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...

Rewriting science text books: From blue electrolyte to bronze metal:Researchers have has succeeded in mapping at the molecular level the electrolyte-to-metal transition in alkali metal – liquid ammonia solutions using a combination of photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) and electronic structure calculations

Four new species of giant single-celled organisms discovered on Pacific seafloor

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-species-giant-single-celled-pacific-s...

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Ancient Maya reservoirs too contained toxic pollution: study

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-ancient-maya-reservoirs-toxic-polluti...

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https://www.howitworksdaily.com/can-anything-withstand-the-immense-...

Can anything withstand the immense heat of the Sun?

The Sun is surrounded by a layer of plasma which extends millions of miles into space, in some places reaching up to 3 million degrees Celsius (5.4 million degrees Fahrenheit).

There are no known materials that can exist as solids, liquids or gases at such extreme temperatures.

Protons, neutrons and electrons can withstand this heat as they are virtually indestructible, however they can only exist as plasma.

If you could somehow get past the corona to the surface of the Sun, where it is ‘only’ 5,500 degrees Celsius (9,900 degrees Fahrenheit), some liquids could exist.

Moth mimicry

Producing a gaseous messenger molecule inside the body, on demand

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-gaseous-messenger-molecule-body-deman...

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-words.html?utm_source=nwlett...

Study finds out why some words may be more memorable than others

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Your brain handles a perceived threat differently depending on how close it is to you.: Closer threats inspire a more primitive kind of fear. If it's far away, you engage more problem-solving areas of the brain. But up close, your animal instincts jump into action and there isn't as much reasoning, like when the guy at the haunted house jumps up right next to you.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-closer-threats-primitive-kin...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-d-paradise-tree-snake-aerial.html?utm...

New 3-D model shows how the paradise tree snake uses aerial undulation to fly

When the paradise tree snake flies from one tall branch to another, its body ripples with waves like green cursive on a blank pad of blue sky. That movement, aerial undulation, happens in each glide made by members of the Chrysopelea family, the only known limbless vertebrates capable of flight.

The flying reptiles:

Engineers use 'DNA origami' to identify vaccine design rules

By folding DNA into a virus-like structure, MIT researchers have designed HIV-like particles that provoke a strong immune response from human immune cells grown in a lab dish. Such particles might eventually be used as an HIV vaccine.

The DNA particles, which closely mimic the size and shape of viruses, are coated with HIV proteins, or antigens, arranged in precise patterns designed to provoke a strong immune response. The researchers are now working on adapting this approach to develop a potential vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, and they anticipate it could work for a wide variety of viral diseases.

The rough design rules that are starting to come out of this work should be generically applicable across disease antigens and diseases. Because DNA molecules are highly programmable, scientists have been working since the 1980s on methods to design DNA molecules that could be used for drug delivery and many other applications, most recently using a technique called DNA origami that was invented in 2006 by Paul Rothemund.

In 2016, Bathe's lab developed an algorithm that can automatically design and build arbitrary three-dimensional virus-like shapes using DNA origami. This method offers precise control over the structure of synthetic DNA, allowing researchers to attach a variety of molecules, such as viral antigens, at specific locations.

Natural viruses are nanoparticles with antigens arrayed on the particle surface, and it is thought that the immune system (especially B cells) has evolved to efficiently recognize such particulate antigens. Vaccines are now being developed to mimic natural viral structures, and such nanoparticle vaccines are believed to be very effective at producing a B cell immune response because they are the right size to be carried to the lymphatic vessels, which send them directly to B cells waiting in the lymph nodes. The particles are also the right size to interact with B cells and can present a dense array of viral particles.

The findings from this study have the potential to guide HIV vaccine development, as the HIV antigen used in these studies is currently being tested in a clinical trial in humans, using a protein nanoparticle scaffold.

Because this approach allows for antigens from different viruses to be carried on the same DNA scaffold, it could be possible to design variants that target multiple types of coronaviruses, including past and potentially future variants that may emerge, the researchers say.

Role of nanoscale antigen organization on B-cell activation probed using DNA origami, Nature Nanotechnology (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41565-020-0719-0 , www.nature.com/articles/s41565-020-0719-0

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-dna-origami-vaccine.html?utm_source=n...

Credit card skimmers hide in web page image files

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-06-credit-card-skimmers-web-page.h...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-cartwheeling-reveals-optical-phenomen...

New optical phenomenon: Researchers have discovered details about a novel type of polarized light-matter interaction with light that literally turns end over end as it propagates from a source.

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Multifunctional nanofiber protects against explosions in war zones: Researchers have developed a lightweight, multifunctional nanofiber material that can protect wearers from both extreme temperatures and ballistic threats.

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-multifunctional-nanofiber-explosions....

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-theory-semiconductors-nanocrystals.ht...

