Новости за 01.02.2022

Earth's moon is vitally important in making Earth the planet we know today. Because the moon is so important to life on Earth, scientists conjecture that a moon may be a potentially beneficial feature in harboring life on other planets. Most planets have moons, but Earth's moon is distinct in that it is large compared to the size of Earth.

Substance abuse, access to mental health care and costs remain a burden for people living in rural areas, even if they have private insurance.

A new study has found that greater body fat is a risk factor for reduced cognitive function, such as processing speed, in adults. Even when the researchers took cardiovascular risk factors (such as diabetes or high blood pressure) or vascular brain injury into account, the association between body fat and lower cognitive scores remained. This suggests other not yet confirmed pathways that linked excess body fat to reduced cognitive function.

The United States care system is often failing to meet the needs of individuals, families and communities affected by traumatic brain injury, according to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The authors make many recommendations for advancing progress in TBI care, including changes to classification methods, improving research funding and establishing continuity of care.

A new 3D connective tissue model gives researchers a sophisticated tool to understand the underlying mechanisms of connective tissue disorders and test potential treatments.

A team of scientists has conducted promising early tests of a new strategy that might one day be used to prevent or treat type 2 diabetes. The scientists tested an experimental compound called IXA4 in obese mice. They showed that the compound activates a natural signaling pathway that protects the animals from harmful, obesity-driven metabolic changes that would normally lead to diabetes.

Microbes may be miniscule, but they have a massive impact on Earth and its habitability. They are uniquely different from animals, plants, and other eukaryotic organisms in that they can gain energy from 'breathing' a surprisingly wide range of surfaces and materials. Microbes also drastically re-shape their environment as they feast on these energy sources, making microbes major players in the cycling and availability of nutrients on Earth. One especially well-known example was the rise of oxygen... Читать дальше...

New research examines how staple grains can be used as an effective food group for dietary shifts that can be culturally appropriate as well as environmentally sustainable.

Astronomers have confirmed the existence of the second Earth Trojan asteroid known to date, the 2020 XL5, after a decade of search.

Researchers have combined location density with real-world mobility data to predict the risk of infection from COVID-19 at specific locations with unprecedented accuracy.

Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing female reproductive disorders, however, the roles and mechanisms of obesity in the cause(s) of reproductive conditions are unclear. A study suggests an etiological link between obesity and a range of female reproductive conditions, but the extent of this link differs among conditions.

Limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels will still be catastrophic for coral reefs, new research suggests.  More than 90 percent of tropical coral reefs will suffer frequent heat stress -- their number one threat -- even under Paris Agreement climate warming limits.  The scale is even worse than predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which reported in 2018 that such a level would cause 70 percent to 90 percent of coral reefs to decline.

New research reveals excessively warm ocean temperatures driven by climate change are the new normal. The study establishes that more than half of the ocean surface has exceeded a historical heat extreme threshold on a regular basis since 2014. Researchers conducted the study by mapping 150 years of sea surface temperatures to determine a fixed historical benchmark for marine heat extremes. The scientists then looked at how often and how much of the ocean surpassed this point. The first year in which... Читать дальше...

Researchers developed a single-use sensor strip that can be used with a circuit board to detect cerebrospinal fluid leaks. They collected nine clinical samples and introduced the test fluid into a small liquid channel on the tip of the sensor strips. The liquid channel held electrodes, which contained antibodies specific to proteins found only in human cerebrospinal fluid. The circuit board analyzed the signal and produced a four-digit number that correlates to the concentration of the protein beta-2-transferrin, found in CSF.

One recent obstacle to drug delivery research is an observed weak correlation between in vitro and in vivo performance. When nanoparticles are applied intravenously, they face several obstacles that differ from in vitro situations. Nanoparticles are usually covered by a biomolecular multilayer (a protein corona), which alters the physiochemical properties, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity profile of the nanoparticles.

A future powered by sustainable energy sources could save the world from devastating climate change and reduce energy bills. But renewable energy has an intermittency problem -- the sun provides no power at night, while winds can stop suddenly. Better battery storage -- a holy grail for scientists worldwide -- is considered key to solving the intermittency problem by storing energy when the wind and sun are strong. But current storage solutions, including lithium-ion batteries and pumped hydro, are expensive and challenging to scale. Читать дальше...

Researchers are calling for urgent investment in the prevention of a devastating emerging disease that kills tens of thousands of people each year. A global systematic review reports on the frequency of a range of serious complications and very high risk for death among patients with found non-typhoidal Salmonella invasive disease.

Scientists develop a chaos-based stream cipher that can withstand attacks from large-scale quantum computers.

Installing solar panels could help historic buildings beat the rising costs of energy, according to a new study.

A study has found that expanding green energy production sites in the future won't necessarily be a threat to protected areas of land.

Scientists have developed organic microparticles that can steer through biological fluids and dissolved blood in unprecedented ways. Even in very salty liquids, the microswimmers can be propelled forward at high speed by visible light, either individually or as a swarm. Additionally, they are partially biocompatible and can take up and release cargo on demand. The material properties are so ideal they could pave the way toward designing semi-autonomous microrobots applied in biomedicine.

New research shows that fuel poverty makes people's physical and mental health worse. Researchers found that not being able to keep homes warm enough affects people's levels of life satisfaction. But they also found that it impacts people's physical health by causing higher levels of inflammation, measured by fibrinogen, a blood-based biomarker.

Asymptomatic viral infections in the first days and weeks of a baby's life are associated with an increased risk of respiratory infections later in life, research suggests.

So far, safely charging devices anywhere in a large area has been a challenge, but researchers have developed a transfer technology that can direct power to individual devices without needing to know their location. The technology has already been tested with commercial robots, and it can also be used to charge phones, laptops, or household appliances. No plugs, no tracking, and no complex computing -- just clever use of electromagnetics. Devices can be charged while they are moving, so with a bit... Читать дальше...

A method of producing vital chemical building blocks for use in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries mimics how plants manufacture them.