Scientists develop supersensitive sensors for harmful mirror molecules in medicines

Researchers of Tomsk Polytechnic University with colleagues from the Czech Republic have developed supersensitive sensors for detecting enantiomers, known as "mirror molecules," in drugs. These molecules can reduce drug effectiveness or even be harmful to humans.

Enantiomers are molecules with a similar formula and physical properties, but they have different rotation directions of polarized light. Therefore, they are like mirror images of each other. Due to this characteristic, enantiomers can result in certain biological effects.

These are chiral molecules, most of which are part of medicinal substances. Their presence is strictly regulated. The medicine should either not contain enantiomers at all, or their concentration should not be harmful to health. So there should be methods to quickly and efficiently detect enantiomers. The current detection methods include electrochemical techniques and chromatography. Their detection limit usually does not exceed 10^-8 mol per liter.

Now sensors demonstrated a detection limit of up to 10^-18, i.e., they are 10 orders of magnitude more sensitive. 

The sensor is a thin gold plate with a wavy surface. Now, scientists have succeeded in grating organometallic frameworks consisting of zinc ions and organic elements. This is a porous structure that catches the targeted substances. It is possible due to the correctly selected pore size in the framework and the similar chemical nature of the compounds that need to be caught.

In particular, the researchers conducted experiments with the framework that included lactic acid. It is optically active, so the organometallic frameworks based on its enantiomers can be a trap for other optically active substances. This sensor construction was tested on an antiparkinson drug and a number of amino acids.

It is enough to drip a solution of the analyzed substance onto the plate. Further analysis can be carried out using a portable Raman spectrometer, which takes less than five minutes.

The new sensor amplifies the signal for the spectrometer simultaneously by two methods. It is a significant element of this study. On the one hand, the signal is physically amplified due to the effect of surface plasmon resonance generated by the gold plate. On the other hand, the new organometallic frames amplify the signal chemically.  This work is one of the first to demonstrate a sensory system combining two amplifying methods of the Raman signal, the researcher notes.

O. Guselnikova et al. Homochiral metal-organic frameworks functionalized SERS substrate for atto-molar enantio-selective detection, Applied Materials Today (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.apmt.2020.100666

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-scientists-supersensitive-sensors-mir...

How does tear gas work:

How to Dramatically Curb Extinction

A new model suggests a way to save half of tropical species 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-dramatically-curb...

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https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/researchers-make-mice-sm...

Researchers Make Mice Smell Odors that Aren’t Really There

Using optogenetics, scientists have simulated the sense of smell directly within the mouse brain to investigate the nature of olfactory perception.

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https://www.the-scientist.com/modus-operandi/vaccines-without-vials...

Vaccines Without Vials, Fridges, or Needles

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53119686
One-fifth of Earth's ocean floor is now mapped

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Honeybee lives shortened after exposure to two widely used pesticides

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-honeybee-shortened-exposure-widely-pe...

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https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-how-long-plastic-stays-intact-d...

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Scientists Test Plastic Kept Deep Underwater For Over 20 Years, With Depressing Results

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https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-made-a-slug-brain-just-to-w...

Scientists Simulated a Sea Slug to Study Decision Making. Then It Got Addicted to Drugs

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-microfossil-spectroscopy-dates-earth-...

Microfossil spectroscopy dates Earth's first animals $$

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-environment-home-genetically-primes-i...

Scientists have found that a constantly fluctuating environment can enable some species to invade new areas by helping them maintain the genetic diversity they need to settle into their new homes.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-role-sea-ice-atmospheric-carbon.html?...

Research sheds new light on the role of sea ice in controlling atmospheric carbon levels

Researchers demonstrated that seasonal growth and destruction of sea ice in a warming world enhances the amount of marine life present in the sea around Antarctica, which draws down carbon from the atmosphere and stores it in the deep ocean.

Having captured half of all human-related carbon that has entered the ocean to date, the Southern Ocean around Antarctica is crucial for regulating carbon dioxide levels resulting from human activity acting as an effective carbon sink.

Southern Ocean carbon sink enhanced by sea-ice feedbacks at the Antarctic Cold Reversal, Nature Geoscience, DOI: 10.1038/s41561-020-0587-0 , www.nature.com/articles/s41561-020-0587-0

Pandemics result from destruction of nature, say UN and WHO
Experts call for legislation and trade deals worldwide to encourage green recovery
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/17/pandemics-destruction...

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https://www.news-medical.net/news/20200621/Environmental-conditions...

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Environmental conditions affect the stability of SARS-CoV-2, study finds

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Changing How We Anesthetize People Could Have a Surprising Impact on The Planet

https://www.sciencealert.com/changing-how-we-knock-people-out-for-s...

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When planting trees threatens the forest

Replacing already existing native forests with tree plantations might backfire says research ...

Tree plantations could have significant benefits if they include strong subsidy restrictions, such as prohibitions against replacing native forests with tree plantations.

If policies to incentivize tree plantations are poorly designed or poorly enforced, there is a high risk of not only wasting public money but also releasing more carbon and losing biodiversity.

There is no question that forests have an outsized role to play in efforts to slow global biodiversity loss and combat climate change by sequestering carbon as biomass. So it makes sense that tree-planting as a solution has gained traction in recent years with ambitious commitments. But   faults in plans  such as planting monoculture tree plantations or a limited mix of trees that produce products such as fruit and rubber rather than restoring natural forests  might boomerang . Plantations typically have significantly less potential for carbon sequestration, habitat creation and erosion control than natural forests. The potential benefit dwindles further if planted trees replace natural forests, grasslands or savannahs—ecosystems that have evolved to support unique, local biodiversity.

Impacts of Chilean forest subsidies on forest cover, carbon and biodiversity, Nature Sustainability (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41893-020-0547-0 , www.nature.com/articles/s41893-020-0547-0

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-trees-threatens-forest.html?utm_sourc...

