The Life Technology™ News Blog: October 2021

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Women show the way as India pushes 'eco-miracle' seaweed

Draped in a colourful saree and shirt, Lakshmi Murgesan dives into the azure waters off India's southern coast to collect seaweed, which is being hailed by scientists as a miracle crop that absorbs more carbon dioxide than trees.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-women-india-eco-miracle-seaweed.html

'Never seen anything like it': astronaut on 2021 climate disasters

From his perch 400 kilometres above Earth, French astronaut Thomas Pesquet has had a unique perspective on the climate-fuelled natural disasters that have swept the planet over the past six months.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-astronaut-climate-disasters.html

Floating farms, salt-resistant rice: Bangladeshis adapt to survive

Rising sea levels and violent flooding are already putting tens of millions of lives at risk in Bangladesh, but they bring another problem that threatens the entire nation: Water-logged land and high salinity in streams and soil are killing crops.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-farms-salt-resistant-rice-bangladeshis-survive.html

Five climate change myths

As world leaders prepare for the COP26 climate summit from October 31, AFP Fact Check examines some common claims that question the existence of global heating caused by humans.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-climate-myths.html

World faces growing threat of 'unbearable' heatwaves

From Death Valley to the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent to sub-Saharan Africa, global warming has already made daily life unbearable for millions of people.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-world-threat-unbearable-heatwaves.html

Ford, GM profits fall as sales drop due to chip shortage

The global computer chip shortage cut into third-quarter profits at both Ford and crosstown rival General Motors, with both companies having to temporarily close factories, pinching supplies on dealer lots.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-ford-gm-profits-fall-sales.html

Turkey's Lake Tuz dries up due to climate change, farming

For centuries, Lake Tuz in central Turkey has hosted huge colonies of flamingos that migrate and breed there when the weather is warm, feeding on algae in the lake's shallow waters.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-turkey-lake-tuz-dries-due.html

Samsung reports 28% jump in profit despite supply chain woes

South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics posted a 28-percent jump in operating profit on Thursday despite global supply chain challenges caused by the pandemic.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-samsung-profit-chain-woes.html

Sony upgrades full-year net profit and sales forecast

Sony upgraded its full-year sales and profit forecast on Thursday, saying it expected strong performances in the music, movie and electronics sectors.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-sony-full-year-net-profit-sales.html

Reviews highlight consequences of failing to tackle climate change

A set of scientific reviews published today reinforces the urgent need for global action to reduce the impact of climate change on vital carbon sinks, our oceans and the Arctic.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-highlight-consequences-tackle-climate.html

Industry must prepare now for a new world of green electricity

Industry must speed up investment in new technologies that allow manufacture of materials using renewable electricity if net zero emissions targets are to be met, research led by the University of Leeds warns.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-industry-world-green-electricity.html

Computer scientists develop method for identifying disease biomarkers with high accuracy

Researchers are developing a deep learning network capable of detecting disease biomarkers with a much higher degree of accuracy.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-scientists-method-disease-biomarkers-high.html

For less than $10, anyone can now get up close and explore single cells in VR

While often thought of as being limited to expensive hardware for dedicated gamers, virtual reality (VR) has become a lot more affordable in recent years with entry-level hardware—such as Google Cardboard—costing less than $10. With this headset, anyone with a smartphone can place their device into the headset and view VR content through its large screen.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-explore-cells-vr.html

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Ford lifts forecast, citing better semiconductor supply

Ford reported better-than-expected results Wednesday, citing a "significant" improvement in semiconductor availability in the latest quarter and announcing it would restore dividends.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-ford-citing-semiconductor.html

Ransomware gang says it targeted National Rifle Association

A ransomware gang believed to operate out of Russia says it hacked the National Rifle Association, the most powerful gun-rights group in the United States.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-ransomware-gang-national-rifle-association.html

Scientists discover how forest fires influence rain cloud formation in the Amazon

A Brazilian study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment shows how wildfires and forest burning for agriculture influence rain cloud formation in the Amazon. According to the authors, aerosols (tiny solid particles and liquid droplets emitted into the atmosphere by fire) hinder the freezing of cloud droplets when the atmosphere is humidified, but can also promote freezing when the atmosphere is dry. This alters the natural functioning of clouds and their typical height, and may also affect precipitation and the amount of sunlight reaching the ground.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-scientists-forest-cloud-formation-amazon.html

