Animal mummies unwrapped with hi-res 3-D X-rays
Three mummified animals - a snake, a bird and a cat - from ancient Egypt have been digitally unwrapped and dissected by researchers, using high-resolution 3-D scans that give unprecedented detail about the animals' lives—and deaths—over 2000 years ago.
By using X-ray micro CT scanning, which generates 3-D images with a resolution 100 times greater than a medical CT scan, the animals' remains have been analyzed in extraordinary detail, right down to their smallest bones and teeth.
Source: Evidence of diet, deification, and death within ancient Egyptian mummified animals, Scientific Reports (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69726-0 , www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69726-0

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-animal-mummies-unwrapped-hi-res-d.htm...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=15&v=InUVf_VmFo8&am...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=15&v=KZGR6QVGH4U&am...

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Romantic relationship dynamics may be in our genes

Variations in a gene called CD38, which is involved in attachment behavior in non-human animals, may be associated with human romantic relationship dynamics in daily life, according to a study

CD38 is associated with communal behavior, partner perceptions, affect and relationship adjustment in romantic relationships, Scientific Reports (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-69520-y

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-romantic-relationship-dynami...

Dynamic kirigami shoe grip designed to reduce risks of slips and falls

The slip resistance of your shoes can determine how well you walk on different surfaces without losing balance. Shoe grips increase friction by engaging with the walking surface, helping to increase stability. In a recently published study, investigators  presented a bioinspired assistive shoe grip based on kirigami, the Japanese art of paper cutting.

Kirigami can be used to create highly flexible surfaces that buckle from a flat sheet to a three-dimensional textured surface. The new kirigami-based shoe sole is intended to reduce the risks of slips and falls by adjusting as a person steps, increasing friction with pop-up spikes as necessary. In Nature Biomedical Engineering, the team reports the results of friction testing on a range of surfaces, including ice, finding that the kirigami shoe soles increased friction with the ground to get a better grip on slippery surfaces.

Sahab Babaee et al, Bioinspired kirigami metasurfaces as assistive shoe grips, Nature Biomedical Engineering (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41551-020-0564-3

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-08-dynamic-kirigami-falls.html?utm...

Ancient gene family protects algae from salt and cold in an Antarctic lake

Glycerol, used in the past as antifreeze for cars, is produced by a range of organisms from yeasts to vertebrates, some of which use it as an osmoprotectant—a molecule that prevents dangerous water loss in salty environments—while others use it as an antifreeze. Here, scientists from the University of Nevada and Miami University in Ohio show that two species of the single-celled green algae Chlamydomonas from Antarctica, called UWO241 and ICE-MDV, produce high levels of glycerol to protect them from osmotic water loss, and possibly also from freezing injury. Presently, only one other organism, an Arctic fish, is known to use glycerol for both purposes. Both species synthesize glycerol with enzymes encoded by multiple copies of a recently discovered ancient gene family. These results, published today in the open-access journal Frontiers in Plant Science, illustrate the importance of adaptations that allow life to not only survive but to thrive in extreme habitats.

Frontiers in Plant Science, DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01259 , www.frontiersin.org/articles/1 … fpls.2020.01259/full

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-ancient-gene-family-algae-salt.html?u...

Researchers show children are silent spreaders of SARS-CoV-2

In the most comprehensive study of COVID-19 pediatric patients to date, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Mass General Hospital for Children (MGHfC) researchers provide critical data showing that children play a larger role in the community spread of COVID-19 than previously thought. In a study of 192 children ages 0-22, 49 children tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, and an additional 18 children had late-onset, COVID-19-related illness. The infected children were shown to have a significantly higher level of virus in their airways than hospitalized adults in ICUs for COVID-19 treatment.

Journal of Pediatrics (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.08.037

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-children-silent-spreaders-sa...

Quick fixes won't stop sexual harassment in academia, experts say

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-quick-wont-sexual-academia-experts.ht...

Kathryn B. H. Clancy et al, Opinion: Use science to stop sexual harassment in higher education, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016164117

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A quantum thermometer to measure the coldest temperatures in the universe

Physicists from Trinity College Dublin have proposed a thermometer based on quantum entanglement that can accurately measure temperatures a billion times colder than those in outer space.

These ultra-cold temperatures arise in clouds of atoms, known as Fermi gasses, which are created by scientists to study how matter behaves in extreme quantum states.

Mark T. Mitchison et al. In Situ Thermometry of a Cold Fermi Gas via Dephasing Impurities, Physical Review Letters (2020). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.080402

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-quantum-thermometer-coldest-temperatu...

In DNA methylation, methyl groups are added to the DNA molecule. DNA has four different types of nucleotides: A, T, G, and C. DNA methylation occurs at the C bases of eukaryotic DNA. Changes in DNA methylation correlate strongly with aging.

considered DNA methylation across a 10-year span in 96 pairs of same-sex aging Swedish and Danish twins—the first longitudinal twin study to establish the extent to which genetic and environmental influences contribute to site-specific DNA methylation across time.

They found individual differences in blood DNA methylation measured at more than 350,000 sites in the aging twins across the epigenome are partly heritable in late life and longitudinally across a decade—ages 69 to 79. These findings can help scientists better understand the genetic and environmental contributions to the stability and dynamics of methylation in aging and sets a stage for future work in diverse populations.

"We also found methylation sites previously associated with age and included in methylation 'clocks' are more heritable than the other remaining sites

Chandra A. Reynolds et al, A decade of epigenetic change in aging twins: Genetic and environmental contributions to longitudinal DNA methylation, Aging Cell (2020). DOI: 10.1111/acel.13197  

Researchers create nanoclusters that mimic biomolecules

Biological systems come in all shapes, sizes and structures. Some of these structures, such as those found in DNA, RNA and proteins, are formed through complex molecular interactions that are not easily duplicated by inorganic materials.

A research team has discovered a way to bind and stack nanoscale clusters of copper molecules that can self-assemble and mimic these complex biosystem structures at different length scales. The clusters provide a platform for developing new catalytic properties that extend beyond what traditional materials can offer.

The nanocluster core connects to two copper caps fitted with special binding molecules, known as ligands, that are angled like propeller blades.

This work could provide a fundamental understanding of how biosystems like proteins assemble themselves to create secondary structural organization, and it gives us an opportunity to start creating something that could imitate a natural living system.

