response to coronaviruses

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-covid-growth-universal-strategies.htm...

Correlations in COVID-19 growth point to universal strategies for slowing spread $$

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-blood-cells-deform-recover-tiny.html?...

How blood cells deform, recover when travelling through tiny channels $$

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-coronavirus-genetic-material.html?utm...

How the coronavirus multiplies its genetic material

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-synthetic-antibodies-built-bacterial-...

Synthetic antibodies built with bacterial superglue could help fight emerging viruses

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-milder-hair-dye-based-synthetic.html?...

A milder hair dye based on synthetic melanin

Offspring may inherit legacy of their father's Toxoplasma infection

males infected with the Toxoplasma parasite can impact their offspring's brain health and behaviour.

sperm of infected fathers carried an altered 'epigenetic' signature which impacted the brains of resulting offspring. Molecules in the sperm called 'small RNA' appeared to influence the offspring's brain development and behaviour.

'Intergenerational inheritance' of similar epigenetic changes from men exposed to extreme trauma has been well documented. This latest research, published in Cell Reports, has raised the question of whether Toxoplasma infections—or even possibly other infections—in men before conception could impact the health of subsequent generations.

Toxoplasma infection can cause an initial mild illness in most people, however, pregnant women, babies and people with weakened immunity experience more severe infections.

Toxoplasma infections have been shown to cause long-term epigenetic changes in a range of cells around our body. These are changes that do not alter the genetic sequence of DNA, but influence gene expression—that is, which genes are switched on or off,

We discovered that Toxoplasma infection alters levels of DNA-like molecules, called small RNA, that are carried by sperm. "These changes in small RNA levels affect gene expression, and so could potentially influence brain development and behaviour of offspring.

"even the next generation—the 'grandchildren' of the original infected male—displayed changes in their behaviour"

More information: Cell Reports (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107573

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-offspring-inherit-legacy-father-toxop...

Skeletal damage hints some hunter-gatherer women fought in battles
Traditional views of females being largely responsible for gathering food may be too simplistic

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/women-warriors-hunter-gatherers...

New insights into how genes control courtship and aggression

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-insights-genes-courtship-aggression.h...

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-great-earthquakes.html?utm_source=nwl...

'Wobble' may precede some great earthquakes, study shows

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-billion-year-old-nitrogen-containing-...

4-billion-year-old nitrogen-containing organic molecules discovered in Martian meteorites

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-algae-oceans-genes-bacteria.html?utm_...

Algae in the oceans often steal genes from bacteria

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-thousands-miles-asian-roads-threaten....

Thousands of miles of planned Asian roads threaten the heart of tiger habitat

--

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-heart-affects-perception.htm...

How the heart affects our perception $$

A network of science: 150 years of Nature's scientific research papers

The history of scientific journals dates from 1665, when the French Journal des sçavans and the English Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society first began systematically publishing research results. Over a thousand, mostly ephemeral, were founded in the 18th century, and the number has increased rapidly after that.

Why do elephants get intoxicated?

There has been anecdotal evidence till now of wild animals getting drunk and behaving badly after consuming fermented fruits and berries. One notorious example was of elephants consuming fruit from the malura tree after it fell and fermented. Herds were described as behaving erratically, sometimes crashing through villages after having abandoned their usually polite demeanor.

In 2005, a team of researchers from the University of Bristol appeared to discredit such stories with a study in which they claimed to have found evidence that elephants were so large that it would take more fruit than they could consume to make them drunk. In this new effort, the researchers suggest that the team at Bristol forgot to account for a major contributing factor to drunkenness—how well a given animal is able to metabolize alcohol.

The work involved looking at the gene ADH7—it is present in a wide variety of animals. Its purpose is to instigate the production of enzymes that metabolize ethanol. Prior research has shown that most primates have an ADH7 mutation that allows them to metabolize ethanol more efficiently than those without it. It is believed the mutation persisted because it allowed primates to consume large amounts of fermented fruits and berries without getting too drunk to function. Notably, other mammals such as bats (which also eat a lot of fruits and berries) have a similar mutation—flying while drunk would not turn out well.

The researchers looked at ADH7 in 85 mammals and found that many of them, such as horses, cows and elephants, do not have the mutation, and are thus not nearly as good at metabolizing ethanol. This suggests that if such animals were to consume fermented fruits, they would become intoxicated much more easily than animals that do have the mutation. Thus, they suggest it is possible that elephants at times become inebriated, and because of that, may behave out of character.