A new theory for semiconductors made of nanocrystals

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-physicists-surprisingly-strong-high-n...

Physicists see surprisingly strong light, high heat from nanogaps between plasmonic electrodes

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-nanotechnology-medicine-liquid-retina...

Nanotechnology applied to medicine: The first liquid retina prosthesis

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-volcanoes-deep-sea.html?utm_source=nw...

How volcanoes explode in the deep sea

How GPS can help farmers

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-gps-isnt-road-anymore.html?utm_source...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-magnetic-history-ice.html?utm_source=...

The magnetic history of ice

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-06-ad-blockers-benefit-websites-us...

Ad blockers may benefit websites, users, and the market at large

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-hydrophobic-molecules.html?utm_source...

Researchers find new shape for hydrophobic molecules in water

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A new antibiotic binding site found in the ribosome

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-antibiotic-site-ribosome.html?utm_sou...

A new antibiotic binding site found in the ribosome: it acts differently from the well-known antibiotic tetracycline, which offers good prospects for overcoming antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

This coronavirus mutation has taken over the world. Scientists are trying to understand why.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2020/06/29/coronavirus-mutat...

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https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200629120231.htm

Ladder falls have long-lasting consequences for older men

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https://www.scidev.net/global/agriculture/feature/alarming-use-of-c...

‘Alarming’ use of critical human antibiotics on crops

Farmers in parts of Asia are spraying antibiotics deemed “critical” for human medicine on rice crops, raising fears they may be fuelling antibiotic resistance, say researchers.

A 32-country survey of agricultural advisers found that many are prescribing the common human antibiotics streptomycin and tetracycline for insect infestations, fungal diseases and as general protection, as well as for bacterial infections.*

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https://www.sciencealert.com/a-wild-laboratory-experiment-supports-...

Deep within the hearts of Neptune and Uranus, it could be raining diamonds. Now, scientists have produced new experimental evidence showing how this could be possible.

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https://www.sciencealert.com/your-childhood-neighbourhood-can-influ...

Your Childhood Neighbourhood Could Affect You on an Epigenetic Level, Says New Study

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https://www.sciencealert.com/mysterious-abandonment-of-once-great-m...

Mysterious Abandonment of Once-Great Maya City May Finally Be Explained

Coral garden discovered off the coast of Greenland

https://www.sciencealert.com/a-vast-garden-of-soft-corals-has-been-...

Quantum fridge works by superposing the order of events

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-quantum-fridge-superposing-events.htm...

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-diagosis-rheumatic-diseases-...

Moving the diagosis of rheumatic diseases into the era of precision medicine

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-cosmic-mystery-large-telescope-captur...

A cosmic mystery: Very Large Telescope captures the disappearance of a massive star

Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have discovered the absence of an unstable massive star in a dwarf galaxy. Scientists think this could indicate that the star became less bright and partially obscured by dust. An alternative explanation is that the star collapsed into a black hole without producing a supernova. 

Based on their observations and models, the astronomers have suggested two explanations for the star's disappearance and lack of a supernova, related to this possible outburst. The outburst may have resulted in the luminous blue variable being transformed into a less luminous star, which could also be partly hidden by dust. Alternatively, the team says the star may have collapsed into a black hole, without producing a supernova explosion. This would be a rare event: our current understanding of how massive stars die points to most of them ending their lives in a supernova.

Future studies are needed to confirm what fate befell this star.

Source: "The possible disappearance of a massive star in the low metallicity galaxy PHL 293B" Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2020). academic.oup.com/mnras/article … .1093/mnras/staa1629

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-cosmic-mystery-large-telescope-captur...

A revolutionary new treatment alternative to corneal transplantation

Good news for the many patients who are unable to undergo corneal transplantation operation due to a severe worldwide shortage of donor corneas:

an effective and accessible solution called LiQD Cornea to treat corneal perforations without the need for transplantation.

Until now, patients on the waiting list have had their perforated corneas sealed with a medical-grade super glue, but this is only a short-term solution because it is often poorly tolerated in the eye, making transplantation necessary.

A synthetic, biocompatible and adhesive liquid hydrogel, LiQD Cornea, is applied as a liquid, but quickly adheres and gels within the corneal tissue. The LiQD Cornea promotes tissue regeneration, thus treating corneal perforations without the need for transplantation.

Source: Christopher D. McTiernan et al, LiQD Cornea: Pro-regeneration collagen mimetics as patches and alternatives to corneal transplantation, Science Advances (2020). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba218

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-revolutionary-treatment-alte...

Fat check: Researchers find explanation for stress' damage in brown fat

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-fat-explanation-stress-brown...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-layered-cotton-fabric-covid-synthetic...

Face coverings made from layered cotton fabric likely slow the spread of COVID-19 better than synthetics

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-respiratory-droplet-motion-evaporatio...