Haixiang Han et al. Tertiary Hierarchical Complexity in Assemblies of Sulfur-Bridged Metal Chiral Clusters, Journal of the American Chemical Society (2020). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c04764

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-nanoclusters-mimic-biomolecules.html?...

Plants take in less carbon in a warming world

As world temperatures rise, the rate at which plants in certain regions can absorb carbon dioxide is declining, according to research. Plants' optimum temperature range for photosynthesis in our study area is between 24.1 and 27.4 degrees Celsius.

But due to anthropogenic climate change, temperatures—particularly in warmer months—often go well beyond this 'healthy' range for carbon absorption. It was eye opening—temperatures exceeded this range between 14 and 59.2 percent of the time, depending on which site you were looking at. Plants in these regions simply aren't able to absorb carbon like they used to, which is seriously concerning.

The research team also measured the rate at which photosynthesis was occurring, with alarming results. Once this temperature range is exceeded, the ability for plants to appropriate carbon falls off a cliff.

Hamish A. McGowan et al. Identification of Optimum Temperatures for Photosynthetic Production in Subtropical Coastal Ecosystems: Implications for CO 2 Sequestration in a Warming World, Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (2020). DOI: 10.1029/2020JG005678

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-carbon-world.html?utm_source=nwletter...

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Humans overshoot 2020 planetary 'budget' on August 22: report

Humanity will have burned through all the natural resources that the planet can replenish for 2020 by Saturday, according to researchers who said the grim milestone is slightly later than last year after the pandemic slowed runaway overconsumption.

Firefighters exposed to more potentially harmful chemicals than previously thought

Study suggests that firefighters are more likely to be exposed to potentially harmful chemicals while on duty compared to off duty. The on-duty firefighters experienced higher exposures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs, which are a family of chemicals that are known to have the potential to cause cancer. They were also exposed to 18 PAHs that have not been previously reported as firefighting exposures in earlier research.

The results are important because previous studies have shown that firefighters have an increased risk of developing cancer and other damaging health effects.

PAHs are a large group of chemical compounds that contain carbon and other elements. They form naturally after almost any type of combustion, both natural and human-created. In addition to burning wood, plants and tobacco, PAHs are also in fossil fuels.

Carolyn M. Poutasse et al, Discovery of firefighter chemical exposures using military-style silicone dog tags, Environment International (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.105818

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-firefighters-exposed-potentially-chem...

Scientists develop 'biorubber' glue for faster surgical recovery and pain relief

Materials scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have invented a new type of surgical glue that can help join blood vessels and close wounds faster and may also serve as a platform to deliver pain relief drugs.

The  researchers showed that their glue can bond soft tissues including muscle and blood vessels, even when their surfaces are wet.

Ivan Djordjevic et al. CaproGlu: Multifunctional tissue adhesive platform, Biomaterials (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120215

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-scientists-biorubber-faster-surgical-...

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Exposure to common colds might give some people a head start in fighting COVID-19

https://theconversation.com/exposure-to-common-colds-might-give-som...

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We’re using microbes to clean up toxic electronic waste – here’s how

https://theconversation.com/were-using-microbes-to-clean-up-toxic-e...

Why Some People Get Terribly Sick from COVID-19

Beyond factors such as age and sex, underlying aspects of biology and society influence disease severity

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-some-people-get-terr...

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How our food choices cut into forests and put us closer to viruses

https://theconversation.com/how-our-food-choices-cut-into-forests-a...

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Wildfires are both environmental catastrophes and public health problems

https://massivesci.com/articles/california-public-health-wildfire-s...

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Wildfires are burning with an intensity that microbial communities haven’t evolved to endure

As desertification threatens, synthetic biologists are pondering new ways of helping soil heal

https://massivesci.com/articles/soil-wildfires-synthetic-biology/?u...

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Potential new asthma treatment: protein linked to omega-3 fatty acids shows promise

https://theconversation.com/potential-new-asthma-treatment-protein-...

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Lidar technology demonstrates how light levels determine mosquito 'rush hour'

The first study to remotely track wild mosquito populations using laser radar (lidar) technology found that mosquitoes in a southeastern Tanzanian village are most active during morning and evening "rush hour" periods, suggesting these may be the most effective times to target the insects with sprays designed to prevent the spread of malaria.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/aaft-ltd051120.php

Tiny engineered therapeutic delivery system safely solves genetic problems in mice

Inserting genetic material into the body to treat diseases caused by gene mutations can work but getting those materials to the right place safely is tricky.

But now the lipid-based nanoparticles scientists engineered, carrying two sets of protein-making instructions, showed in animal studies that they have the potential to function as therapies for two genetic disorders.

In one experiment, the payload-containing nanoparticles prompted the production of the missing clotting protein in mice that are models for hemophilia. In another test, the nanoparticles' cargo reduced the activation level of a gene that, when overactive, interferes with clearance of cholesterol from the bloodstream.

Each nanoparticle contained an applicable messenger RNA—molecules that translate genetic information into functional proteins.

With this work, researchers have lowered potential side effects and toxicity, and have broadened the therapeutic window.

"Functionalized lipid-like nanoparticles for in vivo mRNA delivery and base editing" Science Advances (2020). advances.sciencemag.org/lookup … .1126/sciadv.abc2315

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-tiny-therapeutic-delivery-safely-gene...

In times of ecological uncertainty, brood parasites change their hosts

Some birds lay their eggs in the nests of other bird species and let the host parents raise their young. A new study finds that in times of environmental flux, these brood parasites "diversify their portfolios," minimizing the risks of their unorthodox lifestyle by increasing the number and variety of hosts they select as adoptive parents.

Researchers found that, in unstable environments, brood parasites choose to not put all their eggs in one basket. These results  are consistent with the idea that brood parasites diversify their reproductive risk in areas that are ecologically, behaviorally or environmentally unpredictable.

Brood parasite success depends on the host's acceptance of the outsider's eggs and its ability to raise the young. Some birds learn to recognize that the foreign eggs are different and eject them or build new nests. Others seem not to notice. They incubate, hatch and care for the parasitic offspring as if they were their own.

Several other factors could influence how many hosts and which host species a brood parasite targets. The host must be in egg-laying mode when the interloper comes to call. If only one foster parent is involved in taking care of the young, its nest might not succeed as well as one with two parents present. But having two parents around makes it more difficult for parasites to get into the nest to lay their eggs.

