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• Promising treatment to slow kidney disease doesn't prove out in clinical trial
• Massive Saharan dust aerosol blanket
• Repeated head impacts associated with later-life depression symptoms, worse cognitive function
• Geochemists solve mystery of Earth's vanishing crust
• New study examines recursive thinking
• Researchers destroy cancer cells with ultrasound treatment
• Designer peptides show potential for blocking viruses, encourage future study
• Case for axion origin of dark matter gains traction
• Pattern analysis of phylogenetic trees could reveal connections between evolution, ecology
• New process could safeguard water quality, environment and health
• New protein complex gets chromosomes sorted
• Non-tobacco plant identified in ancient pipe for first time
• Extensive review of spin-gapless semiconductors: Next-generation spintronics candidates
• Computational model decodes speech by predicting it
• The millenial pre-colonial cultural influence is evident in the Amazon forest
• Chemistry paves the way for improved electronic materials
• From the lab, the first cartilage-mimicking gel that's strong enough for knees
• Process for 'two-faced' nanomaterials may aid energy, information tech
• Traffic density, wind and air stratification influence concentrations of air pollutant NO2
• Al2Pt for oxygen evolution reaction in water splitting
• Macroscopic quantum interference in an ultra-pure metal
• Marine training may take more mental than physical grit
• Comparing 13 different CRISPR-Cas9 DNA scissors
• Long-term use of muscle relaxants has skyrocketed since 2005
• Airborne chemicals could become less hazardous, thanks to a missing math formula
• Unorthodox desalination method could transform global water management
• Critical new allergy pathway
• Microbiome of anticancer compound-producing marine invertebrate
• Scientists devise new 'bar code' method to identify critical cell types in the brain
• Global pollution estimates reveal surprises, opportunity

Promising treatment to slow kidney disease doesn't prove out in clinical trial Posted: 27 Jun 2020 08:24 AM PDT Progression of kidney disease in type 1 diabetes is correlated with increased amounts of uric acid. A drug that reduces uric acid levels was tested in a multi-institution randomized clinical trial. Though the study did not show the desired clinical benefit, it did provide a very clear answer to an important scientific question.

Massive Saharan dust aerosol blanket Posted: 27 Jun 2020 08:24 AM PDT Dust storms from Africa's Saharan Desert traveling across the Atlantic Ocean are nothing new, but the current dust storm has been quite expansive and NASA satellites have provided a look at the massive June plume. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite showed the blanket of dust had moved over the Gulf of Mexico and extended into Central America and over part of the eastern Pacific Ocean.

Repeated head impacts associated with later-life depression symptoms, worse cognitive function Posted: 26 Jun 2020 01:11 PM PDT In the largest study of its kind, an association has been found in living patients exposed to repetitive head impacts and difficulties with cognitive functioning and depression years or decades later.

Geochemists solve mystery of Earth's vanishing crust Posted: 26 Jun 2020 11:14 AM PDT A team of geochemists has found new evidence that Earth has been consistently churning out crust since its formation 4.5 billion years ago and that some crust is made of ancient, resurfaced chunks.

New study examines recursive thinking Posted: 26 Jun 2020 11:14 AM PDT A multi-institutional research team found the cognitive ability to represent recursive sequences occurs in humans and non-human primates across age, education, culture and species.

Researchers destroy cancer cells with ultrasound treatment Posted: 26 Jun 2020 11:14 AM PDT An international research team has developed a noninvasive technology platform for gene delivery into breast cancer cells. The technique combines ultrasound with tumor-targeted microbubbles.

Designer peptides show potential for blocking viruses, encourage future study Posted: 26 Jun 2020 09:50 AM PDT Chemically engineered peptides could prove valuable in the battle against some of the most persistent human health challenges. New findings demonstrate how researchers can engineer peptides capable of selectively and specifically binding to polysialic acid (PSA) -- a carbohydrate that is present in many human cells and plays a key role in various physiological and pathological processes, including neurological development and disease progression.