Respiratory droplet motion, evaporation and spread of COVID-19-type pandemics

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-major-paleoclimatology-global-upended...

Over the past 150 years, global warming has more than undone the global cooling that occurred over the past six millennia, according to a major study.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-uncovering-earth.html?utm_source=nwle...

Uncovering the two 'faces' of the Earth:

Uncovering the two 'faces' of the Earth: the Earth is made up of two chemically distinct hemispheric "faces" with the Pacific ring of fire being the surface expression of the boundary between the two.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-physicists-earth-magnetic-field-weake...

Physicists explain why changes to Earth's magnetic field are weaker over the Pacific

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https://phys.org/news/2020-06-roadside-hedges-human-health.html?utm...

Roadside hedges protect human health at the cost of plant health

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** https://phys.org/news/2020-06-plastic-recycling-europe-dumped-asian...

Study finds plastic recycling from Europe being dumped in Asian waters

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** https://phys.org/news/2020-06-microplastic-pollution-accumulates-he...

Microplastic pollution accumulates heavily in coastal areas such as fjords and estuaries

Buzzing to rebuild broken bone

Healing broken bones could get easier with a device that provides both a scaffold for the bone to grow on and electrical stimulation to urge it forward.

A group of biomedical engineers from UConn have developed a scaffold of non-toxic polymer that also generates a controllable electrical field to encourage bone growth. The scaffold helps the body bridge large fractures. Although many scientists are exploring the use of scaffolding to encourage bone growth, pairing it with electrical stimulation is new.

The team demonstrated the device in mice with skull fractures.

The electrical voltage the scaffold generates is very small, just a few millivolts. And uniquely for this type of device, the voltage is generated via remotely-controlled ultrasound. The ultrasound vibrates the polymer scaffolding, which then creates an electrical field (materials that create electricity from vibration, or vice versa, are called piezoelectric.) To help heal a thigh fracture, for example, the polymer scaffold can be implanted across the broken bone. Later, the person with the broken bone can wave the ultrasound wand over their own thigh themselves. No need for batteries, and no need for invasive removal surgery once the bone is healed.

"The electrical field relates to the natural signal generated by your body at the injury location. We can sustain that voltage, on demand and reversible," for however long is needed using ultrasound.

In addition to being non-toxic and piezoelectric, PLLA gradually dissolves in the body over time, disappearing as the new bone grows. The electric field created by the piezoelectric PLLA scaffold seems to attract bone cells to the site of the fracture and promote stem cells to evolve into bone cells. This technology can possibly be combined with other factors to facilitate regeneration of other tissues, like cartilage, muscles or nerves.

Source: Ritopa Das et al, Biodegradable nanofiber bone-tissue scaffold as remotely-controlled and self-powering electrical stimulator, Nano Energy (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2020.105028

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-rebuild-broken-bone.html?utm_source=n...

First all-female crew set for mission to Utah-based, simulated Mars research station

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-all-female-crew-mission-utah-based-si...

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-06-microsoft-recovery-tool-windows...

Microsoft offers its own File Recovery Tool for Windows 10

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https://www.advancedsciencenews.com/teleportation-is-possible-it-ju...

Teleportation is possible, it just depends on scale **

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$$ 

A cosmic origin for the handedness of life

Cosmic Rays May Explain Life’s Bias for Right-Handed DNA

DST researchers come up with simulation toolkit to safeguard secure quantum communication platforms

Researchers at Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), government of India have come up with unique simulation toolkit for end-to-end Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) simulation named as ‘qkdSim’, which is based on modular principles that allow it to be grown to different classes of protocols using various underpinning technologies.

The research led by professor Urbasi Sinha and her team, in collaboration with professor Barry Sanders from the University of Calgary, Canada is a part of the Quantum Experiments using Satellite Technology (QuEST) project, India’s first satellite-based secure quantum communication effort, supported by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The toolkit offers exhaustive inclusion of different experimental imperfections, both device-based as well as process-based. Thus their simulation results will match with actual experimental implementations to much better accuracy than any other existing toolkit, making it a QKD experimenter’s best friend.

As QKD is growing rapidly in academic, industrial, government, and defence laboratories, this newly developed simulation toolkit, accompanied by an instructive application to the uniquely designed B92 experiment, will be extremely influential, as per a statement. The B92 is a QKD protocol, which uses single photons and associated laws of Physics like the Uncertainty Principle and the No-Cloning theorem to assure perfect security.

“Secure error free communication protocols are assuming extraordinary importance for which Quantum key distribution (QKD) is an attractive solution, which relies on a cryptographic protocol. A shared random secret key known only to the communicating parties is employed to encrypt and decrypt messages. A unique property of quantum key distribution is that any break in attempt by an unauthorized party is immediately detected. This is because any process of measuring a quantum system creates detectable anomalies,” said Prof Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, DST.

