Researchers discover source of super-fast electron ‘rain’: The downpours, which can affect satellites and space travel, are caused by electromagnetic whistler waves, scientists say
UCLA scientists have discovered a new source of super-fast, energetic electrons raining down on Earth, a phenomenon that contributes to the colorful aurora borealis but also poses hazards to satellites, spacecraft and astronauts. The researchers observed unexpected, rapid “electron precipitation” from low-Earth orbit using the ELFIN mission, a pair of tiny satellites built and operated […]
Scientists develop coated probiotics that could be effectively delivered into the human gut
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have developed probiotics with a unique edible coating that ensures the beneficial bacteria successfully reach the intestine once they are ingested. Probiotics are defined by the World Health Organisation as live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host[1]. They have […]
Trial use of soybean waste to tackle obesity
An international team of scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Waseda University in Japan have found that fermented soybean waste, or okara, could improve fat metabolism and mitigate effects of diet-induced obesity. Through laboratory experiments reported in the peer-reviewed scientific journal Metabolites in February, the scientists from NTU Singapore and Waseda showed […]
Scientists Worry Virus Variant May Push Up COVID Cases In US
With coronavirus cases rising in parts of Europe and Asia, scientists worry that an extra-contagious version of the omicron variant may soon push cases up in the United States too. Experts are also keeping their eyes on another mutant: a rare delta-omicron hybrid that they say doesn’t pose much of a threat right now but […]
Military Exposure to Burn Pits Under Scrutiny
Doctors, scientists, and patient advocates described the tremendous harms of burn pits to active duty service members and veterans, ranging from cancers to severe respiratory illness and death, during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel on Wednesday. Subcommittee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) opened the hearing by stating that service […]
Fast-melting alpine permafrost may contribute to rising global temperatures
From the ancient sludge of lakebeds in Asia’s Tibetan Plateau, scientists can decipher a vision of Earth’s future. That future, it turns out, will look very similar to the mid-Pliocene warm period — an epoch 3.3 million to 3 million years ago when the average air temperature at mid-latitudes rarely dropped below freezing. It was […]
Discovery of new immune process that regulates inflammation in human fat may help manage obesity
Irish and German scientists have just identified how specific immune cells can work together in fat to cause inflammation that leads to weight gain and obesity. Their work pinpoints new avenues to exploit the regulation of that inflammation in fat tissue, thereby suggesting new ways to manage obesity [Wednesday 9th March 2022]. There is a […]
Study of algae in Acadia National Park lakes shows recovery from acidification
Acadia National Park is known for its beautiful lakes — and they can tell scientists a lot about the health of the environment. New research shows that regulations to reduce human-caused sulfur in the atmosphere have made a difference for lakes in Acadia National Park, though climate change may slow that recovery. Research from the […]
‘E-nose’ could someday diagnose Parkinson’s disease by ‘smelling’ skin
Scientists have been trying to build devices that could diagnose Parkinson’s disease (PD) through odor compounds on the skin. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Omega have developed a portable, artificially intelligent olfactory system, or “e-nose,” that could someday diagnose the disease in a doctor’s office. PD causes motor symptoms, such as tremors, rigidity and trouble […]
Genetically informed atlases reveal new landscapes in brain structure: Findings identify hundreds of new genomic loci that help explain how the brain is shaped
An international team of scientists has used atlases of the human brain informed by genetics to identify hundreds of genomic loci. Loci is plural for locus, and in genetics indicates the physical location of a gene or variant on a chromosome. The work was led by Chi-Hua Chen, PhD, associate professor in the Department of […]