Case for axion origin of dark matter gains traction Posted: 26 Jun 2020 09:50 AM PDT In a new study of axion motion, researchers propose a scenario known as ''kinetic misalignment'' that greatly strengthens the case for axion/dark matter equivalence. The novel concept answers key questions related to the origins of dark matter and provides new avenues for ongoing detection efforts.

Pattern analysis of phylogenetic trees could reveal connections between evolution, ecology Posted: 26 Jun 2020 09:50 AM PDT In biology, phylogenetic trees represent the evolutionary history and diversification of species -- the ''family tree'' of Life. Phylogenetic trees not only describe the evolution of a group of organisms but can also be constructed from the organisms within a particular environment or ecosystem, such as the human microbiome. In this way, they can describe how this ecosystem evolved and what its functional capabilities might be.

New process could safeguard water quality, environment and health Posted: 26 Jun 2020 08:48 AM PDT Researchers have developed a new way to quickly find and remove wastewater pollutants, which can reduce their impact on the environment.

New protein complex gets chromosomes sorted Posted: 26 Jun 2020 08:48 AM PDT Researchers have identified a novel protein complex that regulates Aurora B localization to ensure that chromosomes are correctly separated during cell division. The complex, NWC, is made up of three proteins: NOL11, WDR43, and Cirhin. In the absence of NWC, Aurora B did not accumulate at centromeres, and chromosome movement and alignment were impaired. Together, these results show that NWC is required for faithful chromosome segregation.

Non-tobacco plant identified in ancient pipe for first time Posted: 26 Jun 2020 08:48 AM PDT People in what is now Washington State were smoking Rhus glabra, a plant commonly known as smooth sumac, more than 1,400 years ago. The discovery marks the first-time scientists have identified residue from a non-tobacco plant in an archeological pipe.

Extensive review of spin-gapless semiconductors: Next-generation spintronics candidates Posted: 26 Jun 2020 08:48 AM PDT Scientists have published an extensive review of spin-gapless semiconductors (SGSs), a new class of 'zero bandgap' materials which have fully spin polarised electrons and holes, and first proposed in 2008. The study tightens the search for materials that would allow for ultra-fast, ultra-low energy 'spintronic' electronics with no wasted dissipation of energy from electrical conduction.

Computational model decodes speech by predicting it Posted: 26 Jun 2020 08:48 AM PDT UNIGE scientists developed a neuro-computer model which helps explain how the brain identifies syllables in natural speech. The model uses the equivalent of neuronal oscillations produced by brain activity to process the continuous sound flow of connected speech. The model functions according to a theory known as predictive coding, whereby the brain optimizes perception by constantly trying to predict the sensory signals based on candidate hypotheses (syllables in this model).

The millenial pre-colonial cultural influence is evident in the Amazon forest Posted: 26 Jun 2020 08:48 AM PDT Before the arrival of European colonizers, the Amazonian Indigenous peoples cultivated their food - cassava, corn, pineapple, peppers and squash, among other things. The food of the ancient civilizations of the Amazon also largely consisted of the fruits of palm and Brazilian nut trees. The protection and management of trees across generations have affected the diversity of the rainforest right up until the present time.

Chemistry paves the way for improved electronic materials Posted: 26 Jun 2020 08:48 AM PDT Indium nitride is a promising material for use in electronics, but difficult to manufacture. Scientists have now developed a new molecule that can be used to create high-quality indium nitride, making it possible to use it in, for example, high-frequency electronics.

From the lab, the first cartilage-mimicking gel that's strong enough for knees Posted: 26 Jun 2020 08:47 AM PDT The thin, slippery layer of cartilage between the bones in the knee is magical stuff: strong enough to withstand a person's weight, but soft and supple enough to cushion the joint against impact, over decades of repeat use. That combination of soft-yet-strong has been hard to reproduce in the lab. But now, researchers say they've created an experimental gel that's the first to match the strength and durability of the real thing.