Exploring the dual function of the CTCF protein

The rapid scientific advancements that followed the mapping of the human genome have revealed just how staggeringly complex the world of genetics is. We now know that proteins are not just the products of genes, but that they also interact with genes, influencing and regulating the rhythm of their expression. A typical example of this are transcription factors, which begin the transcription of genes from DNA into mRNA—the first step to making a protein.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-exploring-dual-function-ctcf-protein.html

How Black Twitter has become the new 'Green Book,' and more

In 1936 in Harlem, New York, a Black postal worker named Victor Green bound together a green, 15-page booklet listing New York City businesses that were welcoming to African Americans.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-black-twitter-green.html

Getting NASA data to the ground with lasers

NASA launches satellites, rovers, and orbiters to investigate humanity's place in the Milky Way. When these missions reach their destinations, their science instruments capture images, videos, and valuable insights about the cosmos. Communications infrastructure in space and on the ground enables the data collected by these missions to reach Earth. Without ground stations to receive it, the extraordinary data captured by these missions would be stuck in space, unable to reach scientists and researchers on Earth.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-nasa-ground-lasers.html

How to find hidden oceans on distant worlds? Use chemistry

A new study shows how the chemicals in an exoplanet's atmosphere can, in some cases, reveal whether or not the temperature on its surface is too hot for liquid water.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-hidden-oceans-distant-worlds-chemistry.html

Finnish scientists create 'sustainable' lab-grown coffee

Latte drinkers may in the future be sipping on java sourced from a petri dish rather than a plantation, say scientists behind a new technique to grow what they hope to be sustainable coffee in a lab.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-finnish-scientists-sustainable-lab-grown-coffee.html

Orkney's seaweed-eating sheep offer hopes of greener farming

On a tiny island in Scotland's far-flung Orkneys, thousands of sheep spend the winter munching on seaweed, a unique diet that scientists say offers hope for reducing planet-warming methane emissions.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-orkney-seaweed-eating-sheep-greener-farming.html

Kiwi boffins aim to clear the air on livestock emissions

Tucked away in rural New Zealand, a multi-million dollar research facility is working to slash the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by farm animals—saving the world one belch at a time.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-kiwi-boffins-aim-air-livestock.html

US bans China Telecom over national security concerns

The United States on Tuesday banned China Telecom from operating in the country citing "significant" national security concerns, further straining already tense relations between the superpowers.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-china-telecom-national.html

'Save your species': UN uses dinosaur in fossil fuel message

The United Nations is summoning an unusual "witness" to testify to the dangers of burning fossil fuels that stoke global warming: a dinosaur.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-species-dinosaur-fossil-fuel-message.html

Study confirms mistaken identity may explain why sharks bite humans

World-first research testing a simulated 'shark vision' model on swimming patterns of humans, seals and sea-lions, confirms theories that when great white sharks bite humans, it may be a case of mistaken identity.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-mistaken-identity-sharks-humans.html

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Fossil dental exams reveal how tusks first evolved

A wide variety of animals have tusks, from elephants and walruses to five-pound, guinea pig-looking critters called hyraxes. But one thing tusked animals have in common is that they're all mammals—there are no known fish, reptiles, or birds with tusks. In a new study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, paleontologists traced the first tusks back to ancient mammal relatives that lived before the dinosaurs, and to do so, they had to define what makes a tusk a tusk in the first place.

Fossil dental exams reveal how tusks first evolved

Microsoft profit up 24% in quarter, driven by cloud growth

Growth in Microsoft's cloud computing business helped push its profit up 24% in the July-September quarter over the same time last year.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-microsoft-profit-quarter-driven-cloud.html

Robinhood's growth in the summer slowed as trading calmed

The meteoric growth of Robinhood Markets is coming back to earth, much like its stock price.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-robinhood-growth-summer-calmed.html

Google-parent Alphabet tops expectations with $18.9 bn quarterly profit

Google's parent company Alphabet on Tuesday beat quarterly earnings expectations, raking in $18.9 billion in profit as its online ad engine and cloud services thrived.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-google-parent-alphabet-tops-bn-quarterly.html

Microsoft profit up 24% in quarter, driven by cloud growth

Growth in Microsoft's cloud computing business helped push its profit up 24% in the July-September quarter over the same time last year.

Robinhood's growth in the summer slowed as trading calmed

The meteoric growth of Robinhood Markets is coming back to earth, much like its stock price.

Google-parent Alphabet tops expectations with $18.9 bn quarterly profit

Google's parent company Alphabet on Tuesday beat quarterly earnings expectations, raking in $18.9 billion in profit as its online ad engine and cloud services thrived.

Twitter posts $537 mn net loss over lawsuit payout

Twitter said Tuesday it had posted a $537 million net loss in the third quarter after settling a lawsuit alleging investors were misled about slowing user growth.