A man who can't see numbers provides new insight into awareness:

 researchers provided new evidence that a robust brain response to something like a face or a word does not mean a person is aware of it.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-insight-awareness.html?utm_s...

Teresa M. Schubert el al., "Lack of awareness despite complex visual processing: Evidence from event-related potentials in a case of selective metamorphopsia," PNAS (2020). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2000424117

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-06-super-strong-surgical-tape-deta...

Super-strong surgical tape detaches on demand

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-nanoplastics-accumulating-tissues.htm...

Research in land plants shows nanoplastics accumulating in tissues

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** https://phys.org/news/2020-06-experimentally-effective-theories-man...

Experimentally identifying effective theories in many-body systems

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-scientists-explanation-strange-asymme...

Scientists provide new explanation for the strange asymmetry of the moon

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-scientists-collaborate-universe-techn...

Scientists collaborate on new study to search the universe for signs of technological civilizations

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-06-fugaku-gains-title-world-fastes...

Japan supercomputer is world's fastest

The concept of chirality is well-established in science: when an object cannot be superimposed on its mirror image, both the object and its mirror image are called chiral. In the drug industry, for instance, more than 50% of the pharmaceutically active molecules used nowadays are chiral molecules. While one of the 'enantiomers' is life-saving, its counterpart with opposite handedness may be poisonous. Another concept which has found widespread interest in contemporary materials science is topology, as many so-called topological materials feature exotic properties. For example, topological materials can have protected edge states where electrons flow freely without resistance, as if a superconducting path of electrons were created at the edge of a material. Such unconventional properties are a manifestation of the quantum nature of matter. The topological materials can be classified by a special quantum number, called the topological charge or the Chern number.

Chiral topological materials have particularly unique properties which may be useful in future devices for quantum computers which could speed up computations considerably. An example for such a property is the long-sought large quantized photogalvanic current. 

Mengyu Yao et al, Observation of giant spin-split Fermi-arc with maximal Chern number in the chiral topological semimetal PtGa, Nature Communications (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15865-x

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-fresh-chiral-topology.html?utm_source...

Switch off your engine, it’s not hard: how to cut your fuel bill, clear the air and reduce emissions

https://theconversation.com/switch-off-your-engine-its-not-hard-how...

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In a new article, scientists provide an exhaustive, evidence-based review of how COVID-19 droplets from infected patients spread through the air and describe how health care professionals can protect themselves. This Pulmonary Perspective is published online in the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

In "Coughs and Sneezes: Their Role in Transmission of Respiratory Viral...

 Research recommendations for reducing the transmission of respiratory tract infections, which are consistent with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They include :

• Avoid procedures that irritate airways and provoke violent coughing and try to reduce exposure to infectious aerosol.
• If possible, health care providers should stay six feet away from infected patients, especially when the patient is coughing or sneezing.
• When using a mechanical ventilator, institute barriers to filter the virus or reduce virus dispersion by placing a filter at the exhalation port of the ventilator or connecting a filter to the oxygen mask.
• For spontaneously breathing patients, placing a surgical mask on the patient's face or using tissue to cover his or her mouth, especially during coughing, sneezing or talking, may reduce the dispersion distance or viral load.
• Employ PPE for health care providers.
• While, ideally, infected patients should be in single rooms to prevent droplet dispersion, it is acceptable for two patients with the same infection that is spread by respiratory droplets to be in the same room.

Coughs and sneezes create respiratory droplets of variable size that spread respiratory viral infections. Because these droplets are forcefully expelled, they are dispersed in the environment and can be exhaled by a susceptible host. While most respiratory droplets are filtered by the nose or deposit in the oropharynx, the smaller droplet nuclei become suspended in room air and individuals farther away from the patient may inhale them.

These finer particles are carried by the airstream into the lungs, where their site of deposition depends on their size and shape and is governed by various mechanisms. The respiratory transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 is mainly by respiratory droplets. Appropriate protective measures are necessary to prevent virus transmission in various settings.

https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/rccm.202004-1263PP

Genetic Diversity of Malaria in a Single Mosquito Bite May Be Huge

New blood tests help to track disease-causing Plasmodium strains

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/genetic-diversity-of-mal...

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https://theconversation.com/autoimmune-diseases-we-discovered-how-t...

Autoimmune diseases: scientists discovered how to turn white blood cells from attacking the body to protecting it

What are antibodies and how they work

How an intelligent alien civilization can exploit a black hole for energy

Experiment confirms 50-year-old theory describing how an alien civilization could exploit a black hole

A 50-year-old theory that began as speculation about how an alien civilization could use a black hole to generate energy has been experimentally verified for the first time in a Glasgow research lab.

In 1969, British physicist Roger Penrose suggested that energy could be generated by lowering an object into the black hole's ergosphere—the outer layer of the black hole's event horizon, where an object would have to move faster than the speed of light in order to remain still.

Penrose predicted that the object would acquire a negative energy in this unusual area of space. By dropping the object and splitting it in two so that one half falls into the black hole while the other is recovered, the recoil action would measure a loss of negative energy—effectively, the recovered half would gain energy extracted from the black hole's rotation. The scale of the engineering challenge the process would require is so great, however, that Penrose suggested only a very advanced, perhaps alien, civilisation would be equal to the task.

Two years later, another physicist named Yakov Zel'dovich suggested the theory could be tested with a more practical, earthbound experiment. He proposed that "twisted" light waves, hitting the surface of a rotating metal cylinder turning at just the right speed, would end up being reflected with additional energy extracted from the cylinder's rotation thanks to a quirk of the rotational doppler effect.

But Zel'dovich's idea has remained solely in the realm of theory since 1971 because, for the experiment to work, his proposed metal cylinder would need to rotate at least a billion times a second—another insurmountable challenge for the current limits of human engineering.

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-year-old-theory-alien-civilization-ex...
Marion Cromb et al. Amplification of waves from a rotating body, Nature Physics (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-020-0944-3

Quantum physics provides a way to hide ignorance

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-quantum-physics.html?utm_source=nwlet...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-isotope-mendelevium-.html?utm_source=...