Similarly, if the host returns from a long migratory trip and begins to nest right away, the parasite might have fewer chances to locate its nest for sneaking in the extra egg. Variability in temperature and precipitation during the breeding season is another potential influence.

in unpredictable environments, brood parasites target more—and more diverse—hosts. The parasites take advantage of as many host species as possible when opportunity allows. The team found a particularly pronounced relationship between temperature variability and bet-hedging.

"In areas where temperatures are stable, brood parasites tend to specialize on fewer and less diverse host species. Those hosts also tend to build more complex and potentially safer nests," Antonson said. "But as the thermal environment becomes more uncertain, the evolutionary pattern that we see is that they spread around the risk of offspring survival by drawing from a larger and more diverse pool of host species."

"Ecological uncertainty favours the diversification of host use in avian brood parasites" Nature Communications (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18038-y

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-ecological-uncertainty-brood-parasite...

Scientists discover a social cue of safety

When people think about social communication of danger, they normally think about alarm calls.

Freezing is one of the three universal defense responses, together with fight and flight. This response is the best course of action in situations where escape is either impossible or less advantageous than just staying still with the hope of remaining unnoticed.

Freezing may actually be a safer way of conveying the existence of danger to others. This manner of social communication does not require the active production of a signal that may result in drawing unwelcome attention. Also, freezing may constitute a public cue that can be used by any surrounding animal regardless of species

individual fruit flies freeze in response to an inescapable threat. The researchers wondered if this behavior would change if there other flies were around.

placed the flies in a transparent closed chamber and repeatedly exposed them to an expanding dark disk, which mimics an object on a collision course. Just imagine the visual effect of an approaching open palm. Many visual animals that are exposed to such a stimulus respond defensively, including humans. If they freeze, they often stay motionless for quite some time, even after the threat is gone."

Their results revealed that group size matters. All groups—from two to 10—froze less than individual flies. However, we were surprised to find a complex effect of group size on the flies' behavior

In groups of six and more, the flies froze transiently when the threat appeared and then resumed movement once it was gone. On the other hand, the flies' response pattern in groups of five or less was more similar to that of individual flies

Flies in those groups still froze less than single flies. However, their freezing time increased as the experiment progressed. The more repetitions of the threatening stimulus they experienced, the longer they would remain motionless when it reappeared. These results were very intriguing. "This was the first time the effect of group size on freezing was systematically characterized in any species, and it revealed a fascinating and intricate relation."

These findings clearly demonstrated that flies change their defensive responses when others are present. This novel observation raised a pressing question—what social cues were the flies responding to? To find the answer, Ferreira and Moita meticulously analyzed their previous results and conducted additional experiments using blind flies and controllable magnetic "dummy flies."

The results revealed a two-part answer. "The first part describes the flies' response to the appearance of the threat. "We learned that an individual fly was more likely to enter freezing if its peers (magnetic or otherwise) froze in response to the threat. We were somewhat expecting to see this. Previous studies in the lab showed that in specific situations, freezing is a social cue of danger in rats. Here, we witnessed a similar behavior in flies."

The second part of the answer: Flies were more likely to stop freezing if others began to move. "This means that flies were using the resumption of movement as a social cue of safety"

Clara H. Ferreira et al. Behavioral and neuronal underpinnings of safety in numbers in fruit flies, Nature Communications (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17856-4

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-scientists-social-cue-safety.html?utm...

Researchers discover first 'open-charm' tetraquark

The LHCb experiment at CERN has developed a penchant for finding exotic combinations of quarks, the elementary particles that come together to give us composite particles such as the more familiar proton and neutron. In particular, LHCb has observed several tetraquarks, which, as the name suggests, are made of four quarks (or rather two quarks and two antiquarks). Observing these unusual particles helps scientists advance our knowledge of the strong force, one of the four known fundamental forces in the universe. At a CERN seminar held virtually on 12 August, LHCb announced the first signs of an entirely new kind of tetraquark with a mass of 2.9 GeV/c²:  the first such particle with only one charm quark.

indico.cern.ch/event/900975/at … ug-11_DanJohnson.pdf

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-open-charm-tetraquark.html?utm_source...

Researchers create bioluminescent tag to detect DNA break repair

A new bioluminescent reporter that tracks DNA double stranded break (DSB) repair in cells has been developed by researchers . The international team's novel bioluminescent repair reporter (BLRR)-based system can be used to monitor DNA repair pathways directly in animals as well as cell lines. No such system previously existed for in vivo studies. These pathways play a crucial role in multiple conditions, including cancer.

Jasper Che-Yung Chien et al, A multiplexed bioluminescent reporter for sensitive and non-invasive tracking of DNA double strand break repair dynamics in vitro and in vivo, Nucleic Acids Research (2020). DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa669

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-bioluminescent-tag-dna.html?utm_sourc...

Nine COVID-19 Myths That Just Won’t Go Away

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nine-covid-19-myths-that...

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In a Lab on Earth, Scientists Just Replicated Pressures Found on White Dwarf Stars

https://www.sciencealert.com/in-a-lab-here-on-earth-scientists-have...

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Security Researchers Found a New Way to Pick Locks, Using Only The Sound of The Key

The sound of a key sliding into a lock could be enough information to potentially create a copy of that key and open the lock – that's the conclusion of researchers who've been investigating "acoustics-based physical key inference".

https://www.sciencealert.com/researchers-can-break-locks-just-from-...

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Scientists are trying to find out exactly how much plastic is in ou...

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You don’t see as much color as you think

When scientists drained most color from a virtual world, people never noticed

https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/color-perception-bra...

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These Hairworms Eat a Cricket Alive and Control Its Mind | Deep Look

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When is a leaf not a leaf? When a ‘leaf’ is an insect? Confused? Find the answer in this video ….

Weaponised Disinformation Could Unleash City-Wide Blackouts, Researchers Warn

https://www.sciencealert.com/weaponised-disinformation-could-unleas...

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What's Actually in Wildfire Smoke, And Why Is It So Damaging For Your Lungs?

https://www.sciencealert.com/what-s-actually-in-wildfire-smoke-and-...

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https://theconversation.com/9-reasons-you-can-be-optimistic-that-a-...