The research work is two-fold in its novelty as well as process development. On the one hand, they have developed a simulation toolkit, which bridges a significant gap in the QKD community. On the other hand, they have performed a novel implementation of what is called a prepare and measure QKD protocol (B92), which has higher key rates and lower quantum bit error rate than earlier reported works following similar source methodology.

Source: https://www.gadgetsnow.com/tech-news/dst-researchers-comes-up-with-...

The Chemistry of Fireworks

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fish-eggs-can-hatch-after-being...

A New Swine Flu Strain With 'Pandemic Potential' Has Been Identified in China

https://www.sciencealert.com/researchers-identify-a-new-swine-flu-t...

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-06-ai-painter-portraits-based-trai...

An AI painter that creates portraits based on the traits of human subjects

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-exotic-particle-cern.html?utm_source=...

The Large Hadron Collider Beauty (LHCb) project has observed an exotic particle made up of four charm quarks for the first time.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-quantum-fluctuations-jiggle-human-sca...

Quantum fluctuations can jiggle objects on the human scale

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-materials-scientists-drill-vulnerabil...

vulnerabilities involved in human tooth decay

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https://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/the-boundary-between-night-and-day-on-...

The Boundary Between Night And Day On Earth, As Seen In Jaw-Dropping Pics From Space

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https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/coronavirus-infected-cel...

Coronavirus-Infected Cells Grow Filopodia

SARS-CoV-2 causes cells to put out projections that spread the virus, a study finds.

Charcoal a weapon to fight superoxide-induced disease, injury

Artificial enzymes made of treated charcoal could have the power to curtail damaging levels of superoxides, radical oxygen ions that are toxic at high concentrations.

The nanozymes developed by a Texas Medical Center team are highly effective antioxidants that break down damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced in abundance in response to an injury or stroke. The materials could aid treatment of COVID-19 patients.

The biocompatible, highly soluble charcoal is a superoxide dismutase. Researchers have now found oxidized charcoal nanoparticles are not only effective antioxidizers, but can also be made from an activated carbon source that is inexpensive, good manufacturing practice (GMP)-certified and already being used in humans to treat acute poisoning.

The researchers noted the nanozymes are able to pass through the membranes of cells' mitochondria to quench a major source of free radicals without killing the cells themselves. "We published a paper on this recently," he said. "This seems to be really important to why these work so well in traumatic brain injury and stroke.

It may be worthwhile to study the application of their nanozymes to treat the cytokine storms—an excessive immune system response to infection—suspected of contributing to tissue and organ damage in COVID-19 patients.

While speculative that these particles will be helpful in COVID-19, if administration is timed correctly, they could reduce the damaging radicals that accompany the cytokine storm and could be further chemically modified to reduce other injury-causing features of this disease.

Source: Gang Wu et al, Oxidized Activated Charcoal Nanoparticles as Catalytic Superoxide Dismutase Mimetics: Evidence for Direct Participation of an Intrinsic Radical, ACS Applied Nano Materials (2020). DOI: 10.1021/acsanm.0c01285

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-charcoal-weapon-superoxide-induced-di...

Investigating the interplay between axions and dark photons in the early universe

https://phys.org/news/2020-06-interplay-axions-dark-photons-early.h...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-harder-diamond-pentadiamonds.html?utm...

Researchers are building a harder diamond, called pentadiamonds

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-laser-pictures-electrons-crystals.htm...

Laser takes pictures of electrons in crystals

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-tabletop-quantum-gravitational.html?u...

Tabletop quantum experiment could detect gravitational waves

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Data-rich waste: A treasure trove of information relevant to human and environmental health is hiding in an unexpected place: Samples of wastewater from homes, institutions, towns and cities around the world

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-indices-health-feet.html?utm_source=n...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-coronae-supermassive-black-holes-hidd...

Coronae of supermassive black holes may be the hidden sources of mysterious cosmic neutrinos seen on Earth

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-shrimp-shells-electrodes-large-storag...

Shrimp shells to produce electrodes for large storage batteries

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-plastic-biomaterials-tougher-versatil...

New plastic biomaterials could lead to tougher, more versatile medical implants

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Discovery of a luminous galaxy reionizing the local intergalactic medium 13 billion years ago

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-discovery-luminous-galaxy-reionizing-...

Insects' Dazzling Colours Have Been Preserved in Myanmar Amber For 99 Million Years

https://www.sciencealert.com/myanmar-amber-has-preserved-the-dazzli...

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https://theconversation.com/people-with-delusions-understand-metaph...

** People with delusions understand metaphor differently – here’s how it could help explain schizophrenia

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-anaplasmosis-bacterium-tinkers-gene-h...

Anaplasmosis bacterium tinkers with tick's gene expression to spread to new hosts

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientists-reveal-tummy-bugs-good.htm...