Introducing a new isotope: Mendelevium-244

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How myxobacteria distinguish self from non-self

A fundamental question in biology is how individual cells within a multicellular organism interact to coordinate diverse processes.

Scientists studied myxobacteria—common soil microbes that prey off other microbes for food—and posed the question: "How do cells from a diverse environment recognize other cells as related or clonal to build social groups and a multicellular organism?"

Myxobacteria assemble a multicellular organism by cobbling together cells from their environment. This is in contrast to plants and animals, where gametes fuse to create a unique cell, which, upon clonal expansion, creates a multicellular organism. The ability of myxobacteria to create multicellular organisms is remarkable, given that soil is considered to be the most diverse environment on the planet, wherein a small sample can consist of tens of thousands of microbial species.

Multicellularity is a difficult way of life to evolve and maintain, because cells are the smallest unit of life, and there is selective pressure for them to exploit their environment, including other cells, for their own benefit," he explains. "For example, cancer cells do this and are constantly arising in our own body. Fortunately, our immune system recognizes them as non-self and eliminates them. Our system works in an analogous manner.

The work in the PNAS paper showed that Myxococcus xanthus expresses a highly variable cell surface receptor called TraA. Cells use these receptors, which have many different sequences or alleles in populations, to recognize other cells as possible clonemates or as self. If the other cells bear identical TraA receptors, they interact. This results in the transient fusion of cells where they exchange cellular components, such as proteins and lipids, but no DNA. Included in this cargo are highly variable toxin proteins.

Thus, if the other cells are true clonemates, they have genetically encoded immunity to those toxins. But if they are divergent cells that happen to have compatible TraA receptors, but are not clonemates, they will be killed by toxin transfer. 

Christopher N. Vassallo et al, Rapid diversification of wild social groups driven by toxin-immunity loci on mobile genetic elements, The ISME Journal (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-0699-y

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-myxobacteria-ability-distinguish-non-...

Immune system works differently between first and later pregnancies

A mother's immune system is altered during pregnancy to prevent a fetus from being rejected by the body. It is a delicate immunological balance that, if disrupted, could cause a miscarriage or multiple miscarriages. And unfortunately, that balance does too often become disrupted by environmental exposures or physiological changes leading to pregnancy complications.

Researchers now found that a woman's immune system behaves very differently between a first and second pregnancy. First and subsequent pregnancies work very differently and understanding these differences can lead to improved therapies that target the unique immunological perturbations that occur in first and later pregnancies.

The study shows the immune pathways that promote a healthy first pregnancy are not the same pathways that promote later pregnancies.

The authors discuss how pregnancy causes physiological exposure, and often re-exposure, to foreign fetal allo-antigens, which are expressed by the developing fetus. These allo-antigens interact directly with the mother's immune system. The consequences after pregnancy are highly varied, they note.

The researchers found evidence of both alloimmunization (where the immune system attacks) and expanded tolerance phenotypes where it does not. Their data show that pregnancy primes accumulation of fetal-specific maternal CD8+ T cells, and that mothers remember their babies immunologically in that these cells persists as an activated memory pool after she gives birth.

Expression to two proteins, PD-1 and LAG-3 by what are called memory T cells, reminds the cells to again be tolerant of the developing fetus again during subsequent pregnancies. But molecular disruptions that neutralize expression of these proteins unleash the activation of fetal-specific CD8+ T cells, causing miscarriage selectively during subsequent, but not first pregnancies, according to the study

Cell Reports (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107784 , www.cell.com/cell-reports/full … 2211-1247(20)30764-6

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-immune-differently-pregnanci...

Shock and kill approach: New drug candidate reawakens sleeping HIV in hopes of functional cure

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-drug-candidate-reawakens-hiv...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-janus-nanorods-pollutants.html?utm_so...

'Janus' nanorods convert light to heat that can destroy pollutants in water

With a new nanoparticle that converts light to heat, a team of researchers has found a promising technology for clearing water of pollutants.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-microscopic-wires-future-molecules.ht...

Microscopic computers: The wires of the future may be made of molecules

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-fifty-photons-quantum-supremacy.html?...

Fifty perfect photons for 'quantum supremacy'

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**  https://phys.org/news/2020-06-volcanic-eruption-alaska-roman-republ...

Did a volcanic eruption in Alaska help end the Roman republic?

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NASA simulation shows kaleidoscope of sunsets on other worlds

Nanomaterials used as broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents for first time

In a significant breakthrough in the battle against antibiotic resistance, a research team from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has synthesized a nanomaterial that mimics an enzyme and can disintegrate the cell membranes of a range of disease-causing bacteria.

Antibiotics typically work by interfering with the cellular activities of the bacteria. Over many generations, thanks in large part to misuse and overuse of antibiotics, several bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics by producing their own enzymes that target the drugs.

The cell membranes of all organisms, including bacteria, have two layers of lipids containing phosphate molecules. "Phospholipid is an essential component of the cell membrane.

Therefore, the researchers decided to target these phospholipids with the help of nanomaterials that would break the bonds holding the membrane bilayer together. These nanomaterials are known as nanozymes. According to the authors, since the nanozymes directly target the chemical integrity of the phospholipids to destroy the cell membrane, bacteria are less likely to be able to develop resistance against them.

To develop this novel compound, the team synthesized a cerium oxide based nanozyme using what is known as a chemical co-precipitation method. In the next step, they carried out a reaction between cerium oxide and sodium polyacrylate in a basic solution to coat the nanoparticles with polymers. The polymer coating allows the nanozyme to disperse onto any surface or material and boosts its activity.