Smart material switches between heating and cooling in minutes

As anyone who has ever parked a car in the sun on a hot summer day knows, glass windows are great at letting sunlight in but terrible at allowing heat out.

Twitter posts $537 mn net loss over lawsuit payout

Twitter said Tuesday it had posted a $537 million net loss in the third quarter after settling a lawsuit alleging investors were misled about slowing user growth.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-twitter-mn-net-loss-lawsuit.html

Searching for Earth 2.0? Zoom in on a star

Astronomers searching for Earth-like planets in other solar systems have made a breakthrough by taking a closer look at the surface of stars.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-earth-star.html

How do plants act fast to fight off infections?

New work led by Carnegie's Kangmei Zhao and Sue Rhee reveals a new mechanism by which plants are able to rapidly activate defenses against bacterial infections. This understanding could inspire efforts to improve crop yields and combat global hunger.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-fast-infections.html

A new 3D printing frontier: Self-powered wearable devices

When most people think of wearable devices, they think of smart watches, smart glasses, fitness trackers, even smart clothing. These devices, part of a fast-growing market, have two things in common: They all need an external power source, and they all require exacting manufacturing processes. Until now.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-3d-frontier-self-powered-wearable-devices.html

Smart material switches between heating and cooling in minutes

As anyone who has ever parked a car in the sun on a hot summer day knows, glass windows are great at letting sunlight in but terrible at allowing heat out.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-smart-material-cooling-minutes.html

Facebook profits rise amid Facebook Papers findings

Amid fallout from the Facebook Papers documents supporting claims that the social network has valued financial success over user safety, Facebook on Monday reported higher profit for the latest quarter.

US State Department sets up cyber bureau, envoy amid hacking alarm

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced Monday that the State Department will establish a new bureau and envoy to handle cyber policy, revamping amid alarm over rising hacking attacks.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-state-department-cyber-bureau-envoy.html

Asia suffered hottest year on record in 2020: UN

Asia suffered its hottest year on record in 2020, the United Nations said Tuesday ahead of the COP26 summit, with extreme weather taking a heavy toll on the continent's development.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-asia-hottest-year.html

Rescued from extinction, bison rediscover Romania mountains

Hoof prints in the mud, tree bark nibbled away: even if the newest residents of Romania's Carpathian mountain forest shy away from visitors, their traces are there for those who know where to look.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-extinction-bison-rediscover-romania-mountains.html

YouTube, TikTok, Snap execs face senators on kids' safety

Bearing down on hugely popular social media platforms and their impact on children, the leaders of a Senate panel have called executives from YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat to face questions on what their companies are doing to ensure young users' safety.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-youtube-tiktok-snap-execs-senators.html

Facebook profits rise amid Facebook Papers findings

Poll: Majority in US concerned about climate

President Joe Biden heads to a vital U.N. climate summit at a time when a majority of Americans regard the deteriorating climate as a problem of high importance to them, an increase from just a few years ago.

Addition of genotypic resistance testing did not improve virologic response in patients with HIV virologic failure

A randomized controlled trial found that the addition of genotypic resistance testing to routine care did not improve virologic suppression among persons whose first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) failed in public-sector HIV clinics in Uganda and South Africa. These results reinforce the critical need for and persistent challenge of finding effective interventions for persons who have virologic failure after ART initiation in the public sector in sub-Saharan Africa. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Stress In America 2021: Pandemic impedes basic decision-making ability

Americans are struggling with the basic decisions required to navigate daily life as the effects of pandemic-related stress continue to take a toll, especially on younger adults and parents, according to a national survey from the American Psychological Association.

Poll: Majority in US concerned about climate

'Nanozyme' therapy prevents harmful dental plaque build-up

A growing body of evidence points to a link between iron-deficiency anemia and severe tooth decay. Whether the connection is correlative or causative is unknown, though both conditions are associated with poor diets and are more common in people living in impoverished environments and with underlying medical conditions.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-nanozyme-therapy-dental-plaque-build-up.html

Publication of 500-year-old manuscript exposes medieval beliefs and religious cults

A rare English illuminated medieval prayer roll, believed to be among only a few dozen still in existence worldwide, has been analyzed in a new study to expose Catholic beliefs in England before the Reformation in the sixteenth century.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-year-old-manuscript-exposes-medieval-beliefs.html

Waters off French coast in winter may be a deadly trap for small, foraging turtles