Process for 'two-faced' nanomaterials may aid energy, information tech Posted: 26 Jun 2020 08:47 AM PDT A team used a simple process to implant atoms precisely into the top layers of ultra-thin crystals, yielding two-sided structures with different chemical compositions. The resulting materials, known as Janus structures after the two-faced Roman god, may prove useful in developing energy and information technologies.

Traffic density, wind and air stratification influence concentrations of air pollutant NO2 Posted: 26 Jun 2020 08:47 AM PDT Traffic density is the most important factor for much the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide (NO2). However, weather also has an influence, according to a new study, which evaluated the influence of weather conditions on nitrogen dioxide concentrations in Saxony 2015 to 2018. It was shown that wind speed and the height of the lowest air layer are the most important factors that determine how much pollutants can accumulate locally.

Al2Pt for oxygen evolution reaction in water splitting Posted: 26 Jun 2020 08:47 AM PDT Scientists have been looking into the rational design of new types of OER electrocatalysts and addressing fundamental questions about the key reactions in energy conversion.

Macroscopic quantum interference in an ultra-pure metal Posted: 26 Jun 2020 08:47 AM PDT As high school students see in experiments with water waves, and we observe and use with light waves in many optical devices, interference is a fundamental property associated with wave-like behavior. Indeed, Davisson and Germer's famous observation of interference in experiments with dilute beams of electrons, nearly a century ago, gave key experimental support to the correctness of the then-new quantum theory.

Marine training may take more mental than physical grit Posted: 26 Jun 2020 06:27 AM PDT A new study identifies psychological measures that may predict who is more likely to complete - or quit - a demanding marine training course.

Comparing 13 different CRISPR-Cas9 DNA scissors Posted: 26 Jun 2020 06:27 AM PDT Scientists have achieved the most extensive high-throughput analysis of CRISPR-Cas9 activities. The team developed deep-learning-based computational models that predict the activities of SpCas9 variants for different DNA sequences. This study represents a useful guide for selecting the most appropriate SpCas9 variant.

Long-term use of muscle relaxants has skyrocketed since 2005 Posted: 26 Jun 2020 06:27 AM PDT Researchers found the drugs were prescribed disproportionately to older adults, often concurrently with opioids, despite warnings against this dangerous combination.

Airborne chemicals could become less hazardous, thanks to a missing math formula Posted: 25 Jun 2020 01:48 PM PDT Researchers have figured out a way to calculate surface viscosity just by looking at a stretched droplet as it starts to break.

Unorthodox desalination method could transform global water management Posted: 25 Jun 2020 01:48 PM PDT Over the past year, researchers have been refining their unconventional desalination approach for hypersaline brines -- temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) -- that shows great promise for widespread use. The team now reports that their method has enabled them to attain energy-efficient zero-liquid discharge of ultrahigh salinity brines -- the first demonstration of TSSE for ZLD desalination of hypersaline brines.

Critical new allergy pathway Posted: 25 Jun 2020 01:22 PM PDT Researchers have identified the sequence of molecular events by which tiny, tick-like creatures called house dust mites trigger asthma and allergic rhinitis.

Microbiome of anticancer compound-producing marine invertebrate Posted: 25 Jun 2020 01:22 PM PDT Could the cure for melanoma - the most dangerous type of skin cancer -- be a compound derived from a marine invertebrate that lives at the bottom of the ocean? A group of scientists think so, and are looking to the microbiome of an Antarctic ascidian called Synoicum adareanum to better understand the possibilities for development of a melanoma-specific drug.

Scientists devise new 'bar code' method to identify critical cell types in the brain Posted: 25 Jun 2020 01:22 PM PDT A discovery could pave the way for future studies aimed at developing solutions to ALS and other vexing neuromuscular diseases.

Global pollution estimates reveal surprises, opportunity Posted: 25 Jun 2020 01:22 PM PDT Using recent satellite observations, ground monitoring and computational modeling, researchers have released a survey of global pollution rates. There are a couple of surprises, for worse, but also, for better.

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