9 reasons you can be optimistic that a vaccine for COVID-19 will be widely available in 2021

A new quantum paradox throws the foundations of observed reality into question  

https://theconversation.com/8-ways-the-coronavirus-can-affect-your-...
8 ways the coronavirus can affect your skin, from COVID toes, to rashes and hair loss

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There Are Mysterious Wrinkles Inside Our Hearts. This Might Be What They're For

https://www.sciencealert.com/da-vinci-was-curious-about-the-wrinkle...

Have you ever seen an atom? See it now!

Guide to Near-light-speed Travel

Scientists Just Discovered Another Trick Bacteria Use to Avoid The Immune System

 Infectious bacteria often try their best to stay out of the way of the immune system in our bodies – and scientists have found a surreptitious and previously undiscovered way that they do this.

What happens is that the bacteria release toxins to disarm the mitochondria in immune cells, those tiny organelles that act as the engine rooms of cells. Once the immune cells sense that their mitochondria are inactive, they trigger apoptosis or programmed cell death.

The findings could give us new ways of tackling infectious bacteria, particularly those that have grown resistant to antibiotics – although up to this point, experiments have only been carried out on mice in the laboratory.

"Ironically, it is the activation of host cell death factors that deliver the final blow to mitochondria which induces apoptosis, not the bacterial toxins themselves.

In other words, the bacteria toxins aren't directly killing immune cells, but rather setting in motion a chain of events that causes our body's emergency responders to kill themselves. Our immune cells are using mitochondria as infection sensors.

That was the case in tests on mice described in this study: by targeting genetic controls for apoptosis in the rodents, the scientists were able to reduce inflammation in the animals and lower the risk of infection.

It has been shown in this research work  that we can accelerate the immune response. The other side is that if that response persists and we get constant inflammation – which is usually associated with bacterial infection and which causes a lot of tissue damage – we have a new way to shut down that tissue-damaging inflammation.

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-020-0773-2

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-have-discovered-another-tri...

Scientists think Planet 9 could be a primordial black hole

For several years, astronomers and cosmologists have theorized about the existence of an additional planet with a mass 10 times greater than that of Earth, situated in the outermost regions of the solar system. This hypothetical planet, dubbed Planet 9, could be the source of gravitational effects that would explain the unusual patterns in the orbits of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) highlighted by existing cosmological data. TNOs are celestial bodies that orbit the sun and are located beyond Neptune.

Now researchers have recently carried out an investigation exploring the possibility that Planet 9 is a primordial black hole. 

OGLE is a research project carried out at the University of Warsaw that entailed capturing images of the sky using advanced telescopes over long periods of time.

The reanalysis of the OGLE dataset tentatively pointed to the existence of a population of PBHs with a mass similar to what astronomers predicted the mass of Planet 9 would be. When Scholtz and Unwin learned about these tentative findings, they started specifically considering the possibility that Planet 9 may, in fact, be a primordial black hole.

 the researchers showed that one of the previously theorized scenarios for the origin of Planet 9, known as the "capture of a free-floating planet," is just as likely when considered as a scenario involving the capture of a PBH

 What if planet 9 is a primordial black hole? Physical Review Letters (2020). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.051103.

Evidence for a distant giant planet in the solar system. The Astronomical Journal (2020). DOI: 10.3847/0004-6256/151/2/22.

The planet nine hypothesis. Physics Reports (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.physrep.2019.01.009.

Constraints on Earth-mass primordial black holes from OGLE 5-year microlensing events. Physical Review D (2020). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.99.083503.

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-planet-primordial-black-hole.html?utm...

Biologists discover a gene critical to the development of columbines' iconic spurs

Once in a while, over the history of life, a new trait evolves that leads to an explosion of diversity in a group of organisms. Take wings, for instance. Every group of animals that evolved them has spun off into a host of different species—birds, bats, insects and pterosaurs. Scientists call these "key innovations."

Understanding the development of key innovations is critical to understanding the evolution of the amazing array of organisms on Earth. Most of these happened deep in the distant past, making them difficult to study from a genetic perspective. Fortunately, one group of plants has acquired just such a trait in the past few million years.

Columbines, with their elegant nectar spurs, promise scientists an opportunity to investigate the genetic changes that underpin a key innovation. 

After much research scientists have identified a gene critical to the development of these structures. And to their knowledge, this is among the first key innovations for which a critical developmental gene has been identified and named POPOVICH. 

 Evangeline S. Ballerini el al., "POPOVICH, encoding a C2H2 zinc-finger transcription factor, plays a central role in the development of a key innovation, floral nectar spurs, in Aquilegia," PNAS (2020). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2006912117

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-biologists-gene-critical-columbines-i...

Autistic people's nerve cells differ before birth

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that researchers are now tracing back to prenatal development, even though the disorder is not diagnosed until at least 18 months of age. A new study now shows in human brain cells that the atypical development starts at the very earliest stages of brain organization, at the level of individual brain cells.

In a new study researchers used induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs, to model early brain development. Their findings indicate that brain cells from autistic people develop differently to those from typical individuals.

The researchers isolated hair samples from nine autistic people and six typical people. By treating the cells with an array of growth factors, the scientists were able to drive the hair cells to become nerve cells, or neurons—much like those found in either the cortex or the midbrain region. iPSCs retain the genetic identity of the person from which they came and the cells re-start their development as it would have happened in the womb, providing a window into that person's brain development.

At various stages, the authors examined the developing cells' appearance and sequenced their RNA, to see which genes the cells were expressing.

At day 9, developing neurons from typical people formed "neural rosettes," an intricate, dandelion-like shape indicative of typically developing neurons. Cells from autistic people formed smaller rosettes or did not form rosettes at all. And key developmental genes were expressed at lower levels in cells from autistic people.

At days 21 and 35, the cells from typical and autistic people differed significantly in a number of ways, suggesting that the makeup of neurons in the cortex differs in the autistic and typically developing brain.

Dwaipayan Adhya et al, Atypical Neurogenesis in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells From Autistic Individuals, Biological Psychiatry (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.06.014

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-autistic-people-nerve-cells-...

COVID-19 pooling test method identifies asymptomatic carriers

A new COVID-19 pooling test  identifies all positive subjects, including asymptomatic carriers. P-BEST, an algorithmic method for pooling-based efficient SARS-CoV-2 testing, was developed by a group of researchers.