Scientists reveal why tummy bugs are so good at swimming through your gut. Researchers have solved the mystery of why a species of bacteria that causes food poisoning can swim faster in stickier liquids, such as within guts. C. jejuni uses its two opposing tails, called flagella, to help it move. It has a flagellum at each end of its body that spin around to propel itself through liquid. However, the opposing flagella have confused scientists. It seemed very strange that the bacteria had a tail at both ends—it's like having two opposing motors at either end of a ship. It was only when researchers watched the bacteria in action that they could see how the two tails work cleverly together to help the bacteria move through the body.

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-typhoon-earthquake-patterns.html?utm_...

A typhoon changed earthquake patterns, study shows: The Earth's crust is under constant stress. Every now and then this stress is discharged in heavy earthquakes, mostly caused by the slow movement of Earth's crustal plates. There is, however, another influencing factor that has received little attention so far: intensive erosion can temporarily change the earthquake activity (seismicity) of a region significantly. This has now been shown for Taiwan by researchers from the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences in cooperation with international colleagues.

When male sparrows change their songs according to female preferences …

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-twenty-year-tracks-sparrow-song-viral...

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Unprecedented ground-based discovery of two strongly interacting exoplanets

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-unprecedented-ground-based-discovery-...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-offspring-older-mothers-prosper.html

Why are the offspring of older mothers less fit to live long and prosper: a new study says this effect of older maternal age, called maternal effect senescence, does reduce evolutionary fitness of the offspring in all environments, primarily through reduced fertility during their peak reproductive period. An evolutionary mechanism for why this may occur has been suggested.

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https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-white-rabbit-cern-born-technolo...

White Rabbit, a CERN-born technology, sets a new global standard:

White Rabbit (WR) is a technology developed at CERN to provide the LHC accelerator chain with deterministic data transfer, sub-nanosecond accuracy and a synchronization precision of a few picoseconds. First used in 2012, the technology has since then expanded its applications outside the field of particle physics and is now deployed in numerous scientific infrastructures worldwide. It has shown its innovative potential by being commercialized and introduced into different industries, including telecommunications, financial markets, smart grids, the space industry and quantum computing.

Researchers observe branched flow of light for the first time

Messenger RNA (mRNA) carries DNA's genetic information to the ribosome, where it is translated into a sequence of amino acids. mRNA is fed into the ribosome, and it is positioned so that it can be read in groups of three letters, known as codons. Each mRNA

New technique in which drugs make bacteria glow could help fight antibiotic resistance

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-technique-drugs-bacteria-antibiotic-r...

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The protein that stands between us and autoimmunity:

Our immune system is supposed to protect us from external microbial invaders, but sometimes it turns its efforts inward, potentially resulting in autoimmune diseases. In a new study, researchers from Osaka University discovered how reversible modifications to our DNA by certain proteins protect us from autoimmune diseases and, conversely, how the absence of these proteins paves the way to autoimmunity. The results that show how Tet proteins suppress autoimmune diseases by inactivating B cells and thus ultimately preventing them from attacking our bodies

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/ou-tpt070220.php

The article, "Tet2 and Tet3 in B cells are required to suppress CD86 and prevent autoimmunity," was published in Nature Immunology at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-020-0700-y

==

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200702113707.htm

New research from The University of Queensland has found that women who have hot flushes and night sweats after menopause are 70 per cent more likely to have heart attacks, angina and strokes. It was also found that the risk of cardiovascular events was more related to the severity of the hot flushes and night sweats rather than the frequency or duration.

Dongshan Zhu, Hsin-Fang Chung, Annette J. Dobson, Nirmala Pandeya, Debra J. Anderson, Diana Kuh, Rebecca Hardy, Eric J. Brunner, Nancy E. Avis, Ellen B. Gold, Samar R. El Khoudary, Sybil L. Crawford, Gita D. Mishra. Vasomotor Menopausal Symptoms and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A pooled analysis of six prospective studies. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2020; DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2020.06.039

$$ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-does-the-phrase-woma...

Why Does the Phrase ‘Woman Scientist’ Even Exist? It’s ungrammatical—plus, it suggests we’re an exotic species. But it can also remind people that STEM isn’t just for men

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https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24632881-200-weird-caterpill...

Weird caterpillar uses its old heads to make an elaborate hat

Meet the mad hatterpillar, the invertebrate that keeps its old moulted heads attached to its body to make a beautifully bizarre headpiece

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This Is How Many People You'd Need to Colonize Mars, According to Science:110

https://www.sciencealert.com/this-is-the-bare-minimum-number-of-peo...

Hearing loss: early signs of damage in young adults who regularly attend loud clubs and concerts

https://theconversation.com/hearing-loss-early-signs-of-damage-in-y...

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https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-how-you-sound-when-you-t...