The nanomaterial was then tested in the lab on several potentially pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella Typhi, Shigella flexneri, Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which cause typhoid, gastroenteritis, dysentery, cholera and pneumonia respectively. What the team found was that the nanozyme stopped their growth and subsequently inhibited the formation of biofilm—a densely packed community of bacteria.nanomaterials were able to penetrate even a 10-day old, well-developed biofilm and showed anti-bacterial activity inside the biofilm because of their small size

 Kritika Khulbe et al. Nanoceria-Based Phospholipase-Mimetic Cell Membrane Disruptive Antibiofilm Agents, ACS Applied Bio Materials (2020). DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c00363

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-nanomaterials-broad-spectrum-antimicr...

Life in the galaxy: maybe this is as good as it gets?

Researchers have found that rocky exoplanets which formed early in the life of the galaxy seem to have had a greater chance of developing a magnetic field and plate tectonics than planets which formed later. As both these conditions are considered favorable to the development of life, this means that if life exists in the Galaxy, it may have developed earlier than later, and that planets formed more recently may have less chance of developing life.

Plate tectonics is important for habitability, and it looks like the optimum conditions plate tectonics existed for planets forming early in the galaxy's lifespan, and may be unlikely to easily recur. For life, maybe that was as good as it gets.

Plate tectonics act as a kind of thermostat for the Earth creating the conditions which allow life to evolve. The Earth has a lot of iron in its core, and we had assumed that this would be necessary for tectonic development. However we found that even planets with little iron may develop plate tectonics if the timing is right. This was completely unexpected.

The development of plate tectonics has a major knock-on effect. "Planets which formed later may not have developed plate tectonics, which means that they don't have this built in thermostat. This doesn't just affect the surface temperature, this means that the core stays hot, which inhibits the development of a magnetic field. If there's no magnetic field, the planet is not shielded from solar radiation, and will tend to lose its atmosphere. So life becomes difficult to sustain. A planet needs   to have the right position and the right geochemistry at the right time if it's going to sustain life.

Researchers know that the overall chemical balance of the Galaxy has changed over time for diverse reasons, such as material coalescing into stars and planetary bodies, or being expelled through supernova. This means that the interstellar material available to form planets is significantly different to that available in the early galaxy.

So the planets which formed earlier did so in conditions favorable to allow the development of life. These conditions are becoming increasingly rarer in our galaxy.

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-life-galaxy-good.html?utm_source=nwle...

Biomedical researchers get closer to why eczema happens

One result of atopic dermatitis is a decreased level of skin oils known as lipids, particularly one group called ceramides. Lipids on the surface of the skin function to regulate hydration and also help defend the skin from foreign invaders either indirectly through immune signaling or directly through their inherent antimicrobial activity.

Another result of eczema is an increase in staph bacteria in the skin, which can cause irritation and infection.

Genetics can play a part in whether someone has eczema, but people in certain occupations have also been shown to be more likely to get the skin condition, such as healthcare professionals, metalworkers, hairdressers and food processing workers. The connection? An increased amount of handwashing or regular contact with detergents for your job.

"What happens if, either through a mutation or through occupational risks, there's a decreased presence of lipids on the skin? In normal, healthy conditions, bacteria do not penetrate the skin barrier. In atopic dermatitis conditions or lipid levels consistent with AD, it does -- and it consistently takes nine days.

Because the staph bacteria are immobile, they need to multiply in number to grow through the protective outer skin layer known as the stratum corneum. The  researchers believe the bacteria don't grow around the skin cells but actually through them. With lipid depletion -- either through genetics or occupational risks -- the skin appears to become more vulnerable to bacterial invasion and infection of underlying skin tissue.

When we usually think about the oils in our skin, we think about water retention and moisturizing -- things like that. Now researchers are looking at how these lipids are important for protection against these microorganisms that can come in and cause disease.

Source: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21688370.2020.1754706

In many countries the coronavirus pandemic is accelerating, not slowing

https://theconversation.com/in-many-countries-the-coronavirus-pande...

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New research reveals how water in the deep Earth triggers earthquakes and tsunamis

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-reveals-deep-earth-triggers-earthquak...

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-one-time-treatment-neurons-p...

One-time treatment generates new neurons, eliminates Parkinson's disease in mice

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1121900/

Funny science actually tested in a lab! (Farts) Flatus can cause infection if the emitter is naked, but not if he or she is clothed. Final conclusion? Don't fart naked near food. $$

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-arctic-siberian-alarms-scientists.htm...

The Arctic is on fire: Siberian heat wave alarms scientists

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-blocking-unleash-immune-tumo...

Blocking a 'jamming signal' can unleash immune system to fight tumors

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-cancer-chemicals-complex-cel...

Cancer study shows how chemicals cause complex cell mutations

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https://theconversation.com/affluence-is-killing-the-planet-warn-sc...

Affluence is killing the planet, warn scientists

Affluence trashes our planetary life support systems. What’s more, it also obstructs the necessary transformation towards sustainability by driving power relations and consumption norms. To put it bluntly: the rich do more harm than good.

The most affluent are most responsible

The facts are clear: the wealthiest 0.54%, about 40 million people, are responsible for 14% of lifestyle-related greenhouse gas emissions, while the bottom 50% of income earners, almost 4 billion people, only emit around 10%. The world’s top 10% income earners are responsible for at least 25% and up to 43% of our environmental impact.

Faulty brain processing of new information underlies psychotic delusions, finds new research

Problems in how the brain recognizes and processes novel information lie at the root of psychosis, researchers from the University of Cambridge and King's College London have found. Their discovery that defective brain signals in patients with psychosis could be altered with medication paves the way for new treatments for the disease.

The results describe how a chemical messenger in the brain called dopamine 'tunes' the brain to the level of novelty in a situation, and helps us to respond appropriately—by either updating our model of reality or discarding the information as unimportant.

The researchers found that a brain region called the superior frontal cortex is important for signaling the correct degree of learning required, depending on the novelty of a situation. Patients with psychosis have faulty brain activation in this region during learning, which could lead them to believe things that are not real.

"Novelty and uncertainty signals in the brain are very important for learning and forming beliefs. When these signals are faulty, they can lead people to form mistaken beliefs, which in time can become delusions.