Approximately 10 to 30% of COVID-19-infected patients are asymptomatic and significant viral spread can occur days before symptom onset.

 This new single-stage diagnostic test will help prevent the spread of the disease by identifying these patients sooner and at a lower cost using significantly fewer tests."

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-covid-pooling-method-asympto...

Velcro method for more precise binding of drug particles

In order to deliver drug particles to the right place in the body—a field known as nanomedicine—selectivity plays an important role. After all, the drug only has to attach itself to the cells that need it. A theory from 2011 predicts that selectivity is not only based on the type of receptor, but also on the number and strength of the receptors on the cell. Researchers  are now proving this experimentally.

Cells interact with each other through receptors and ligands. They fit on each other like a key in a lock; a ligand of one cell only fits on the appropriate target receptor of the other cell. The field of nanomedicine makes use of this by imitating ligands that fit the receptors of the diseased cell that needs the drug.

The theory now proven  is based on this: In 2011, Daan Frenkel and his group in Cambridge used a theoretical model to predict that not only the type of ligands and receptors play a major role, but also the number and strength. This means that even weak ligands can bind, as long as there are enough receptors present on the surface of the target cell.

Compare it to Velcro. If one hook is fastened, the strip does not stick immediately. Only when several hooks are fastened does the bond become strong enough. This is also how it works in the human body; the weak binding of a ligand on a receptor becomes enormously strong the more there are.

And that's a useful feature for nanomedicine. Diseased cells do not always have different receptors than healthy cells, but they often have more receptors on their cell walls. By developing the drug in such a way that it only sticks to cells with a lot of receptors, you can still distinguish between diseased and healthy cells. This makes it possible to send the drug particles more precisely to the diseased cells in the body.

It 's now experimentally demonstrated with particles that many weak ligands give a high selectivity: The particles only bind if there are exactly enough receptors present. This creates a threshold value," explains van IJzendoorn. The researchers carried out a binding experiment for this purpose, designing particles with either receptor DNA or ligand DNA on its surface.

A magnetic field first pulled the particles toward each other, and after some time, released them. Van IJzendoorn: "This allowed us to optically measure how many particles had developed a strong molecular binding with each other."

By varying the number of DNA molecules and the strength of the ligand-receptor binding, not only were the researchers able to see how many bindings were needed for the particles to stay bonded, but also to observe the emergence of the  threshold value.

M. R. W. Scheepers el al., Multivalent weak interactions enhance selectivity of interparticle binding, PNAS (2020). www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.2003968117

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-velcro-method-precise-drug-particles....

Application of two engineering nanomaterials provides novel way to improve salt tolerance in plants

In a study published in Environmental Science: Nano, researchers showed the promoting effects of single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs) and ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on plant growth and salt tolerance in Sophora alopecuroides seedlings. The researchers showed that changes in metabolomic profiling by SWCNHs and ZnO NPs contributed to salt tolerance in Sophora alopecuroides seedlings.

jinpeng wan et al. Comparative physiological and metabolomics analysis reveals that single-walled carbon nanohorns and ZnO nanoparticles affect salt tolerance in Sophora alopecuroides, Environmental Science: Nano (2020). DOI: 10.1039/D0EN00582G

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-application-nanomaterials-salt-tolera...

Adapting ideas from quantum physics to calculate alternative interventions for infection and cancer

Findings from a new study show for the first time how ideas from quantum physics can help develop novel drug interventions for bacterial infections and cancer.

demonstrated that principles of quantum control, a field of quantum physics used in computing applications, can be translated and applied to biological problems. They constructed a mathematical algorithm  that can be used to design and speed-up specific interventions to prevent or overturn drug resistance.

Typically cells in the presence of drugs evolve according to Darwinian natural selection: mutants that are resistant to the drug can outcompete their susceptible neighbors, dominating the population. Counterintuitively, one can also co-opt this process to achieve the opposite result, ultimately defeating drug resistance. For example, a mutation that causes resistance to one drug may cause extreme susceptibility to another, a phenomenon known as collateral sensitivity.

"If that mutant is initially only a small fraction of the population, we can use the first drug to encourage its dominance, and then apply the second drug to rapidly wipe out the infection

we also know that the first stage can be slow: mutations occur at random times, and waiting long enough until the mutant fully takes over could compromise treatment effectiveness and patient outcomes. The time it takes to ensure these interventions are successful has been a significant limitation to adopting evolutionary medicine into clinical practice.

Speeding up this process is where quantum physics can provide inspiration. "The randomness of mutations in evolution has intriguing mathematical parallels to the randomness of quantum phenomena,

This randomness makes it challenging to reliably and quickly drive a quantum system from one state to another. Solving this driving problem is an essential ingredient in certain kinds of quantum computing. Our new study exploits these parallels, translating a particular quantum technique known as counterdiabatic driving into the language of evolutionary biology

The researchers created a mathematical algorithm to calculate this intervention in evolutionary medicine applications. The algorithm's output is a prescription for dynamically altering the drug dosages or types to stay on the target path. The team demonstrated their technique by using it to manipulate evolution in simulations of living cells. These simulations were based on experimental data from an earlier study on a set of mutants showing varying degrees of resistance to anti-malarial drugs.

Controlling the speed and trajectory of evolution with counterdiabatic driving, Nature Physics (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41567-020-0989-3 , www.nature.com/articles/s41567-020-0989-3

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-ideas-quantum-physics-alternative-int...

Ocean hitchhiker's sucker mechanism offers potential for underwater adhesion

A new study has revealed how remora suckerfish detach themselves from the surfaces they've clung to—and how the mechanism could provide inspiration for future reversible underwater adhesion devices.

Marine organisms mainly use two methods of adhesion in submerged environments: chemical adhesion and suction adhesion. Remora's hitchhiking behaviour uses suction adhesion and requires these fishes to be capable of both attaching and detaching regularly, but their detachment remains poorly understood.

Understanding detachment is essential in studying biological adhesive systems. It is also becoming increasingly important in many engineering applications such as surface peeling (surface painting, coating and transfer printing). Researchers  explored how a remora detaches to expand the understanding of this biological system, and to see how it could be applied to artificial adhesion mechanisms.

