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• T cells take the lead in controlling SARS-CoV-2 and reducing COVID-19 disease severity
• As pandemic progressed, people's perceived risks went up
• People's life goals relate to their personality type
• Epidemics and pandemics can exacerbate xenophobia, bigotry
• World's oldest animal sperm found in tiny crustaceans trapped in Myanmar amber
• Scientists identify gene family key to unlocking vertebrate evolution
• A new species of spider
• Researchers demonstrate record speed with advanced spectroscopy technique
• Biologists developing global citizen network to monitor insect abundance
• The unintended consequence of becoming empathetic
• Fast calculation dials in better batteries
• Colorado's famous aspens expected to decline due to climate change
• Physicists develop basic principles for mini-labs on chips
• Can life survive a star's death? Webb telescope can reveal the answer
• Security software for autonomous vehicles
• Enormous planet quickly orbiting a tiny, dying star
• World's largest DNA sequencing of Viking skeletons reveals they weren't all Scandinavian
• A new discovery in regenerative medicine
• Marine animals live where ocean is most breathable, ranges may shrink with climate change
• Building bridges: PARP enzymes bring broken DNA together
• Anti-reflective coating inspired by fly eyes
• Next-gen organoids grow and function like real tissues
• Brain circuitry underlying dissociative experiences
• Scientist searches for stellar phosphorus to find potentially habitable exoplanets
• Coconut rhinoceros beetle makes unexpected 'host shift' to Guam's cycad trees
• Reprogramming brain cells enables flexible decision-making
• Liquid water at 170 degrees Celsius
• Novel photoresist enables 3D printing of smallest porous structures
• Researchers ask: how sustainable is your toothbrush?
• Siberia's permafrost erosion has been worsening for years
• Replicating a genome starts with a twist, a pinch, and a bit of a dance
• Rapid 3D printing with visible light
• Potential COVID-19 drug azithromycin may increase risk for cardiac events
• Device could help detect signs of extraterrestrial life
• Engineers improve signal processing for small fiber optic cables
• Can pumping up cold water from deep within the ocean halt coral bleaching?
• Mercury concentrations in Yukon river fish could surpass EPA criterion by 2050
• A quantum thermometer for measuring ultra-cold temperatures
• Modern theory from ancient impacts
• Unraveling a spiral stream of dusty embers from a massive binary stellar forge
• Factors inherent to obesity could increase vulnerability to COVID-19
• Reviewing the quantum material 'engine room'
• New way of controlling conductivity of materials at the nanoscale
• Paleontology: The oldest known sperm cells
• Choosing the right cover crop to protect the soil
• Better material for wearable biosensors
• Slower growing chickens experience higher welfare, commercial scale study finds
• Late childhood peer group status linked to heightened adult circulatory disease risk
• 1 in 10 COVID-19 patients return to hospital after being sent home from ER
• COVID-19 virus uses heparan sulfate to get inside cells
• Did our early ancestors boil their food in hot springs?

T cells take the lead in controlling SARS-CoV-2 and reducing COVID-19 disease severity Posted: 16 Sep 2020 12:48 PM PDT A multi-layered, virus-specific immune response is important for controlling SARS-CoV-2 during the acute phase of the infection and reducing COVID-19 disease severity, with the bulk of the evidence pointing to a much bigger role for T cells than antibodies. A weak or uncoordinated immune response, on the other hand, predicts a poor disease outcome.

As pandemic progressed, people's perceived risks went up Posted: 16 Sep 2020 12:48 PM PDT A recent study documents how personal risk assessment and protective behaviors are linked.

People's life goals relate to their personality type Posted: 16 Sep 2020 10:56 AM PDT A new study suggests that for the most part, people formulate goals consistent with their personality traits.

Epidemics and pandemics can exacerbate xenophobia, bigotry Posted: 16 Sep 2020 10:11 AM PDT Instincts developed to protect us from illnesses can generalize into avoidance of healthy individuals who simply look, speak or live differently.

World's oldest animal sperm found in tiny crustaceans trapped in Myanmar amber Posted: 16 Sep 2020 10:10 AM PDT New research has led to the discovery of world's oldest animal sperm inside a tiny crustacean trapped in amber around 100 million years ago in Myanmar.

Scientists identify gene family key to unlocking vertebrate evolution Posted: 16 Sep 2020 10:10 AM PDT New research finds that the traits that make vertebrates distinct from invertebrates were made possible by the emergence of a new set of genes 500 million years ago, documenting an important episode in evolution where new genes played a significant role in the evolution of novel traits in vertebrates.

A new species of spider Posted: 16 Sep 2020 10:10 AM PDT During a research stay in the highlands of Colombia conducted as part of her doctorate, a PhD student has discovered and zoologically described a new species of spider.

Researchers demonstrate record speed with advanced spectroscopy technique Posted: 16 Sep 2020 10:10 AM PDT Researchers have developed an advanced spectrometer that can acquire data with exceptionally high speed. The new spectrometer could be useful for a variety of applications including remote sensing, real-time biological imaging and machine vision.

Biologists developing global citizen network to monitor insect abundance Posted: 16 Sep 2020 10:10 AM PDT Biologists are building a volunteer network of citizen scientists to help monitor the abundance of dragonflies and damselflies.

The unintended consequence of becoming empathetic Posted: 16 Sep 2020 10:10 AM PDT Many people want to become more empathetic. But, these changes in personality may also lead to changes in political ideologies.

Fast calculation dials in better batteries Posted: 16 Sep 2020 10:10 AM PDT A simpler and more efficient way to predict the performance of batteries will lead to better batteries, according to engineers.