Mareike C. Janiak et al. Genetic evidence of widespread variation in ethanol metabolism among mammals: revisiting the 'myth' of natural intoxication, Biology Letters (2020). DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0070

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-elephants-drunk-naturally.html?utm_so...

Gravity Hills and the science behind them ...

Study shows our sun is less active than similar stars

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-sun-similar-stars.html?utm_source=nwl...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-gargantuan-hail-argentina-world.html?...

'Gargantuan' hail in Argentina may have smashed world record. Researchers investigating the 2018 storm found one hailstone likely measured between 7.4 and 9.3 inches across.

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-04-news-story-magnetism-drugs-disease.ht...

Researchers use magnetism to keep drugs at disease sites even in the presence of external forces, such as flowing liquid, which would normally displace them.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-gravitational-quark-gluon-plasma.html...

Gravitational waves could prove the existence of the quark-gluon plasma

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-terrible-luck-person-meteoriteback.ht...

The only person ever killed by a meteorite—back in 1888

Researchers combing through the dusty archives from the Republic of Turkey found credible records of someone being killed by a falling meteorite in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. On August 22, 1888, multiple documents found in the General Directorate of State Archives of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey recorded that a meteorite hit and killed one man while paralyzing another.

The reason this event had not been discovered until now is that the documents were written in an old Ottoman-Turkish language which borrows from both Arabic and Persian and is extremely hard to translate.

Eyes send an unexpected signal to the brain

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-eyes-unexpected-brain.html?u...

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-scientists-regenerate-neuron...

Scientists regenerate neurons in mice with spinal cord injury and optic nerve damage

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-unravel-protein-mystery-brai...

Researchers unravel protein mystery of three brain diseases

Researchers unravel protein mystery of three brain diseases: Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple system atrophy (MSA) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

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$$  "futile treatment" or "potentially inappropriate treatment," aggressive medical interventions that are highly unlikely to benefit patients sometimes proceed because families are unwilling to accept the recommendation of doctors. $$

Public does not grasp idea of 'futile treatment' for critically ill patients

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-04-grasp-idea-futile-treatment-...

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https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/masks-and-emascul...

Difference between male leaders and female leaders: Why some male leaders refuse to listen and show resistance to experts’ opinions ...

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Receptors for SARS-CoV-2 Present in Wide Variety of Human Cells

Analyses from single-cell sequencing datasets support the idea that COVID-19 is not just a respiratory disease but an illness that can affect multiple organs.

https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/receptors-for-sars-cov-2...

New discovery explains how the prostate gland regenerates itself after cancer surgery

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-discovery-prostate-gland-reg...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-05-discovery-avenues-drugs-combat-drug-r...

Discovery opens new avenues for designing drugs to combat drug-resistant malaria

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Looking for dark matter with the Universe's coldest material

https://phys.org/news/2020-05-dark-universe-coldest-material.html?u...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-05-electrons-chemical-reaction.html?utm_...

First direct look at how light excites electrons to kick off a chemical reaction

The first step in many light-driven chemical reactions, like the ones that power photosynthesis and human vision, is a shift in the arrangement of a molecule's electrons as they absorb the light's energy. This subtle rearrangement paves the way for everything that follows and determines how the reaction proceeds.

Now scientists have seen this first step directly for the first time, observing how the molecule's electron cloud balloons out before any of the atomic nuclei in the molecule respond.

While this response has been predicted theoretically and detected indirectly, this is the first time it's been directly imaged with X-rays in a process known as molecular movie-making, whose ultimate goal is to observe how both electrons and nuclei act in real time when chemical bonds form or break.

Explanation to an eight year old: How could an explosive Big Bang be the birth of our universe?

https://phys.org/news/2020-05-explosive-big-birth-universe.html

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Engineers, medical team design 3-D-printed ventilator that requires no electricity

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-05-medical-team-d-printed-ventilat...

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-05-apple-google-youve-exposed-coro...

How Apple and Google will let your phone warn you if you've been exposed to the coronavirus

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https://phys.org/news/2020-05-dna-faulty-jointly-mutations.html?utm...

DNA damage and faulty repair jointly cause mutations

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Some biotech companies are cashing in on the race to produce coronavirus antibody tests, taking blood samples from people who have been infected and selling them at exorbitant prices.

Camera Traps May Overcount Snow Leopards and Other Vulnerable Species

Markings on big cats are hard to distinguish, meaning one animal may be counted as two

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/camera-traps-may-overcou...

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$$  https://www.livescience.com/23090-crows-grudges-brains.html

Crows Hold Grudges in Humanlike Fashion $$

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https://theconversation.com/psychology-of-why-some-people-are-delib...