Siqi Wang et al. Detachment of the remora suckerfish disc: kinematics and a bio-inspired robotic model, Bioinspiration & Biomimetics (2020). DOI: 10.1088/1748-3190/ab9418

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-ocean-hitchhiker-sucker-mechanism-pot...

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**Study suggests hot nights pose greater threat to public health th...

Hong Kong has been experiencing hotter summers and more scorcher days in recent years due to climate change and heat island effect. Amid the increasing number of "hot nights," it is found that consecutive "hot nights" are more detrimental to human health than "very hot days," although the actual temperature does not reach the level of daytime, according to a collaborative research conducted by the Institute of Future Cities at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), as well as researchers from the University of Hong Kong. The research also identified that lack of urban greenery and poor air ventilation in a high-density context are factors that lead to more "hot nights" than "hot days" in some areas. The team suggests that better urban planning and building design are long-term mitigation measures.

 Amid the increasing number of "hot nights," it is found that consecutive "hot nights" are more detrimental to human health than "very hot days," although the actual temperature does not reach the level of daytime, according to a collaborative research . The research also identified that lack of urban greenery and poor air ventilation in a high-density context are factors that lead to more "hot nights" than "hot days" in some areas. 

Apparently consecutive "hot nights" brought more health problems compared with "very hot days," especially for five or more consecutive "hot nights." It was also found that when consecutive "very hot days" were joined with consecutive "hot nights," such as two consecutive "very hot days" with three "hot nights," the health impact was significantly amplified, compared with only consecutive "very hot days." Moreover, females and older adults were determined to be relatively more vulnerable to extreme hot weather.

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-hot-nights-pose-greater-threat.html?u...

Restricting sleep may affect emotional reactions

Locust swarm could improve collision avoidance

Plagues of locusts, containing millions of insects, fly across the sky to attack crops, but the individual insects do not collide with each other within these massive swarms. Now a team of engineers is creating a low-power collision detector that mimics the locust avoidance response and could help robots, drones and even self-driving cars avoid collisions.

Mechanism of locusts: Locusts are unusual because they use a single, specialized neuron, called the Lobula Giant Movement Detector (LGMD), to avoid collisions.

The neuron receives two different signals. An image of an approaching locust falls on the avoiding locust's eye. The closer the invading locust gets, the larger the image and the stronger this excitation signal becomes. The other input is the change in angular velocity of the invading locust with respect to the avoiding locust.

Because the neuron has two branches, the locust computes the changes in these two inputs and realizes that something is going to collide.  So the avoiding locust changes direction.

The researchers developed a compact, nanoscale collision detector using monolayer molybdenum sulfide as a photodetector. They placed the photo detector on top of a programmable floating gate memory architecture that can mimic the locust's  neuron response using only a tiny amount of energy.

A low-power biomimetic collision detector based on an in-memory molybdenum disulfide photodetector, Nature Electronics (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-020-00466-9 , www.nature.com/articles/s41928-020-00466-9

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-08-locust-swarm-collision.html?utm...

**Using a smartphone and audio software to pick a physical lock

A trio of researchers has found a way to pick an ordinary physical lock using a smartphone with special software

With traditional locks, such as those found on the front doors of most homes, a person inserts the proper (metal) key and then turns it. Doing so pushes up a series of pins in the lock by a certain amount based on the ridges on the key. When the pins are pushed in a way that matches a preset condition, the tumbler can turn, retracting the metal piece of the door assembly from its berth, allowing the door to open. In this new effort, the researchers have found that it is possible to record the sounds made as the key comes into contact with the pins and then as the pins move upward, and use software to recreate the conditions that produce the same noises. Those conditions can be used to fabricate a metal key to unlock the door. The result is a system the team calls SpiKey, which involves use of a smartphone to record lock clicks, decipher them and then create a key signature for use in creating a new metal key.

Soundarya Ramesh et al. Listen to Your Key, Proceedings of the 21st International Workshop on Mobile Computing Systems and Applications (2020). DOI: 10.1145/3376897.3377853 . PDF.

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-08-smartphone-audio-software-physi...

Covid-19 news: Researchers find first case of coronavirus reinfection

Researchers say they have detected the first case of coronavirus reinfection

A 33-year-old man from Hong Kong was infected again 4½ months after he first caught the coronavirus

Researchers at the University of Hong Kong say they have documented the first case of a person being reinfected with the coronavirus. The team analysed virus samples taken from a man when he first tested positive for the coronavirus in late March, and again when he tested positive for a second time in mid-August. They discovered several differences in the sequences of the virus from the first and second infections, suggesting the man had been infected with two separate strains of the virus, rather than one long-lasting infection. Their findings have been accepted for publication in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal.

Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2237475-covid-19-news-research...

https://www.livescience.com/coronavirus-confirmed-case-reinfection....

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** Could COVID-19 in wastewater be infectious?

International Study Led by Researchers at Ben-Gurion University Indicates Wastewater Containing COVID-19 May Be A Serious Threat

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-08/aabu-cci082320.php

Deshka S. Foster et al. Elucidating the fundamental fibrotic processes driving abdominal adhesion formation, Nature Communications (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17883-1

Scientists Are Figuring Out What Happens in The Skin When You Have Eczema

Scientists have pinpointed a bunch of processes that go wrong in the skin for people who have eczema (also known as atopic dermatitis), and it could help us figure out how to combat this chronic condition.

Earlier, researchers found a strong link between people lacking in a certain skin protein, and the risk of developing eczema. And in 2017, scientists built on those results to show exactly what goes wrong, and their results could even take us closer to an eczema cure.

For the past decade, scientists have known that eczema is associated with a genetic lack of filaggrin (filament aggregating protein) in the skin. This protein helps shape individual skin cells, and plays an important role in our skin's barrier function.

If a person has a genetic mutation that prevents proper filaggrin supply, they can develop skin conditions such as eczema or ichthyosis vulgaris, where skin cells don't shed, and instead pile up in a pattern that looks like fish scales.

But until recently, researchers weren't sure how eczema actually develops when filaggrin is lacking.

The breakthrough came in 2016, when scientists from Newcastle University in the UK in collaboration with GSK Stiefel tracked down a series of proteins and molecular pathways that lead to this insufferable skin problem.