The science of how you sound when you talk through a face mask

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Biologists report snake-like dental glands in amphibians: the first known evidence of oral venom glands in amphibians. We know a number of amphibians store nasty, poisonous secretions in their skin to deter predators. But to learn at least one can inflict injury from its mouth is extraordinary.

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-fangtastic-biologists-snake-like-dent...

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Biological builders like beavers, elephants, and shipworms re-engineer their environments. How this affects their ecological network is the subject of new research, which finds that increasing the number of "ecosystem engineers" stabilizes the entire network against extinctions.

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-ecosystem-stability-extinctions.html?...

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Figuring out how much energy permeates the center of the Milky Way—a discovery reported in the July 3 edition of the journal Science Advances—could yield new clues to the fundamental source of our galaxy's power

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-scientific-red-flag-reveals-clues.htm...

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An international team of researchers has demonstrated an innovative technique for increasing the intensity of lasers. This approach, based on the compression of light pulses, would make it possible to reach a threshold intensity for a new type of physics that has never been explored before: quantum electrodynamics phenomena.

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-lasers-powerful-kind-physics.html?utm...

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New group of trapdoor spiders discovered

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-group-trapdoor-spiders-eastern-austra...

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https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-07-oxygen-brain.html?utm_source...

Researchers determine how much oxygen the brain needs

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https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/men-more-likely-to-be-s...

$$ 

Men more likely to be seen as 'brilliant' than women: Study

--

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01988-0?utm_source=Natur...

Welcome anyons! Physicists find best evidence yet for long-sought 2D structures

Scientists are recruiting live bacteria to fight deadly infections 

https://massivesci.com/articles/bacteria-resistance-probiotics-stud...

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https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-hidden-magnetic-universe-begins-...

The Hidden Magnetic Universe Begins to Come Into View

Explaining science: Stellar Aberration

https://explainingscience.org/2019/05/28/stellar-aberration/

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https://theconversation.com/the-us-has-bought-most-of-the-worlds-re...

The US has bought most of the world’s remdesivir. Here’s what it means for the rest of the world

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Declining eyesight improved by looking at deep red light

Declining eyesight can be improved by looking at deep red light: Staring at a deep red light for three minutes a day can significantly improve declining eyesight, finds a new study, the first of its kind in humans. This finding could signal the dawn of new affordable home-based eye therapies, helping the millions of people globally with naturally declining vision.

As you age your visual system declines significantly, particularly once over 40.

Your retinal sensitivity and your colour vision are both gradually undermined, and with an aging population, this is an increasingly important issue. To try to stem or reverse this decline, we sought to reboot the retina's aging cells with short bursts of longwave light.

In humans around 40 years-old, cells in the eye's retina begin to age, and the pace of this aging is caused, in part, when the cell's mitochondria, whose role is to produce energy (known as ATP) and boost cell function, also start to decline.

Mitochondrial density is greatest in the retina's photoreceptor cells, which have high energy demands. As a result, the retina ages faster than other organs, with a 70% ATP reduction over life, causing a significant decline in photoreceptor function as they lack the energy to perform their normal role.

Researchers built on their previous findings in mice, bumblebees and fruit flies, which all found significant improvements in the function of the retina's photoreceptors when their eyes were exposed to 670 nanometre (long wavelength) deep red light.

Mitochondria have specific light absorbance characteristics influencing their performance: longer wavelengths spanning 650 to 1000nm are absorbed and improve mitochondrial performance to increase energy production.

Researchers found the 670nm light had no impact in younger individuals, but in those around 40 years and over, significant improvements were obtained.

Cone color contrast sensitivity (the ability to detect colors) improved by up to 20% in some people aged around 40 and over. Improvements were more significant in the blue part of the color spectrum that is more vulnerable in aging.

Rod sensitivity (the ability to see in low light) also improved significantly in those aged around 40 and over, though less than color contrast.

Source: Harpreet Shinhmar et al, Optically improved mitochondrial function redeems aged human visual decline, The Journals of Gerontology: Series A (2020). DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glaa155

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-06-declining-eyesight-deep-red....

https://theconversation.com/how-the-brain-builds-a-sense-of-self-fr...

How the brain builds a sense of self from the people around us – new research

Hundreds of elephants are mysteriously dying in Botswana – a conservationist explains what we know

https://theconversation.com/hundreds-of-elephants-are-mysteriously-...

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-tiny-ancient-relative-dinosaurs-ptero...

A tiny ancient relative of dinosaurs and pterosaurs discovered

Dinosaurs and flying pterosaurs may be known for their remarkable size, but a newly described species from Madagascar that lived around 237 million years ago suggests that they originated from extremely small ancestors. The fossil reptile, named Kongonaphon kely, or "tiny bug slayer," would have stood just 10 centimeters (or about 4 inches) tall.

--

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-atomic-swiss-army-knife-precisely.htm...

Atomic 'Swiss Army knife' precisely measures materials for quantum computers

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-approach-yet-unconfirmed-rare-nuclear...