Psychology of why some people are deliberately spitting, coughing and licking food in supermarkets

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https://www.sciencealert.com/every-heartbeat-alters-our-perception-...

Every Single Heartbeat Affects Our Perception of The World, Researchers Find

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https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/8-ways-prote...

8 ways to protect doctors caring for patients with COVID-19 $$

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-covid-genome-signature.html?utm_sourc...

Researchers crack COVID-19 genome signature

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https://theconversation.com/archaeologists-have-a-lot-of-dates-wron...

Archaeologists have a lot of dates wrong for North American indigenous history – but researchers are now using new techniques to get it right ...

What dreams may come: why you’re having more vivid dreams during the pandemic

https://theconversation.com/what-dreams-may-come-why-youre-having-m...

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Eyes Clean Themselves in Much The Same Way Brains Do, Mouse Study Shows

https://www.sciencealert.com/eyes-have-a-special-self-cleaning-meth...

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Funny, I never felt this way while writing my stories, but Most Authors Can 'Hear' Their Characters' Voices Talking to Them: reveals the 'study' of writing.

https://www.sciencealert.com/most-authors-can-hear-their-characters...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-04-economic-worse-lockdown-social-distan...

Economic damage could be worse without lockdown and social distancing, study finds

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https://phys.org/news/2020-05-exploiting-chink-armor-bacteria-resul...

Exploiting a chink in the armor of bacteria could result in new drug therapies

Microorganisms in parched regions extract needed water from colonized rocks

https://phys.org/news/2020-05-microorganisms-parched-regions-coloni...

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Malaria risk is highest in early evening, study finds

https://phys.org/news/2020-05-malaria-highest-early-evening.html?ut...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-05-narratives-infectious-disease-justini...

New call to examine old narratives: Infectious disease modeling study casts doubt on the Justinianic Plague's impact

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Software flaws often first reported on social media networks, researchers find

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-05-software-flaws-social-media-net...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-05-blood-turbulent-previously.html?utm_s...

Blood flows could be more turbulent than previously expected

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https://phys.org/news/2020-05-atom-sized-machine-quantum-mechanic.h...

A single atom can function as either an engine or a fridge. Such a device could be engineered into future computers and fuel cells to control energy flows.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-05-snowcaps-fuel-algal-blooms-arabian.ht...

Shrinking snowcaps fuel harmful algal blooms in Arabian sea

* Seaweed may become a profitable piece in the green transition jigsaw

https://phys.org/news/2020-05-seaweed-profitable-piece-green-transi...

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Roving bandits and looted coastlines: How the global appetite for sand is fuelling a crisis

https://theconversation.com/roving-bandits-and-looted-coastlines-ho...

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-05-robots-cameras-china-sci-fi-qua...

Robots and cameras: China's sci-fi quarantine watch

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https://phys.org/news/2020-05-breakthrough-molecular-machines.html?...

Breakthrough in molecular machines: What if you could create and control an artificial molecular machine? And make it perform tasks that serve us humans?

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https://phys.org/news/2020-05-indian-capture-rare-leopard-zoo.html?...

Indian officials capture rare snow leopard, send it to zoo

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-extinguishing-memories-flexi...

Extinguishing fearful memories depends on the flexibility of your DNA

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-early-predictor-severe-respi...

Early predictor of severe respiratory failure in patients with COVID-19 identified

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Sleep disorder sufferers may have help from mechanism regulating biological clock

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-disorder-mechanism-biologica...

WOW! This is what makes us applaud: How a solar chimney can boost fire safety and save lives

Biomaterial immune control discoveries could reduce implant rejection

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-biomaterial-immune-discoveri...

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-kinds-white-fat-important-di...

Different kinds of white fat are important in disease $$

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-combining-mouse-human-uncove...

Combining mouse and human data uncovers new gene regulating cholesterol

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Intensive blood pressure control has potential to reduce risk of atrial fibrillation

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-intensive-blood-pressure-pot...

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https://cen.acs.org/business/consumer-products/Cancer-risk-studies-...

Cancer risk studies raise questions about the safety of long-lasting hair dyes

Long-lasting hair dyes are popular, and their safety has been well researched. But new epidemiology studies show their use correlates with increased risk of breast cancer

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https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/virus-mutations-reveal-h...

Virus Mutations Reveal How COVID-19 Really Spread

Globe-trotting humans were the culprits 

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$$ Can you get the COVID-19 coronavirus twice?

https://theconversation.com/can-you-get-the-covid-19-coronavirus-tw...