The documented habitat boundaries of the loggerhead, Kemp's ridley and green turtles are questioned by a new study suggesting that stranded turtles rescued from European French Atlantic and Channel waters could be visiting the area to forage for food. Published in Frontiers in Marine Science, satellite tracking data reveals that while some turtles may be able to return home, after their rehabilitation and release to Florida in the US, or Cape Verde off the African coast, younger individuals are at risk of being trapped in the region.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-french-coast-winter-deadly-small.html

'Nanozyme' therapy prevents harmful dental plaque build-up

Publication of 500-year-old manuscript exposes medieval beliefs and religious cults

Shadow loss: Young adults cope with missing out during pandemic

A new paper featuring college students' experiences with loss during the COVID-19 pandemic shows that although few directly experienced a close death, everyone lost something that impacted their lives.

Stimulus designed to help restaurant workers led to more COVID cases

A new paper in The Economic Journal indicates that a large-scale government subsidy aimed at encouraging people to eat out in restaurants in the wake of the first 2020 COVID-19 wave in the United Kingdom accelerated a second COVID19 wave.

Waters off French coast in winter may be a deadly trap for small, foraging turtles

Monday, October 25, 2021

Clinically significant cataract linked to increased risk of vascular death

Clinically significant cataract is associated with an increased risk of death from vascular causes, such as stroke and heart attack, suggests research published online in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Emotional bullying, and sexual harassment and physical assault of women is widespread in the military

Women serving in the UK military face a considerable risk of emotional bullying, sexual harassment and physical assault, which can have a serious and long-lasting impact on their mental health and wellbeing, finds research published online in the journal BMJ Military Health.

Urgent changes needed to global guidelines designed to stop surgical infection

Wound infections are the most common problem after surgery, particularly in developing countries, but promised innovations to tackle the issue do not work and global guidance needs changing, a new study reveals.

Seagrass restoration study shows rapid recovery of ecosystem functions

As the dominant seagrass species on the U.S. West Coast, eelgrass supports a wide range of ecosystem services and functions, making its preservation and restoration a top priority for the region. Eelgrass restoration has a spotty record of success, however, and studies of restoration sites have rarely assessed the full range of ecosystem functions.

Study shows environmental and social factors contribute to higher rates of pneumonia in children

A new study led by researchers in the LSU Superfund Research Program demonstrates that children who are exposed to a certain type of environmental air pollution are more likely to contract community acquired pneumonia, or CAP, and to be hospitalized for longer periods of time. Social factors, including race and socioeconomic status, were also found to be associated with living in high-risk areas for CAP.

Ammonia synthesis by mechanocatalysis in a ball mill

A breakthrough in the fight against hunger, three Nobel Prizes, and 150 million tonnes of annual production—yet still a tricky topic for research: For over 100 years, the chemical industry has been using the Haber-Bosch process to convert atmospheric nitrogen and hydrogen into ammonia, an important component of mineral fertilizers and many other chemical products. Scientists at the Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung have now found a surprisingly simple way to produce ammonia at ambient temperature—and even at atmospheric pressure—and thus under much milder conditions than those required for the Haber-Bosch process. The reactants are passed through a mill that grinds the catalyst used to facilitate the reaction between the inert nitrogen and hydrogen. The result is a thin but continuous stream of ammonia.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-ammonia-synthesis-mechanocatalysis-ball-mill.html

Astronomers may have discovered the first planet outside of our galaxy

Signs of a planet transiting a star outside of the Milky Way galaxy may have been detected for the first time. This intriguing result, using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, opens up a new window to search for exoplanets at greater distances than ever before.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-astronomers-planet-galaxy.html

Atomic-scale 'lasagna' keeps heat at bay

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have found new ways of controlling how heat flows through thin materials by stacking atomically thin layers of atoms into van der Waals heterostructures. By comparing different stacks of different materials, or even the same material after heat treatment, they found that weak coupling and mismatch between layers helped significantly reduce heat transport. Their finding promises sensitive control of heat flow at the nanoscale in thermoelectric devices.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-atomic-scale-lasagna-bay.html

Remember 3G? It's going away as AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile shift to 5G. What to know about 3G shutdown

In 2002, Verizon was the first to launch a 3G network in the U.S., during a time when the BlackBerry was the top smartphone to own and we were five years away from the arrival of the iPhone.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-3g-att-verizon-t-mobile-shift.html

Identification of genes that cause resistance to treatment of the pathogenic fungus Candida