Researchers develop novel approach to modeling yet-unconfirmed rare nuclear process

Researchers develop novel approach to modeling yet-unconfirmed rare nuclear process: a theoretical first-principles description of neutrinoless double-beta decay.

Group genomics drive aggression in honey bees

Researchers often study the genomes of individual organisms to try to tease out the relationship between genes and behavior. A new study of Africanized honey bees reveals, however, that the genetic inheritance of individual bees has little influence on their propensity for aggression. Instead, the genomic traits of the hive as a whole are strongly associated with how fiercely its soldiers attack.

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-group-genomics-aggression-honey-bees....

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-simulations-magnetic-field-faster-pre...

Simulations show magnetic field can change 10 times faster than previously thought

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-reveals-secret-life-lithium-sun-like....

Study reveals secret life of lithium in Sun-like stars

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

Parasite research heats up

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https://phys.org/news/2020-07-bacteria-natural-products.html?utm_so...

How do bacteria build up natural products

Dying stars breathe life into Earth: study

As dying stars take their final few breaths of life, they gently sprinkle their ashes into the cosmos through the magnificent planetary nebulae. These ashes, spread via stellar winds, are enriched with many different chemical elements, including carbon.

Findings from a study published today in Nature Astronomy show that the final breaths of these dying stars, called white dwarfs, shed light on carbon's origin in the Milky Way.

"The findings pose new, stringent constraints on how and when carbon was produced by stars of our galaxy, ending up within the raw material from which the Sun and its planetary system were formed 4.6 billion years ago.

The origin of carbon, an element essential to life on Earth, in the Milky Way galaxy is still debated among astrophysicists: some are in favor of low-mass stars that blew off their carbon-rich envelopes by stellar winds became white dwarfs, and others place the major site of carbon's synthesis in the winds of massive stars that eventually exploded as supernovae.

Using data from the Keck Observatory near the summit of Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii collected between August and September 2018, the researchers analyzed white dwarfs belonging to the Milky Way's open star clusters. Open star clusters are groups of up to a few thousand stars held together by mutual gravitational attraction.

From this analysis, the research team measured the white dwarfs' masses, and using the theory of stellar evolution, also calculated their masses at birth.

The connection between the birth masses to the final white dwarf masses is called the initial-final mass relation, a fundamental diagnostic in astrophysics that contains the entire life cycles of stars. Previous research always found an increasing linear relationship: the more massive the star at birth, the more massive the white dwarf left at its death.

But when Cummings and his colleagues calculated the initial-final mass relation, they were shocked to find that the white dwarfs from this group of open clusters had larger masses than astrophysicists previously believed. This discovery, they realized, broke the linear trend other studies always found. In other words, stars born roughly 1 billion years ago in the Milky Way didn't produce white dwarfs of about 0.60-0.65 solar masses, as it was commonly thought, but they died leaving behind more massive remnants of about 0.7—0.75 solar masses.

The researchers say that this kink in the trend explains how carbon from low-mass stars made its way into the Milky Way. In the last phases of their lives, stars twice as massive as the Milky Way's Sun produced new carbon atoms in their hot interiors, transported them to the surface and finally spread them into the surrounding interstellar environment through gentle stellar winds.

Carbon star formation as seen through the non-monotonic initial–final mass relation, Nature Astronomy (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41550-020-1132-1 , www.nature.com/articles/s41550-020-1132-1

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-dying-stars-life-earth.html?utm_sourc...

WOW: a stunningly lifelike fleet of robo-birds that glide through the air with guidance from an ultra-sideband radio system.

Each of the five swallows weighs 42 grams. They each are powered by three tiny motors for direction, lift and descent. Their wingspan extends to 26 inches.

Artificial lamellae and quill are designed to replicate realistic motion. When the BionicSwift models rise, the lamellae bunch up to help provide lift. When they descend, they fan out to allow air to pass through. They can glide gracefully, make sharp turns and fly in loops.

The intelligent interaction of motors and mechanics allows the frequency of the wing beat and the elevator's angle of attack to be precisely adjusted for the various maneuvers," according to a report on the BionicSwift on Festo's web site.

The birds carry a 6 gram battery and they are guided by GPS sensors located throughout the enclosed flying area. The birds follow a preprogrammed flight  path, but if an unexpected factor arises, such as a gust of air, radio communication enables instantaneous flight rerouting.

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-07-german-firm-bionic-birds.html?u...

How to protect people from radiation exposure.

A safe and powerful treatment for the body against deadly radiation

Researchers have reported a highly effective and safe nanocrystal to combat dangerous doses of radiation. By growing manganese oxide (Mn₃O₄) nanocrystals on top of Cerium oxide (CeO₂) nanocrystals, the research team boosted the catalytic activity of the CeO₂/Mn₃O₄ nanocrystals in their ability to stave off side effects of deadly radiation.

Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) are found in a number of major diseases including sepsis, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Parkinson's disease, just to name a few. A powerful antioxidant that can work at low doses only can ensure sustainable applications of radiation in medical, industrial and military settings and more. These new CeO₂/Mn₃O₄ hetero-structured nanocrystals are five times stronger than when CeO₂ or Mn₃O₄ does the job alone.

When our body is exposed to high levels of radiation, a massive amount of ROS are generated within milliseconds due to the decomposition of water molecules. These ROS severely damage cells, eventually leading to their death. The research team looked to CeO₂ and Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles for their outstanding ROS scavenging abilities. The challenge was how to apply these antioxidant nanomaterials in a safe and economic way. Though effective, CeO₂ and Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles can remove ROS only in high doses. They are also rare materials and difficult to obtain.

The researchers drew on the approach usually taken in the field of catalysis: stacking nanoparticles with different lattice parameters results in surface strain and increases oxygen vacancies on the surface of the nanocrystal. "The synergistic effect of the strain generated on Mn₃O₄ and the increased oxygen vacancy on the CeO₂ surface improved the surface binding affinity of the ROS, boosting the catalytic activity of the nanocrystals.

These CeO₂/Mn₃O₄ nanocrystals prove their powerful antioxidant effects to protect our whole body effectively just in small doses.

Sang Ihn Han et al, Epitaxially Strained CeO₂ /Mn₃ O₄ Nanocrystals as an Enhanced Antioxidant for Radioprotection, Advanced Materials (2020). DOI: 10.1002/adma.202001566

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-safe-powerful-treatment-body-deadly.h...

Expalined:the dead-water phenomenon

What makes ships mysteriously slow down or even stop as they travel, even though their engines are working properly? This was first observed in 1893 and was described experimentally in 1904 without all the secrets of this 'dead water' being understood. An interdisciplinary team from the CNRS and the University of Poitiers has explained this phenomenon for the first time: the speed changes in ships trapped in dead water are due to waves that act like an undulating conveyor belt on which the boats move back and forth. This work was published in PNAS on July 6, 2020.

In earlier times ships wwere slowed by a mysterious force and he could barely maneuver, let alone pick up normal speed. In 1904, the Swedish physicist and oceanographer Vagn Walfrid Ekman showed in a laboratory that waves formed under the surface at the interface between the salt water and freshwater layers that form the upper portion of this area of the Arctic Ocean interact with the ship, generating drag.

This phenomenon, called dead water, is seen in all seas and oceans where waters of different densities (because of salinity or temperature) mix. It denotes two drag phenomena observed by scientists. The first, Nansen wave-making drag, causes a constant, abnormally low speed. The second, Ekman wave-making drag, is characterized by speed oscillations in the trapped boat. The cause of this was unknown. Physicists, fluid mechanics experts, and mathematicians at the CNRS' Institut Prime and the Laboratoire de Mathématiques et Applications (CNRS/Université de Poitiers) have attempted to solve this mystery. They used a mathematical classification of different internal waves and analysis of experimental images at the sub-pixel scale, a first.

This work showed that these speed variations are due to the generation of specific waves that act as an undulating conveyor belt on which the ship moves back and forth. The scientists have also reconciled the observations of both Nansen and Ekman. They have shown that the Ekman oscillating regime is only temporary: the ship ends up escaping and reaches the constant Nansen speed.

Source: Johan Fourdrinoy el al., "The dual nature of the dead-water phenomenology: Nansen versus Ekman wave-making drags," PNAS (2020). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1922584117

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-dead-water-phenomenon.html?utm_source...

Coconut oil production may be more damaging to the environment than palm oil, researchers say.

According to the study, production of coconut oil affects 20 threatened species (including plants and animals) per million tons of oil produced. This is higher than other oil-producing crops, such as palm (3.8 species per million tons), olive (4.1) and soybean (1.3).

The study shows that the main reason for the high number of species affected by coconut is that the crop is mostly grown on tropical islands with rich diversity and many unique species.

Impact on threatened species is usually measured by the number of species affected per square hectare of land used—and by this measure palm's impact is worse than coconut.

Coconut cultivation is thought to have contributed to the extinction of a number of island species, including the Marianne white-eye in the Seychelles and the Solomon Islands' Ontong Java flying fox.

Species not yet extinct but threatened by coconut production include the Balabac mouse-deer, which lives on three Philippine islands, and the Sangihe tarsier, a primate living on the Indonesian island of Sangihe.

Consumers need to realize that all our agricultural commodities, and not just tropical crops, have negative environmental impacts.

 Source: Erik Meijaard et al, Coconut oil, conservation and the conscientious consumer, Current Biology (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.059

https://phys.org/news/2020-07-coconut-reveals-consumer-conundrum.ht...