In novel situations, our brain compares what we know with the new information it receives, and the difference between these is called the 'prediction error'*. The brain updates beliefs according to the size of this prediction error: large errors signal that the brain's model of the world is inaccurate, thereby increasing the amount that is learned from new information.

Psychosis is a condition where people have difficulty distinguishing between what is real and what is not. It involves abnormalities in a brain chemical messenger called dopamine.

Normally, the activity of the superior frontal cortex is finely tuned to signal the level of uncertainty during learning. But by altering dopamine signaling with medication, we can change the reactivity of this region. When we integrate this finding with the results from patients with psychosis, it points to new treatment development pathways.

Source: Molecular Psychiatry (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-0803-8

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-faulty-brain-underlies-psych...

* https://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/research/cameos/DeludedBrain.php : Prediction error alludes to mismatches that occur when there are differences between what is expected and what actually happens. 

Environmental DNA detection could cut pathogens in pet trade

As the SARS-CoV-2 puts new focus on zoonotic pathogens, a Washington State University researcher has developed a method to use environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect disease in the vast international trade of aquatic animals.

In a paper published in Scientific Reports on June 24 researchers outline two potential ways to test captive animals for pathogen DNA: batching test samples from individuals and sampling eDNA from the water in the animals' tanks. The eDNA method proved to be much more efficient.

 The best way to prevent the emergence of these pathogens and the diseases that come from them, is to keep them from getting here in the first place. It's an important goal but a really hard one because of the scale of the problem. With the eDNA method you are theoretically sampling an entire population at once, so you are more likely to detect whatever is there, and you can do that much more efficiently than with traditional approaches. Environmental DNA is already used to look for the presence of invasive species in places like the Great Lakes.

Scientific Reports (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66280-7

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-environmental-dna-pathogens-pet.html?...

Why Doesn't the Moon Fall to Earth? 

Gravity...

Binary and multiple stars

How fake accounts constantly manipulate what you see on social media – and what you can do about it

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-06-fake-accounts-constantly-social...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-alcohol-key-ingredients-medicines.htm...

Turning alcohol into key ingredients for new medicines:

Chemists have found a way to turn alcohol into amino acids, the building blocks of life.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-molecular-simulations-drugs-block-key...

Molecular simulations show how drugs block key receptors

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-toxic-chemicals-environmentally-frien...

Removing toxic chemicals from water: New environmentally-friendly method

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-moment-ultrafast-chemical-bonding-cap...

Every moment of ultrafast chemical bonding captured on film

Forensic science: Bringing burnt bones back to life using 3-D technology

Forensic scientists at the University of Portsmouth have discovered a new way of presenting fragile evidence, by reconstructing a 'jigsaw' of human bone fragments using 3-D printing.

In the first known study of its kind, researchers took fragmented burnt human bones and tested the ability to make 3-D models suitable to be shown to a jury in court.

Forensic investigation of crime scenes and other incidents requires the analysis of many different items as evidence, including human remains, some of which may be damaged or fragmented. To determine whether these pieces of evidence were originally one whole, they have to undergo a process called 'physical fit analysis'.

A positive physical fit indicates that two or more fragments having originated from the same object. Confirming physical fit at a crime scene is essential to draw links between locations, place suspects at the scene, and allow for object reconstruction."

However, physical fit analysis relies on the manual handling and then placing back together of the human remains and is often challenging to conduct with bone fragments particularly when fragile, sharp, or embedded in other materials.

The scientists compared two different 3-D imaging techniques, micro computed tomography and structured light scanning. By generating virtual 3-D models and prints of burned human bone fragments, they tested the suitability of these imaging techniques and subsequent 3-D printing for physical fit analysis. The researchers ultimately found that 3-D imaging and printing allowed for effective physical fit analysis without excessively handling the original fragments.

Limiting the handling of fragile forensic evidence minimizes damage and contamination. Additionally, the use of 3-D prints opens up the possibility for physical fit demonstration, and the opportunity for a jury to explore the evidence replicas. Interaction with 3-D virtual models and animations also provides 360 degree visualization in an engaging, understandable and potentially impactful way, improving a jury's understanding.

Amber J. Collings et al, Reconstruction and physical fit analysis of fragmented skeletal remains using 3D imaging and printing, Forensic Science International: Reports (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.fsir.2020.100114

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-burnt-bones-life-d-technology.html?ut...

Transgenic rice lowers blood pressure of hypertensive rats

What if taking your blood pressure medication could be as simple as eating a spoonful of rice? And if this "treatment" could also have fewer side effects than current blood pressure medicines? Who wouldn't like it?

As a first step, researchers have made transgenic rice that contains several anti-hypertensive peptides. When given to hypertensive rats, the rice lowered their blood pressure.

A common class of synthetic drugs used to treat hypertension, called ACE inhibitors, target the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), which is involved in blood pressure regulation. However, ACE inhibitors often have unpleasant side effects, such as dry cough, headache, skin rashes and kidney impairment. In contrast, natural ACE inhibitors found in some foods, including milk, eggs, fish, meat and plants, might have fewer side effects. But purifying large amounts of these ACE-inhibitory peptides from foods is expensive and time-consuming. So researchers wanted to genetically modify rice—one of the world's most commonly eaten foods—to produce a mixture of ACE-inhibitory peptides from other food sources.

The researchers introduced a gene to rice plants that consisted of nine ACE-inhibitory peptides and a blood-vessel-relaxing peptide linked together, and confirmed that the plants made high levels of the peptides. The researchers then extracted total protein (including the peptides) from the transgenic rice and administered them to rats. Two hours after treatment, hypertensive rats showed a reduction in blood pressure, while rats treated with wild-type rice proteins did not. Treatment of rats over a 5-week period with flour from the transgenic rice also reduced blood pressure, and this effect remained 1 week later. The treated rats had no obvious side effects in terms of growth, development or blood biochemistry. If these peptides have the same effects in humans, a 150-pound adult would need to eat only about half a tablespoon of the special rice daily to prevent and treat hypertension, the researchers say.