It is estimated that 80% of women will suffer from vaginal candidiasis at least once in their lives. In addition to superficial infections, which can be oral or vaginal and do not usually have a serious prognosis, fungi of the Candida genus can cause systemic diseases in immunocompromised individuals and these are fatal in 40% of cases. Drugs are available to treat these conditions, but doctors are increasingly encountering varieties of fungi that have developed resistance to treatments, thus making candida infection a serious global health problem.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-identification-genes-resistance-treatment-pathogenic.html

Neutron star collisions are 'goldmine' of heavy elements, study finds

Most elements lighter than iron are forged in the cores of stars. A star's white-hot center fuels the fusion of protons, squeezing them together to build progressively heavier elements. But beyond iron, scientists have puzzled over what could give rise to gold, platinum, and the rest of the universe's heavy elements, whose formation requires more energy than a star can muster.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-neutron-star-collisions-goldmine-heavy.html

From waste to resource: Turning exhaust heat into energy with unprecedented efficiency

Thanks to the ongoing digital revolution, we are on the verge of transitioning to a hyper-connected world. However, the Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices and remote sensors that promise such a reality require energy. With sustainability as a top priority, the energy source must be abundant, ubiquitous, and renewable. Fortunately, low-grade waste heat (temperatures below 100 °C) could fit the bill provided we develop efficient energy harvesting technologies.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-resource-exhaust-energy-unprecedented-efficiency.html

A big leap forward in using iron catalysts for pharmaceuticals

If there were a classroom full of all the transition metals that could be used as catalysts for complex pharmaceutical reactions, iron would be the most promising but most unruly member.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-big-iron-catalysts-pharmaceuticals.html

Facebook accuses Ukrainian programmer of selling 178 million users' data, files lawsuit

Facebook is suing a Ukrainian programmer for allegedly scraping and selling publicly accessible information from millions of Facebook users.

Perovskite solar cells with atomically coherent interlayers on SnO₂ electrodes

A research team, led by Professor Sang Il Seok in the School of Energy and Chemical Engineering at UNIST has set a new efficiency record for a perovskite solar cell (PSC) at 25.8% by forming an interlayer between electron-transporting and perovskite layers to minimize interfacial defects, contributing to the decrease in the power conversion efficiencies. The new record, according to the research team, is the world's highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) reported so far. Besides, the record, certified by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), is also the highest confirmed conversion efficiency of 25.5%.

Ammonia synthesis by mechanocatalysis in a ball mill

Why are cases of pancreatic cancer rising in young women?

In his work with patients who have pancreatic cancer, Dr. Srinivas Gaddam was bothered by something that he was seeing.

Astronomers may have discovered the first planet outside of our galaxy

Mapping the path to carbon neutrality

Ahead of COP26 in Glasgow, the University of Surrey has published a paper in Sustainability detailing how it will reduce its carbon emissions and reach Net-Zero by 2030. In the paper, Surrey's researchers share ideas and provide guidance on how other universities can apply the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-path-carbon-neutrality.html

Facebook staff say core products make misinformation worse

For years, Facebook has fought back against allegations that its platforms play an outsized role in the spread of false information and harmful content that has fueled conspiracies, political divisions and distrust in science, including COVID-19 vaccines.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-facebook-staff-core-products-misinformation.html

Insect digestive enzyme activates sugar-containing plant defence substance

Plants are not entirely at the mercy of their herbivore enemies. Often, chemical defenses ensure that the plants are inedible, or even toxic, and as a result insects and other hungry animals steer clear of them. A new study has shown, for the first time, that the degradation of plants' defense substances by insects' digestive enzymes can influence the insects' preference for certain food plants. Researchers at the University of Münster, the University of Bern (Switzerland) and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena investigated this phenomenon in the larvae of cockchafers (Melolontha melolontha) and the plant they feed on, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale).

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-insect-digestive-enzyme-sugar-containing-defence.html

The underestimated impact of vapor pressure deficit on terrestrial carbon cycle

This study is led by Dr. Bin He (College of Global Change and Earth System Science, Beijing Normal University) and Dr. Wenping Yuan (School of Atmospheric Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University). Terrestrial ecosystem, as a major carbon sink, plays an important role in regulating the global carbon cycle and atmospheric CO2 mixing ratio. Traditionally, atmospheric temperature or land water availability have been considered as the two dominant drivers of interannual variability of global terrestrial carbon sink. In 2019, Wenping Yuan's group observed an apparent shift in global vegetation growth from greening to browning in the 1990s, and attributed this shift to the sharp increase in vapor pressure deficit (VPD). Inspired by this study, Bin He proposed that VPD should regulate the global terrestrial carbon cycle to a significant extent, which has been ignored by previous studies. "When I found the strong correlation between VPD and atmospheric CO2 growth rate, and the latter is an integrated measurement of global land carbon sink, I realized this finding may bring a completely new research objective in the field of global carbon cycle and climate change" Bin He says.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-underestimated-impact-vapor-pressure-deficit.html

