Новости за 21.04.2022

Nylon cooking bags and plastic-lined cardboard cups are conveniences many people rely on, but a new study suggests that they are an underappreciated source of nanoparticles. They report that the plastic in these products release trillions of nanometer-sized particles into each liter of water that they come in contact with. That sounds like a lot, but the team notes that these levels are under the regulatory limits for consumption.

While wind power is expected to be a 'saving grace' during extreme winter storms, researchers wanted to look at whether storms could also disrupt power supplies and drive up prices.

The messenger substance interleukin-3 produced by the body was previously considered to be pro-inflammatory in bronchial asthma. Researchers have now shown that the administration of interleukin-3, or IL-3 for short, can have a positive effect on chronic inflammatory respiratory disease.

A research team has used electron spin resonance spectroscopy to investigate a polymer solar cell while in operation. Molecular level comparison of the PTzBT/PC61BM system with and without added ITIC allowed them to establish the mechanism for the improvements in stability and power conversion efficiency observed when ITIC is added. It is hoped that this insight will contribute to the commercial realization of cost-effective flexible polymer solar cells.

A study has found that living in a tree-filled environment is associated with better early childhood development than living in an environment where vegetation takes the form of grass cover. The analysis also found that both varieties of green space are associated with better child development outcomes than areas dominated by paved surfaces.

Abnormalities in a type of brain cell called astrocytes may play a pivotal role in causing some behavioral symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, according to a preclinical study.

The global eradication of smallpox in the 1980s was achieved by intradermal vaccination with vaccinia virus. A study shows that there is a large increase in skin bacteria and suggests that this may enhance the immune response.

DNA analysis of thousands of tumours from patients has found a 'treasure trove' of clues about the causes of cancer, with genetic mutations providing a personal history of the damage and repair processes each patient has been through.

A research has developed new, highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells. The breakthrough invention is expected to greatly accelerate the commercialization of perovskite photovoltaic technology, providing a promising alternative to silicon solar cells.

New research has revealed how fungus blocks and bursts blood vessels in the brain, helping scientists better understand how meningitis starts.

New solar cell devices that are cheaper and easier to make could soon make their way to market thanks to new materials.

New research reveals the scale of parasitic worm infections in Britain from the Prehistoric to the early Victorian periods.

Human-related extinctions of the largest herbivores and carnivores are disrupting what appears to be a fundamental feature of past and present ecosystems, says a new study.

A new study asks: What are the unique chemical and geological processes at Aix-en-Provence that preserve spiders from the Oligocene Period so exquisitely?

When a large ice sheet begins to melt, global-mean sea level rises, but local sea level near the ice sheet may in fact drop. A researcher illustrates this effect through a series of calculations, beginning with a simple, analytically tractable model and progressing through more sophisticated mathematical estimations of ice distributions and gravitation of displaced seawater mass. The paper includes numerical results for sea level change resulting from a 1,000-gigatonne loss of ice, with parameter... Читать дальше...

In a novel set of experiments with mice trained to do a sequence of movements and 'change course' at the spur of the moment, scientists report they have identified areas of the animals' brains that interact to control the ability to perform complex, sequential movements, as well as to help the mice rebound when their movements are interrupted without warning.

With a comprehensive map of the wiring, researchers can now discern what information flows into the circuit to enable a key brain function.

New research shows that a treatment for retinal vein occlusion yields long-lasting vision gains, with visual acuity remaining significantly above baseline at five years. However, many patients require ongoing treatment.

The animal collections housed at zoos and natural history museums -- living specimens in the first case, preserved in the other -- constitute an exhaustive trove of information about Earth's biodiversity. A new paper lays out a pathway to increasing collaboration between these groups that would enhance our understanding of the animal kingdom.

Existing methods for detecting and diagnosing COVID-19 are either expensive and complex or inaccurate. Now, scientists have developed a novel biosensing platform to detect and quantify viral particles using a simple optical microscope and antibody proteins. Their versatile approach, based on slowing down light, could pave the way to new diagnostic tools and next-generation detection platforms that are fast, accurate, and low-cost.

A new statement describes the importance of extracellular vesicles as a new research target for understanding the causes of certain endocrine disorders such as cancer and diabetes and discovering new treatments for these disorders.

A new study has found that after a severe stroke treated with mechanical clot removal, about one third of stroke survivors resumed work three months later. Women were about half as likely to return to work three months after a severe stroke compared to men. The likelihood of returning to work for both men and women after a severe stroke was higher if they were treated with combined mechanical clot removal and clot-busting stroke medications as compared to mechanical clot removal alone.

Soils store more carbon than all the vegetation on the Earth's surface. However, there are still many unanswered questions about precisely which processes favor accumulation in the soil. Soil scientists have now developed a new method to show where and under what conditions carbon is stored f in the soil. It turns out, it is primarily the network of soil pores that controls the spatial distribution of carbon.

In a study that offers hope for human dieters, rats on a 30-day diet who exercised intensely resisted cues for favored, high-fat food pellets. The experiment was designed to test resistance to the phenomenon known as 'incubation of craving,' meaning the longer a desired substance is denied, the harder it is to ignore signals for it. The findings suggest that exercise modulated how hard the rats were willing to work for cues associated with the pellets, reflecting how much they craved them.

Experts have developed a ground-breaking software, which combines DNA sequencing and machine learning to help them find where, and to what extent, antibiotic resistant bacteria is being transmitted between humans, animals and the environment.