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A cochlear signal, the exact role of which has been unclear since its discovery around 70 years ago, probably gives the brain information on whether the ear is functioning normally or not. This is the conclusion of a study from Linköping University, Sweden. Its findings are an important piece of…
Sulphuric acid is the world’s most used chemical. It is an important reagent used in many industries and it is used in the manufacture of everything from paper, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics to batteries, detergents and fertilisers. It is therefore a worldwide challenge that sulphuric acid often contains one of the…
CNN — The minefields in southern Ukraine are so dense, the troops trying to liberate the area can only advance “tree by tree,” one soldier involved in Kyiv’s counteroffensive in the south told CNN. In all his years of service, he said, he’s never seen this many mines. The soldier,…
Ukrainian servicemen ride in a T-80 main battle tank captured earlier from Russian troops, along a road near the front line town of Bakhmut on June 19. Serhii Nuzhnenko/Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty/Reuters The minefields in southern Ukraine are so dense, the troops trying to liberate the area can only advance “tree by…
In an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Michael Mann, professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Science in the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts & Sciences, and colleagues from Clemson University, the University of California Los Angeles, and Columbia University investigate the…
A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and BC Children’s Hospital shows the sugar sialic acid, which makes up part of the protective intestinal mucus layer, fuels disease-causing bacteria in the gut. The findings, published in PNAS, suggest a potential treatment target for intestinal bacterial…
Rising global temperatures are making it harder for birds to know when it’s spring and time to breed according to a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A large collaboration led by scientists at UCLA and Michigan State University has found that birds produce fewer…
When photosynthetic cells absorb light from the sun, packets of energy called photons leap between a series of light-harvesting proteins until they reach the photosynthetic reaction center. There, cells convert the energy into electrons, which eventually power the production of sugar molecules. This transfer of energy through the light-harvesting complex…
Since the mid-1600s, chemists have been fascinated with brightly colored, coral-like structures that form by mixing metal salts in a small bottle. Until now, researchers have been unable to model how these deceptively simple tubular structures — called chemical gardens — work and the patterns and rules that govern their…
A new study from Aarhus University shows that when female athletes lower their energy intake and increase their training, their health and the ability of their muscles to respond to training are negatively impacted. Diet and training go hand in hand if you want to achieve the best results. Most…
Taste receptors for bitter substances are not only found on the tongue but also on cells outside the oral cavity. As a new study by the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich now shows, extraoral bitter taste receptors could also serve as endogenous sensors…
Once a year, a small forest in Zambia becomes the site of one of the world’s greatest natural spectacles. In November, straw-colored fruit bats migrate from across the African continent to a patch of trees in Kasanka National Park. For reasons not yet known, the bats converge for three months…
A theoretical understanding of the relationship between the geometrical structure of hollow-core optical fibres and their leakage loss will inspire the design of novel low-loss fibres. Immense progress has been made in recent years to increase the efficiency of optical fibres through the design of cables that allow data to…
Scientists have for the first time observed the early universe running in extreme slow motion, unlocking one of the mysteries of Einstein’s expanding universe. Einstein’s general theory of relativity means that we should observe the distant — and hence ancient — universe running much slower than the present day. However,…
A new study by investigators from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington and Mass General Brigham found that maternal mortality rates have worsened from 1999 to 2019, hitting some racial and ethnic groups and states harder than others. Their results are published in…
Artificial intelligence can predict on- and off-target activity of CRISPR tools that target RNA instead of DNA, according to new research published in Nature Biotechnology. The study by researchers at New York University, Columbia Engineering, and the New York Genome Center, combines a deep learning model with CRISPR screens to…
Gene therapy that alters hemoglobin genes may be an answer to curing sickle cell disease (SCD) and beta thalassemia. These two common life-threatening anemias afflict millions of individuals across the globe. Scientists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard used a next-generation genome…
An El Niño event has officially begun. The climate phenomenon, which originates in the tropical Pacific and occurs in intervals of a few years will shape weather across the planet for the next year or more and give rise to various climatic extremes. El Niño-like conditions can also occur on…
Researchers have identified a strategy that can offset the random and unpredictable nature of weather conditions that threaten carbon emission reduction efforts in the shipping sector. Erratic weather is a major source of concern for ship owners installing modern sails to reduce carbon emissions. However, new research from The University…
Resource managers and conservationists have been offered an innovative, new approach to selecting coral species for reef restoration. An international team of scientists worked together to develop this approach during a workshop organized by the University of Melbourne (U Melbourne) and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). In a…
It’s estimated that by 2030 carbon and glass fibre composites (CFRP), materials commonly used in wind turbine blades, hydrogen tanks, airplanes, yachts, construction, and car manufacturing, will be a key waste stream worldwide. The annual accumulation of CFRP waste from aircraft and wind turbine industries alone is projected to reach…
“Large Language Models are neural network language models with remarkable conversational skills. They generate human-like responses and engage in interactive conversations. However, they often generate highly convincing statements that are verifiably wrong or provide inappropriate responses. Today there is no way to be certain about the quality, evidence level, or…
An international research team has discovered that a subduction zone’s age affects the ability for it to recycle water between the Earth’s surface and its inner layers. Details of their findings were reported in the journal Geology on July 1, 2023. When two tectonic plates collide and one subducts beneath…
The Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service revealed that over the last year, more than 370,000 Koreans sought medical help for infertility or difficulties in conceiving. This represents a 4.7 percent increase in infertility-related treatments and a 16 percent rise in subfertility-related treatments compared to the 2018 data. Korea’s birth…
Amazon river dolphins are under threat from fishing and proposed new dams and dredging, research shows. Scientists used satellite tags to track eight dolphins in the Peruvian Amazon, to discover where they went in relation to fishing areas and proposed dams and dredging sites. On average, 89% of the dolphins’…
Transistors that can change properties are important elements in the development of tomorrow’s semiconductors. With standard transistors approaching the limit for how small they can be, having more functions on the same number of units becomes increasingly important in enabling the development of small, energy-efficient circuits for improved memory and…
Bluetongue virus, an incurable cattle and sheep-killing disease, is spread by tiny flies once thought to disappear in winter. New research demonstrates that though they are harder to find when it’s cold, they remain active. Bluetongue virus is common in cattle throughout most of the United States, particularly in the…