Interglobular dentine identified in cremated human teeth

The cremation process destroys a lot of information that can usually be obtained from the human skeleton. Diseases are especially difficult to observe. This has caused a paucity in our knowledge of the disease load in populations that practiced cremation as their main funerary ritual. Dr. Barbara Veselka and Prof. Christophe Snoeck, of the Brussels Bioarchaeology Lab and research groups MARI and AMGC for the first time have detected vitamin D deficiency in cremated human remains.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-interglobular-dentine-cremated-human-teeth.html

Saturday, October 23, 2021

Apple updates App Store payment rules in concession to developers

Apple has updated its App Store rules to allow developers to contact users directly about payments, a concession in a legal settlement with companies challenging its tightly controlled marketplace.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-apple-app-payment-concession.html

Climate change disrupting natural cycles at drier Lake Tahoe

Drought fueled by climate change has dropped Lake Tahoe below its natural rim and halted flows into the Truckee River, an historically cyclical event that's occurring sooner and more often than it used to—raising fears about what might be in store for the famed alpine lake.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-climate-disrupting-natural-drier-lake.html

Cheap, abundant renewable energy powers cluster of Quebec data centres

With vast amounts of cheap and renewable electricity mostly generated from hydro dams, Quebec is seeing more and more tech giants setting up power-hungry data centres in the Canadian province.

Rising tide of leaks threatens to inundate Facebook

Facebook held back from doing all it could to stop users from being radicalized and US election misinformation from flooding the social network, according to media reports Friday.

US targeting Feb. 2022 to launch new lunar program Artemis

NASA is aiming to launch its uncrewed lunar mission Artemis 1 in February next year, the space agency said Friday, the first step in America's plan to return humans to the Moon.

Cheap, abundant renewable energy powers cluster of Quebec data centres

With vast amounts of cheap and renewable electricity mostly generated from hydro dams, Quebec is seeing more and more tech giants setting up power-hungry data centres in the Canadian province.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-cheap-abundant-renewable-energy-powers.html

Rising tide of leaks threatens to inundate Facebook

Facebook held back from doing all it could to stop users from being radicalized and US election misinformation from flooding the social network, according to media reports Friday.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-tide-leaks-threatens-inundate-facebook.html

US targeting Feb. 2022 to launch new lunar program Artemis

NASA is aiming to launch its uncrewed lunar mission Artemis 1 in February next year, the space agency said Friday, the first step in America's plan to return humans to the Moon.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-feb-lunar-artemis.html

US seals agreement to end European digital taxes

The United States has resolved a key point of trade friction with Europe after inking a deal to end controversial digital services taxes on American tech giants.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-agreement-european-digital-taxes.html

Canada hospitals use drones to carry lungs for transplant

In the dark of night, a drone takes off from a Toronto hospital rooftop, the hum of its rotors barely audible over the bustling sounds of the cars and pedestrians below in Canada's largest metropolis.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-canada-hospitals-drones-lungs-transplant.html

Samsung SDI and Stellantis in vehicle battery deal

South Korean battery maker Samsung SDI will jointly produce electric vehicle batteries in the US with global carmaker Stellantis, the South Korean firm said Friday—its partner's second such deal in a week.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-samsung-sdi-stellantis-vehicle-battery.html

Amazon faces new union organizing push in US

Workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York are seeking to unionize, the organizing group said Thursday, six months after a similar attempt in Alabama failed.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-amazon-union.html

New material could pave way for better, safer batteries

In pursuit of batteries that deliver more power and operate more safely, researchers are working to replace the liquids commonly used in today's lithium ion batteries with solid materials. Now, a research team from Brown University and the University of Maryland has developed a new material for use in solid-state batteries that's derived from an unlikely source: Trees.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-material-pave-safer-batteries.html

Artificial intelligence spots anomalies in medical images

Scientists from Skoltech, Philips Research, and Goethe University Frankfurt have trained a neural network to detect anomalies in medical images to assist physicians in sifting through countless scans in search of pathologies. Reported in IEEE Access, the new method is adapted to the nature of medical imaging and is more successful in spotting abnormalities than general-purpose solutions.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-artificial-intelligence-anomalies-medical-images.html

Google to slash fee it takes from subscriptions on App Store

Alphabet Inc.'s Google is slashing the fees it takes from subscription services on its app store following pressure from developers and lawmakers.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-google-slash-fee-subscriptions-app.html