Dandan Qian et al. Hypotensive Activity of Transgenic Rice Seed Accumulating Multiple Antihypertensive Peptides, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2020). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c01958

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-transgenic-rice-lowers-blood-pressure...

Neutrinos reveal final secret of Sun’s nuclear fusion

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01908-2?utm_source=Natur...

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/electrified-fabric-could...
Electrified Fabric Could Zap the Coronavirus on Masks and Clothing
New materials and coatings could make fabric inactivate or repel viral particles

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-role-hippocampus-humans-ment...

The role of the hippocampus in how humans mentally travel in time and space

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-quantum-entanglement-aboard-orbiting-...

Quantum entanglement demonstrated aboard orbiting CubeSat

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-black-hole-collision.html?utm_source=...

Black hole collision may have exploded with light

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-gene-duplicates-retained-perish.html?...

When two are better than one: Why some gene duplicates are retained while others perish

Light harvesting is the collection of solar energy by protein-bound chlorophyll molecules. In photosynthesis—the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water—light energy harvesting begins with sunlight absorption.

Newly created model by researchers now shows that by absorbing only very specific colors of light, photosynthetic organisms may automatically protect themselves against sudden changes—or 'noise'—in solar energy, resulting in remarkably efficient power conversion.

Green plants appear green and purple bacteria appear purple because only specific regions of the spectrum from which they absorb are suited for protection against rapidly changing solar energy.

Why are plants green? Research team's model reproduces photosynthesis

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-green-team-photosynthesis.html?utm_so...

Why bacterial toxins are 'fascinating machines of death'

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-bacterial-toxins-fascinating-machines...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-boron-lanthanide-nanostructure.html?u...

Researchers discover new boron-lanthanide nanostructure

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-scientists-tool-fusion-devices.html?u...

Scientists develop new tool to design better fusion devices

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https://theconversation.com/siberia-heat-wave-why-the-arctic-is-war...

Siberia heat wave: why the Arctic is warming so much faster than the rest of the world

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-06-online-trackers-health-site-vis...

Study: Online trackers follow health site visitors

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-06-solar-energy-harvesting-biomimi...

Solar energy harvesting through biomimicking the wings of a butterfly

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You can't win the game when you are playing against science: When great players peddle pseudo-science in a tennis court, 'Covid Science' hits back. Like this ...

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/tennis/story/novak-djokovic-pseudo...

Gold nanoparticles to save neurons from cell death
In a recent experiment, researchers have developed gold nanoparticles in the laboratory in order to reduce the cell death of neurons exposed to overexcitement.

Excessive stimulation of neurons by the neurotransmitter glutamate, which is usually involved in the excitatory communication among neurons, can damage nerve cells and cause their degeneration. This phenomenon, known with the term excitotoxicity, is common in many neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease, but also in case of epilepsy, brain trauma and stroke.

In particular, these nanoparticles were designed and prepared by a IIT team in Lecce (Italy), and are functionalized with peptides that allow selective inhibition of extrasynaptic glutamate receptors involved in the excitotoxicity. In fact, the size of the nanoparticles is 20, which is 50 times larger than that of classic drugs resulting in the blockade of only the receptors located outside the synapses. In this way, correct neurotransmission is preserved while the excessive activation that leads to cell death is avoided.

The molecular mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of the nanoparticles has been clarified by the experimental work.

The results of this research sets the basis for treatment of neurological diseases in which the excessive release of glutamate is at the basis of the pathology. The possibility of specifically blocking extrasynaptic receptors, mainly responsible for cell death, without interfering with synaptic transmission, opens up promising perspectives for targeted therapy without major side effects.

This study shows how nanotechnology can provide important indications for treatment of many neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases.

Source: Stefania Alexandra Iakab et al, Gold Nanoparticle-Assisted Black Silicon Substrates for Mass Spectrometry Imaging Applications, ACS Nano (2020). DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c00201

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-gold-nanoparticles-neurons-cell-death...

How language shapes the way we think

CRISPR gene editing in human embryos wreaks chromosomal mayhem

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01906-4

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https://khn.org/news/how-and-when-to-get-coronavirus-test-post-prot...

Easy to Say ‘Get Tested’ for the Coronavirus—Harder to Do: Here’s How

Experts explain the best time for testing after exposure and how to find test sites

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** https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-first-gene-on-earth-...

The First Gene on Earth May Have Been a Hybrid

A new experiment suggests DNA and RNA may have formed together before the origin of life

Recursion (the computational capacity to embed elements within elements of the same kind): researchers for the first time show this ability is shared across age, species and cultural groups in a new study

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-recursive.html?utm_source=nw...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-chemicals-air-hazardous-math-formula....

Chemicals released into the air could become less hazardous, thanks to a missing math formula for droplets

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-common-food-additive-adverse-health.h...

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Artificial life one step closer: Life-emulating molecules show basic metabolism in a lab

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-life-emulating-molecules-basic-metabo...

Jim Ottelé, Andreas S. Hussain, Clemens Mayer, Sijbren Otto: Chance Emergence of Catalytic Activity and Promiscuity in a Self-Replicator. Nature Catalysis 26 June 2020. DOI: 10.1038/s41557-020-0494-4

Guillermo Monreal Santiago, Kai Liu, Wesley R. Browne, Sijbren Otto: Emergence of light-driven protometabolism upon recruitment of a photocatalytic cofactor by a self-replicator. Nature Chemistry 26 June 2020.

Gender bias kept alive by people who think it's dead

Workplace gender bias is being kept alive by people who think it's no longer an issue, new research suggests.

In the study, managers were given identical descriptions of a worker—the only difference being either a male or female name.

Most managers rated the male worker as more competent, and recommended a higher salary—an average 8% pay gap.

The "key drivers" of this gap were managers who thought bias no longer existed in their profession, while those who believed bias still existed recommended roughly equal pay.

This means holding this belief constitutes a "critical risk factor", and may be vital to identifying who in a profession is perpetuating issues of gender bias.