They found that this deficiency alone could trigger a host of molecular changes in important regulatory mechanisms in the skin. This affected things like cell structure, barrier function, and even how cells got inflamed and responded to stress

They found that several of the proteins they detected were similarly altered in only those with eczema - just like the lab-based model had demonstrated.

Once scientists know for sure what goes on in the skin if you have the faulty filaggrin gene, they can start looking for drugs that can stop that from happening.

The study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-are-figuring-out-what-happe...

The False Logic behind Science Denial

Those who argue that COVID-19 isn’t a real threat are mirroring bogus attacks on global warming and evolution

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-false-logic-behind-s...  

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How Birds Evolved Their Incredible Diversity

An analysis of 391 skulls shows that birds evolved surprisingly slowly, compared with their dinosaur forerunners

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-birds-evolved-their-...

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Origami-inspired miniature manipulator improves precision and control of teleoperated surgical procedures

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-08-origami-inspired-miniature-prec...

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** 'Earth breathing': mountain erosion a missing piece in the climate puzzle

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-earth-mountain-erosion-piece-climate....

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Digging your own digital grave: How should you manage the data you leave behind?

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-08-digital-grave.html?utm_source=n...

New imaging technique helps resolve nanodomains, chemical composition in cell membranes

Jin Lu et al. Single‐Molecule 3D Orientation Imaging Reveals Nanoscale Compositional Heterogeneity in Lipid Membranes, Angewandte Chemie International Edition (2020). DOI: 10.1002/anie.202006207

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-imaging-technique-nanodomains-chemica...

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Nanoengineered biosensors for early disease detection

Researchers have developed a cheaper, faster and ultrasensitive biosensors that use nanoengineered porous gold which more effectively detect early signs of disease, improving patient outcomes. This new diagnostic technique allows for direct detection of disease-specific miRNA, which wasn't previously possible.

This is especially important for patients at an early stage of a disease such as cancer, who do not have detectable amounts of other biomarkers, but may have a detectable quantity of exosomal miRNA biomarker.

The platform was nanoengineered by the team to read samples of blood, urine, saliva or plasma through a surface covered in a gold film, which has millions of tiny pores.

Hyunsoo Lim et al. A universal approach for the synthesis of mesoporous gold, palladium and platinum films for applications in electrocatalysis, Nature Protocols (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41596-020-0359-8

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-nanoengineered-biosensors-early-disea...

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Physicists discover new two-dimensional ferroelectric material just two atoms thick

Two-dimensional materials are ultrathin membranes that hold promise for novel optoelectronic, thermal, and mechanical applications, including ultra-thin data-storage devices that would be both foldable and information dense.

Ferroelectric materials are those with an intrinsic dipole moment—a measure of the separation of positive and negative charges—that can be switched by an electric field.

Salvador Barraza-Lopez et al. Water Splits To Degrade Two-Dimensional Group-IV Monochalcogenides in Nanoseconds, ACS Central Science (2018). DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.8b00589

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-physicists-two-dimensional-material.h...

Galactic bar paradox resolved in cosmic dance

New light has been shed on a mysterious and long-standing conundrum at the very heart of our galaxy. The new work offers a potential solution to the so-called "Galactic bar paradox," whereby different observations produce contradictory estimates of the motion of the central regions of the Milky Way.

The majority of spiral galaxies, like our home the Milky Way, host a large bar-like structure of stars in their center. Knowledge of the true bar size and rotational speed is crucial for understanding how galaxies form and evolve, as well as how they form similar bars throughout the universe.

However our galaxy's bar size and rotational speed have been strongly contested in the last 5 years; while studies of the motions of stars near the Sun find a bar that is both fast and small, direct observations of the Galactic central region agree on one that is significantly slower and larger.

The new study, by an international team of scientists suggests an insightful solution to this discrepancy. Analyzing state-of-the-art galaxy formation simulations of the Milky Way, they show that both the bar's size and its rotational speed fluctuate rapidly in time, causing the bar to appear up to twice as long and rotate 20 percent faster at certain times.

The bar pulsations result from its regular encounters with the Galactic spiral arms, in what can be described as a "cosmic dance." As the bar and spiral arm approach each other, their mutual attraction due to gravity makes the bar slow down and the spiral speed up. Once connected, the two structures move as one and the bar appears much longer and slower than it actually is. As the dancers split apart, the bar speeds up while the spiral slows back down.

T Hilmi et al. Fluctuations in galactic bar parameters due to bar–spiral interaction, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2020). DOI: 10.1093/mnras/staa1934

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-galactic-bar-paradox-cosmic.html?utm_...

Ancient star explosions revealed in the deep sea

A mystery surrounding the space around our solar system is unfolding thanks to evidence of supernovae found in deep-sea sediments.

A new study  shows the Earth has been traveling for the last 33,000 years through a cloud of faintly radioactive dust.

These clouds could be remnants of previous supernova explosions, a powerful and super bright explosion of a star.

The researchers searched through several deep-sea sediments from two different locations that date back 33,000 years using the extreme sensitivity of HIAF's mass spectrometer. They found clear traces of the isotope iron-60, which is formed when stars die in supernova explosions.

Iron-60 is radioactive and completely decays away within 15 million years, which means any iron-60 found on the earth must have been formed much later than the rest of the 4.6-billion-year old earth and arrived here from nearby supernovae before settling on the ocean floor.

found traces of iron-60 at about 2.6 million years ago, and possibly another at around 6 million years ago, suggesting earth had traveled through fallout clouds from nearby supernovae.

For the last few thousand years the solar system has been moving through a denser cloud of gas and dust, known as the local interstellar cloud, (LIC), whose origins are unclear. If this cloud had originated during the past few million years from a supernova, it would contain iron-60, and so the team decided to search more recent sediment to find out.

Sure enough, there was iron-60 in the sediment at extremely low levels—equating to radioactivity levels in space far below the Earth's natural background levels—and the distribution of the iron-60 matched earth's recent travel through the local interstellar cloud. But the iron-60 extended further back and was spread throughout the entire 33,000 year measurement period.

The lack of correlation with the solar system's time in the current local interstellar cloud seems to pose more questions than it answers. Firstly, if the cloud was not formed by a supernova, where did it come from? And secondly, why is there iron-60 so evenly spread throughout space?

There are recent papers that suggest iron-60 trapped in dust particles might bounce around in the interstellar medium.

So the iron-60 could originate from even older supernovae explosions, and what we measure is some kind of echo. More data is required to resolve these details.