Enhanced touch screens could enable users to 'feel' objects

The next time you buy a new couch, you may not ever have to leave your old one to get a feel for the texture of the new material.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-screens-enable-users.html

Friday, October 22, 2021

Revamped WeWork rises in Nasdaq debut

The office-sharing company WeWork made a strong Wall Street debut on Thursday, two years after a previous attempt disintegrated in spectacular fashion.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-revamped-wework-nasdaq-debut.html

Regulator seeks transparency for payment systems of big tech

In its first significant action under a new director, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is ordering Apple, Amazon, PayPal and other tech giants to reveal how their proprietary payment networks function.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-transparency-payment-big-tech.html

NTSB: Driver was behind wheel at time of Texas Tesla crash

A driver was behind the wheel when a Tesla electric car crashed and burned last April near Houston, killing two men, neither of whom was found in the driver's seat.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-ntsb-driver-wheel-texas-tesla.html

A technique to automatically generate hardware components for robotic systems

As robots become increasingly sophisticated and advanced, they will typically require a growing amount of hardware components, including robotic limbs, motors, sensors and actuators. In addition, robots have integrated computers that process data collected by their sensors and plan their future actions accordingly.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-technique-automatically-hardware-components-robotic.html

$1,000,000,000,000? Elon Musk could become the world's first trillionaire due to SpaceX

Elon Musk could become the world's first trillionaire, according to a prediction made by investment firm Morgan Stanley.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-elon-musk-world-trillionaire-due.html

100s more archaeological sites found on Mexico train route

Mexican experts said Thursday they have detected the ruins of almost 2,500 pre-Hispanic structures and 80 burial sites on just one-sixth of the route of the president's controversial "Maya Train" project on the Yucatan peninsula.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-100s-archaeological-sites-mexico-route.html

NASA launches tool that measures Western water loss

NASA on Thursday launched an online platform with information on how much water evaporates into the atmosphere from plants, soils and other surfaces in the U.S. West, data it says could help water managers, farmers and state officials better manage resources in the parched region.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-nasa-tool-western-loss.html

Amid air quality concerns, districts embrace electric buses

For several years, the Miami-Dade County Pubic Schools had toyed with replacing some of its 1,000 diesel buses with cleaner electric vehicles. But school leaders said the change would be too costly.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-air-quality-districts-embrace-electric.html

New Zealand sets 90% vaccine target to end lockdown

New Zealand set a 90-percent vaccination target Friday for scrapping lockdowns as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unveiled a plan to open up despite the stubborn grip of the Delta variant.

What is the 'delta plus' variant of the coronavirus?

What is the "delta plus" variant?

US intelligence services see security threat in climate change

US intelligence services said Thursday for the first time that climate change poses wide-ranging threats to the United States' national security and stability around the world.

As virus cases rise, so do pleas for Russians to get vaccine

As she stood in the courtyard of the morgue holding the body of her grandmother who died of COVID-19, Ramilya Shigalturina had a message for anyone still resisting vaccinations.

US seals agreement to end European digital taxes

The United States has resolved a key point of trade friction with Europe after inking a deal to end controversial digital services taxes on American tech giants.

US intelligence services see security threat in climate change

US intelligence services said Thursday for the first time that climate change poses wide-ranging threats to the United States' national security and stability around the world.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-intelligence-threat-climate.html

US seals agreement to end European digital taxes

Canada hospitals use drones to carry lungs for transplant

Samsung SDI and Stellantis in vehicle battery deal

Shape-shifting materials with infinite possibilities

Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a shape-shifting material that can take and hold any possible shape, paving the way for a new type of multifunctional material that could be used in a range of applications, from robotics and biotechnology to architecture.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-shape-shifting-materials-infinite-possibilities.html

Canada hospitals use drones to carry lungs for transplant

Samsung SDI and Stellantis in vehicle battery deal

Fat cells found to play a central role in cognitive decline and neurodegeneration

Findings published this week reveal new insights into the role of fat cells in cognitive decline and neurodegeneration, according to a study that involves the oxidant amplification loop led by Marshall University scientists.

Shape-shifting materials with infinite possibilities

When and why did human brains decrease in size 3,000 years ago? Ants may hold clues

The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. Now, a new study has brought us closer to understanding some of its evolution. It shows that human brains decreased in size approximately 3,000 years ago. By studying ants as models to illustrate why brains may increase or decrease in size, the researchers hypothesize that brain shrinkage parallels the expansion of collective intelligence in human societies.