Two thirds of the managers who thought gender bias no longer existed were men—but female managers with this opinion undervalued female staff just as much as male managers did.

The research -by the University of Exeter, Skidmore College and the British Veterinary Association (BVA) - focussed on the veterinary profession. The resulting evaluations were systematically biased among those who thought gender bias was no longer an issue.

The studies also found:

• Vets were split over whether gender bias still existed in their profession (44% said yes, 42% said no; the rest were undecided).
• Gender bias among managers who thought bias was not an issue was not only evident among those who strongly believed this, but also those who only slightly held this view.
• Because of seeing the female as less competent, managers were also less likely to advise giving her more managerial responsibilities, and less likely to encourage her to pursue important opportunities for promotion. This shows how managers' biases not only affect women's current employment situation (current pay) but can affect the entire trajectory of their career, by discouraging them from pursuing promotions.
• All of these effects held true when controlling for managers' own gender, their years of managerial experience, how long they've been in the profession, etc.
• They also held true when controlling for managers' endorsement of more overtly sexist beliefs (i.e., endorsement of hostile sexism)

this research highlights a rather insidious paradox that can arise when individuals misperceive the level of progress made on gender equality in their profession, such that those who mistakenly think gender bias is no longer an issue become the highest risk for perpetuating it.

C.T. Begeny el al., "In some professions, women have become well represented, yet gender bias persists—Perpetuated by those who think it is not happening," Science Advances (2020). advances.sciencemag.org/lookup … .1126/sciadv.aba7814

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-gender-bias-alive-people-dead.html?ut...

How an intelligent alien civilization can harvest energy from blackholes

https://theconversation.com/could-we-extract-energy-from-a-black-ho...

Eco-cultural identity explained ...

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-ecocultural-identity.html?utm_source=...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-lab-cartilage-mimicking-gel-strong-kn...

From the lab, the first cartilage-mimicking gel that's strong enough for knees

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Comparing 13 different CRISPR-Cas9 DNA scissors

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-crispr-cas9-dna-scissors.html?utm_sou...

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https://theconversation.com/kissing-can-be-dangerous-how-old-advice...

When Kissing can be dangerous ....

Jumping kingdoms: What if bacteria jump from plants to humans?

Researchers are learning about new ways  pathogens are jumping from plants to people.

Scientists have been finding "trojan horse" methods bacteria such as salmonella are using to elude plant immune systems and find their way to new human hosts.

Opportunistic bacteria—salmonella, listeria and E.coli, for example—often piggyback on raw vegetables, poultry, beef and other foods to gain entry into a human host, causing millions of foodborne illnesses each year.

But University of Delaware researchers Harsh Bais and Kali Kniel and their collaborators now have found that wild strains of salmonella can circumvent a plant's immune defense system, getting into the leaves of lettuce by opening up the plant's tiny breathing pores called stomates.

The plant shows no symptoms of this invasion and once inside the plant, the pathogens cannot just be washed off.

Stomates are little kidney-shaped openings on leaves that open and close naturally and are regulated by circadian rhythm. They open to allow the plant to cool off and breathe. They close when they detect threats from drought or plant bacterial pathogens.

Some pathogens can barge into a closed stomate using brute force. Fungi can do that, for example. Bacteria don't have the enzymes needed to do that so they look for openings—in roots or through stomates. Plant bacterial pathogens have found a way to reopen those closed stomates and gain entry to the plant's internal workings. 

But now, in research published by Frontiers in Microbiology, Bais and Kniel have shown that some strains of the human pathogen salmonella have developed a way to reopen closed stomates, too.

What's new is how the non-host bacteria are evolving to bypass plant immune response. They are real opportunists. They are absolutely jumping kingdoms….When we see these unusual interactions, that's where it starts to get complex.

Opportunities for pathogens arise as plants are bred to increase yield, often at the expense of their own defense systems. Other opportunities arise when a grower plants low-lying crops too close to a livestock field, making contamination easier.

Nicholas Johnson et al. Evasion of Plant Innate Defense Response by Salmonella on Lettuce, Frontiers in Microbiology (2020). DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00500

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-bacteria-ways-immune-defenses.html?ut...

Here’s how we’re growing meat in labs instead of in animals

A tissue engineer writes the cultured meat explainer you’ve been looking for

https://massivesci.com/articles/what-is-cultured-meat/?utm_source=d...

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https://massivesci.com/articles/biofabrication-grow-organic-leather...

Lab-grown leather and spider silk are the future of your wardrobe

Burgeoning startups are hacking cells to create ‘unnatural’ and ‘smart’ clothing

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https://www.sciencealert.com/physicists-have-reversed-time-on-the-s...

Physicists Have Reversed Time on The Smallest Scale Using a Quantum Computer

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https://theconversation.com/what-doctors-know-about-lingering-sympt...

lingering symptoms of coronavirus

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https://www.sciencealert.com/new-study-on-breast-implants-finds-tak...

New Study Draws Attention to The Devastating Effects of Breast Implant Illness

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-km-brazil-megaflash-lightning.html?ut...

700-km Brazil 'megaflash' sets lightning record: UN

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-conspiracy-theories-emergeand-storyli...

How conspiracy theories emerge—and how their storylines fall apart

Messengers: Who We Listen To, Who We Don't and Why.

In The Depths of Space, Hubble Sees a Cosmic Bat Beat Its Wings

The science of dust plumes

https://theconversation.com/a-massive-saharan-dust-plume-is-moving-...

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https://www.sciencealert.com/physicists-have-teleported-information...

Physicists Just Quantum Teleported Information Between Particles of Matter

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https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/09/zebra-pseudo-mel...

Rare polka dotted zebra foals have a condition called pseudomelanism, a rare genetic mutation in which animals display some sort of abnormality in their stripe pattern.

Zebras also experience other unusual color variations, such as partial albinism. Keeping track of such equine aberrations is useful to science as part of a broader goal to monitor changes in species and how they’re managed by local communities.