A. Wallner et al. 60Fe deposition during the late Pleistocene and the Holocene echoes past supernova activity, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1916769117

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-ancient-star-explosions-revealed-deep...

Reverse dieting: slowly increasing calories won’t prevent weight regain – but may have other benefits

https://theconversation.com/reverse-dieting-slowly-increasing-calor...  

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India is key for global access to a COVID-19 vaccine – here’s why

New treatments aim to treat COVID-19 early, before it gets serious

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/coronavirus-covid-19-new-early-...

Some promising treatments may block the coronavirus from entering cells or from multiplying

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Disease Tolerance: Why Do Some People Weather Coronavirus Infection Unscathed?

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-do-some-people-weath...

https://undark.org/2020/08/24/covid-19-infection-asymptomatic/

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Two major microbial groups living deep underground can't breathe

A new scientific study has revealed unique life strategies of two major groups of microbes that live below Earth's surface. These groups, originally thought to rely on symbiotic relationships with other organisms, may also live independently and use an ancient mode of energy production.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200825110626.htm

Scientific research video

Cosmic rays may soon hinder the progress of quantum computing

Microscopic robots 'walk' thanks to laser tech

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-08-microscopic-robots-laser-tech.h...

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Meteorite strikes may create unexpected form of silica

When a meteorite hurtles through the atmosphere and crashes to Earth, how does its violent impact alter the minerals found at the landing site? What can the short-lived chemical phases created by these extreme impacts teach scientists about the minerals existing at the high-temperature and pressure conditions found deep inside the planet?

Quartz is made up of one silicon atom and two oxygen atoms arranged in a tetrahedral lattice structure. Because these elements are also common in the silicate-rich mantle of the Earth, discovering the changes quartz undergoes at high-pressure and -temperature conditions, like those found in the Earth's interior, could also reveal details about the planet's geologic history.

When a material is subjected to extreme pressures and temperatures, its internal atomic structure can be re-shaped, causing its properties to shift. For example, both graphite and diamond are made from carbon. But graphite, which forms at low pressure, is soft and opaque, and diamond, which forms at high pressure, is super-hard and transparent. The different arrangements of carbon atoms determine their structures and their properties, and that in turn affects how we engage with and use them.

when subjected to a dynamic shock of greater than 300,000 times normal atmospheric pressure, quartz undergoes a transition to a novel disordered crystalline phase, whose structure is intermediate between fully crystalline stishovite and a fully disordered glass. However, the new structure cannot last once the burst of intense pressure has subsided.

"Structural response of α-quartz under plate-impact shock compression" Science Advances (2020). advances.sciencemag.org/lookup … .1126/sciadv.abb3913

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-meteorite-unexpected-silica.html?utm_...

How plants tackle infection

Plants have a unique ability to safeguard themselves against pathogens by closing their pores—but until now, no one knew quite how they did it. Scientists have known that a flood of calcium into the cells surrounding the pores triggers them to close, but how the calcium entered the cells was unclear.

After a new study scientists reveal that a protein called OSCA1.3 forms a channel that leaks calcium into the cells surrounding a plant's pores, and they determined that a known immune system protein triggers the process.

"The calcium-permeable channel OSCA1.3 regulates plant stomatal immunity," Nature (2020). dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2702-1

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-door-infection.html?utm_source=nwlett...

Bacteria could survive travel between Earth and Mars under certain conditions

Imagine microscopic life-forms, such as bacteria, transported through space, and landing on another planet. The bacteria finding suitable conditions for its survival could then start multiplying again, sparking life at the other side of the universe. This theory, called "panspermia", support the possibility that microbes may migrate between planets and distribute life in the universe. Long controversial, this theory implies that bacteria would survive the long journey in outer space, resisting to space vacuum, temperature fluctuations, and space radiations.

Scientists now tested the survival of the radioresistant bacteria Deinococcus in space. The study shows that thick aggregates can provide sufficient protection for the survival of bacteria during several years in the harsh space environment.

They came to this conclusion by placing dried Deinococcus aggregates in exposure panels outside of the International Space Station (ISS). The samples of different thicknesses were exposed to space environment for one, two, or three years and then tested for their survival.

After three years, the researchers found that all aggregates superior to 0.5 mm partially survived to space conditions. Observations suggest that while the bacteria at the surface of the aggregate died, it created a protective layer for the bacteria beneath ensuring the survival of the colony. Using the survival data at one, two, and three years of exposure, the researchers estimated that a pellet thicker than 0.5 mm would have survived between 15 and 45 years on the ISS. The design of the experiment allowed the researcher to extrapolate and predict that a colony of 1 mm of diameter could potentially survive up to 8 years in outer space conditions.

The results suggest that radioresistant Deinococcus could survive during the travel from Earth to Mars and vice versa, which is several months or years in the shortest orbit

Yuko Kawaguchi et al, DNA Damage and Survival Time Course of Deinococcal Cell Pellets During 3 Years of Exposure to Outer Space, Frontiers in Microbiology (2020). DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.02050

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-bacteria-survive-earth-mars-aggregate...

**Unlocking the mysteries of the brain

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-08-mysteries-brain.html?utm_sou...

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** Fires 'poisoning air' in Amazon: study

Rampant fires in the Amazon are "poisoning the air" of the world's biggest rainforest, causing a sharp rise in respiratory emergencies in a region already hit hard by COVID-19. People in the region are being hospitalized for respiratory distress driven by inhaling smoke-polluted air.

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-poisoning-air-amazon.html?utm_source=...

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Scientists use fruit peel to turn old batteries into new

Zhuoran Wu et al. Repurposing of Fruit Peel Waste as a Green Reductant for Recycling of Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries, Environmental Science & Technology (2020). DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c02873

https://techxplore.com/news/2020-08-scientists-fruit-batteries.html...

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**  Uncontrolled molecule sparks rare liver cancer

Jason Z. Zhang et al. Phase Separation of a PKA Regulatory Subunit Controls cAMP Compartmentation and Oncogenic Signaling, Cell (2020). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.07.043

https://phys.org/news/2020-08-uncontrolled-molecule-rare-liver-canc...

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Report suggests ways to avoid satellites ruining telescope images but ‘there is no place to hide’

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/08/report-suggests-ways-avoid-...