Thursday, October 21, 2021

When and why did human brains decrease in size 3,000 years ago? Ants may hold clues

Poor immune response in many double- vaccinated blood cancer patients

More than half of double-vaccinated blood cancer patients have been left with little protection against COVID-19, new research has found.

Common antidepressant should no longer be used to treat people with dementia, study says

A drug used to treat agitation in people with dementia is no more effective than a placebo, and might even increase mortality, according to a new study.

Scientists discover how bacteria use liquid protein droplets to overcome stress

Scientists have revealed how bacteria make tiny liquid droplets from proteins to help them survive harsh environments and thus reduce their chances of being killed by antibiotics.

What drove the invention of military technologies?

Peter Turchin from the Complexity Science Hub Vienna (CSH) and an interdisciplinary team of colleagues set out to test competing theories about what drove the evolution of war machines throughout world history. Their study, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, sees the strongest influence on the evolution of military technology coming from world population size, the connectivity between geographical areas, and advances in critical technologies such as iron metallurgy or horse riding. Conversely, and somewhat surprisingly, state-level factors such as the size of the population, the territory, or the complexity of governance seem not to have played a major role.

Going off the rails: Research reveals ecological impact of rail transport on UK bat species

New research from the University of Sussex has revealed the ecological impact of rail transport on bats in the UK, throwing light on a previously unstudied area.

Zapping untreated water gets rid of more waterborne viruses

Using sophisticated microscopy and computational analysis, Texas A&M University researchers have now validated the merit of a water purification technology that uses electricity to remove and inactivate an assortment of waterborne viruses. They said the yet-to-be-implemented water purification strategy could add another level of safety against pathogens that cause gastrointestinal ailments and other infections in humans.

'Like a magic trick,' certain proteins pass through cell walls

For decades, scientists have wondered how large molecules such as proteins pass through cell walls, also known as plasma membranes, without leaving a trace. That ability is part of what makes certain drugs—including some cancer treatments and the COVID-19 vaccine—work. And it is also how bacterial toxins enter human cells and wreak havoc.

Spotify teams up with Shopify to allow in-app merch purchases

Canadian e-commerce giant Shopify announced Wednesday a partnership with music streaming giant Spotify that will allow in-app sales of artists' merchandise.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-10-spotify-teams-shopify-in-app-merch.html

Scientists uncover a gene involved in sexual conflict in fruit flies

Sexual conflict in fruit flies is governed by specifically wired neurons in the brain which have been pinpointed by scientists at the University of Birmingham, UK.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-scientists-uncover-gene-involved-sexual.html

How political partisanship governed in-person schooling during pandemic

One of the most controversial topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person schooling, wasn't necessarily determined by the severity of the virus. New research from Michigan State University reveals how political partisanship influenced schools' reopening plans amid the global pandemic.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-political-partisanship-in-person-schooling-pandemic.html

African grey parrots may have better self-control than macaws

African grey parrots may be better able than macaws to delay gratification—rejecting an immediate reward in favor of a better one in the future—according to a study published in the journal Animal Cognition.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-african-grey-parrots-self-control-macaws.html

Curators squeezed out by high dino bones price tag

This week the largest triceratops skeleton ever unearthed goes up for auction in Paris—but museum curators like Francis Duranthon can only dream of getting their hands on such a prize.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-10-curators-high-dino-bones-price.html

Ocean acidity data affirms predictions of changes to El Nino conditions

Score one for a key climate change prediction.

Predicting famines using rainfall season start

The first rains that signal the beginning of the growing season kick off a flurry of activities in rural, agricultural communities. Farmers decide when to plant, how much labor to allocate, how many resources to devote to that season's crop and so on.

No 'silver bullet' for UK reaching net zero carbon emissions for electricity

CO2 emissions from electricity in the UK fell by two thirds in the last decade due to several factors working together, rather than a single panacea.

Proceeding with Caution: First global guidelines proposed for ancient DNA research

As ancient DNA research sweeps the globe, ballooning from zero genomes sequenced as of 2009 to more than 6,000 as of 2021, those involved in and affected by the genetic analysis of human remains have pressed with ever greater urgency for ethical standards that can be applied wherever such research is carried out.

First large-scale census of coral heat tolerance published

In a first-of-its-kind study, Florida's critically endangered staghorn corals were surveyed to discover which ones can better withstand future heatwaves in the ocean. Insights from the study, led by scientists at Shedd Aquarium and the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, help organizations working to restore climate-resilient reefs in Florida and provide a blueprint for the success of restoration projects globally.