Are eye floaters dangerous? 

Eye Floaters and Flashes

King Tut's dagger is made of meteorite's iron!

Daggers, axes and jewelry made from rare iron during the Bronze Age are literally out of this world, according to new research finding that ancient artisans crafted these metal artifacts with iron from outer space carried to Earth by meteorites.

Iron from the Bronze Age are meteoritic, invalidating speculations about precocious [early] smelting during the Bronze Age.

A study using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry determined that Tutankhamun’s dagger was made with iron containing nearly 11 percent nickel and traces of cobalt: a characteristic of extraterrestrial iron found in many of the iron meteorites that have rained down on Earth for billions of years.

Most of the iron meteorites that smash into Earth each year are thought to have formed in the metal-heavy cores of planetesimals — small bodies in the protoplanetary disk of debris that orbited the sun during the early stages of the solar system.

As a result, these meteorites contain high levels of nickel or cobalt. In contrast, iron smelted from terrestrial iron ores, which are mined from our planet's outer crust, contain less than 1 percent nickel or cobalt, far less than the levels found in iron-rich space rocks.

Research found no evidence that smelted iron was known until the Iron Age dawned in the Near East, around 1200 B.C.  The oldest-known furnace for smelting iron ore, at Tell Hammeh in Jordan, dates to 930 B.C.

From texts that during the Bronze Age, iron was valued 10 times as much as gold," Jambon said. "[But] in the early Iron Age, the price fell dramatically to less than that of copper, and this is the reason why iron replaced bronze quite rapidly.

https://www.livescience.com/61214-king-tut-dagger-outer-space.html

This work ispublished in the December 2017 issue of the Journal of Archaeological Science.

Aphantasia: People Who Can't See Things in Their Mind Could Have Memory Trouble Too, Study Finds

Not everyone can see pictures in their minds when they close their eyes and summon thoughts - an ability many of us take for granted.

While people have been aware of this phenomenon since the 1800s, it hasn't been widely studied, and was only recently named 'aphantasia'. This absence of voluntarily generated mental visual imagery is thought to be experienced by 2-5 percent of the population.

Recent studies suggest aphantasia is indeed a lack of visual imagery rather than the lack of awareness of having internal visual imagery - with some people experiencing loss of this ability after injuries.

Now new research has revealed that aphantasics also have other cognitive differences.

it was found that aphantasia isn't just associated with absent visual imagery, but also with a widespread pattern of changes to other important cognitive processes.

People with aphantasia reported a reduced ability to remember the past, imagine the future, and even dream. This suggests that visual imagery might play a key role in memory processes. 

Not only did aphantasics dream less often, their dreams were less vivid and had lower sensory details. 

"This suggests that any cognitive function involving a sensory visual component – be it voluntary or involuntary – is likely to be reduced in aphantasia. 

Some of those with aphantasia also reported decreased imagining with other senses.

"Our data also showed that individuals with aphantasia not only report being unable to visualise, but also report comparatively reduced imagery, on average, in all other sensory modalities, including auditory, tactile, kinesthetic, taste, olfactory and emotion.

This backs up personal reports from aphantasics exploring their own experiences with aphantasia. Aphantasic Alan Kendle shares the moment he realised that, unlike him, other people can hear music playing in their minds.

But not all of those with visual aphantasia had their other sensory imaginings missing, suggesting variations in this way of experiencing our inner minds.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-65705-7

https://www.sciencealert.com/some-people-can-t-picture-things-in-th...

The right way to breathe during the coronavirus pandemic:

Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. 

The reason is that your nasal cavities produce the molecule nitric oxide, which chemists abbreviate NO, that increases blood flow through the lungs and boosts oxygen levels in the blood. Breathing in through the nose delivers NO directly into the lungs, where it helps fight coronavirus infection by blocking the replication of the coronavirus in the lungs.

The higher oxygen saturation of the blood can make one feel more refreshed and provides greater endurance.

Nitric oxide is a widespread signaling molecule that triggers many different physiological effects. It is also used clinically as a gas to selectively dilate the pulmonary arteries in newborns with pulmonary hypertension. Unlike most signaling molecules, NO is a gas in its natural state.

NO is produced continuously by the 1 trillion cells that form the inner lining, or endothelium, of the 100,000 miles of arteries and veins in our bodies, especially the lungs. Endothelium-derived NO acts to relax the smooth muscle of the arteries to prevent high blood pressure and to promote blood flow to all organs. Another vital role of NO is to prevent blood clots in normal arteries.

In addition to relaxing vascular smooth muscle, NO also relaxes smooth muscle in the airways – trachea and bronchioles – making it easier to breathe. Another type of NO-mediated smooth muscle relaxation occurs in the erectile tissue (corpus cavernosum), which results in penile erection. In fact, NO is the principal mediator of penile erection and sexual arousal. This discovery led to the development and marketing of  sildenafil ( Viagra), which works by enhancing the action of NO.

Other types of cells in the body, including circulating white blood cells and tissue macrophages, produce nitric oxide for antimicrobial purposes. The NO in these cells reacts with other molecules, also produced by the same cells, to form antimicrobial agents to destroy invading microorganisms including bacteria, parasites and viruses. As you can see, NO is quite an amazing molecule.

Since NO is a gas, it can be administered with the aid of specialized devices as a therapy to patients by inhalation. Inhaled NO is used to treat infants born with 

persistent pulmonary hypertension, a condition in which constricted pulmonary arteries limit blood flow and oxygen harvesting.

Inhaled NO dilates the constricted pulmonary arteries and increases blood flow in the lungs. As a result, the red blood cell hemoglobin can extract more lifesaving oxygen and move it into the general circulation. Inhaled NO has literally turned blue babies pink and allowed them to be cured and to go home with mom and dad. Before the advent of inhaled NO, most of these babies died.

Inhaled NO is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of patients with Covid 19.

https://theconversation.com/the-right-way-to-breathe-during-the-cor...