Colorado's famous aspens expected to decline due to climate change Posted: 16 Sep 2020 10:08 AM PDT Using computer modeling, researchers simulated how the distribution of quaking aspen, a native tree known for its brilliant yellow and orange foliage in fall and the sound of its trembling leaves, will change amid rising temperatures over the next 100 years.

Physicists develop basic principles for mini-labs on chips Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:36 AM PDT Colloidal particles have become increasingly important for research as vehicles of biochemical agents. In future, it will be possible to study their behavior much more efficiently than before by placing them on a magnetized chip. A research team has discovered that colloidal rods can be moved on a chip quickly, precisely, and in different directions. A pre-programmed magnetic field even enables these controlled movements to occur simultaneously.

Can life survive a star's death? Webb telescope can reveal the answer Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:36 AM PDT When stars like our sun die, all that remains is an exposed core -- a white dwarf. A planet orbiting a white dwarf presents a promising opportunity to determine if life can survive the death of its star, according to researchers.

Security software for autonomous vehicles Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:36 AM PDT Before autonomous vehicles participate in road traffic, they must demonstrate conclusively that they do not pose a danger to others. New software prevents accidents by predicting different variants of a traffic situation every millisecond.

Enormous planet quickly orbiting a tiny, dying star Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT Thanks to a bevy of telescopes in space and on Earth -- and even a pair of amateur astronomers in Arizona -- astronomers have discovered a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting at breakneck speed around a distant white dwarf star.

World's largest DNA sequencing of Viking skeletons reveals they weren't all Scandinavian Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT Invaders, pirates, warriors - the history books taught us that Vikings were brutal predators who travelled by sea from Scandinavia to pillage and raid their way across Europe and beyond. Now cutting-edge DNA sequencing of more than 400 Viking skeletons from archaeological sites scattered across Europe and Greenland will rewrite the history books.

A new discovery in regenerative medicine Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT Researchers have made an unexpected world-first stem cell discovery that may lead to new treatments for placenta complications during pregnancy.

Marine animals live where ocean is most breathable, ranges may shrink with climate change Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT New research shows that a wide variety of marine animals -- from vertebrates to crustaceans to mollusks -- already inhabit the maximum range of breathable ocean that their physiology will allow. The findings provide a warning about climate change: Since warmer waters will harbor less oxygen, some stretches of ocean that are breathable today for a given species may not be in the future.

Building bridges: PARP enzymes bring broken DNA together Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT Researchers capture the structure of PARP enzymes at work, leading to a new understanding of DNA repair that may aid cancer treatments targeting the process.

Anti-reflective coating inspired by fly eyes Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT The eyes of the fruit fly are covered by a thin and transparent coating with anti-reflective, anti-adhesive properties. Researchers discovered that the coating only consists of two ingredients: retinin and corneal wax. They succeeded in artificially reproducing the phenomenon on different kinds of surface. This process, which is very inexpensive and is based on biodegradable materials, could have numerous applications for contact lenses, medical implants and textiles.

Next-gen organoids grow and function like real tissues Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT Bioengineers have created miniature intestines in a dish that match up anatomically and functionally to the real thing better than any other lab-grown tissue models. The biological complexity and longevity of the new organoid technology is an important step towards enabling drug testing, personalized medicine, and perhaps, one day, transplantations.

Brain circuitry underlying dissociative experiences Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT Scientists identified key brain circuitry that plays a role in the mysterious experience called dissociation, in which people can feel disconnected from their own body and from reality.

Scientist searches for stellar phosphorus to find potentially habitable exoplanets Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT A scientist has identified stellar phosphorus as a probable marker in narrowing the search for life in the cosmos. She has developed techniques to identify stars likely to host exoplanets, based on the composition of stars known to have planets, and proposes that upcoming studies target stellar phosphorus to find systems with the greatest probability for hosting life as we know it.

Coconut rhinoceros beetle makes unexpected 'host shift' to Guam's cycad trees Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT Researchers have documented what biologists call a 'host shift' of the coconut rhinoceros beetle in Guam. The beetle, first documented as an invasive species in Guam in 2007, has been devastating the island's ubiquitous coconut palms and is now also burrowing into Guam's endangered native cycad tree, Cycas micronesica.

Reprogramming brain cells enables flexible decision-making Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT Humans, like other animals, have the ability to constantly adapt to new situations. Researchers have utilized a mouse model to reveal which neurons in the brain are in command in guiding adaptive behavior. Their new study contributes to our understanding of decision-making processes in healthy and infirm people.

Liquid water at 170 degrees Celsius Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT Using an X-ray laser, a research team has investigated how water heats up under extreme conditions. In the process, the scientists were able to observe water that remained liquid even at temperatures of more than 170 degrees Celsius. The investigation revealed an anomalous dynamic behavior of water, which is of fundamental importance for investigations of sensitive samples using X-ray lasers.

Novel photoresist enables 3D printing of smallest porous structures Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:35 AM PDT Researchers have developed a photoresist for two-photon microprinting. It has now been used for the first time to produce three-dimensional polymer microstructures with cavities in the nano range. The scientists report how porosity can be controlled during printing and how this affects light scattering properties of the microstructures.

Researchers ask: how sustainable is your toothbrush? Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:34 AM PDT Researchers have examined the sustainability of different models of the most commonly used oral health product - the toothbrush - to ascertain which is best for the planet and associated human health.

Siberia's permafrost erosion has been worsening for years Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:34 AM PDT The Arctic is warming faster than any other region on the planet. As a result, permafrost that is thousands of years old is now being lost to erosion. As measurements gathered on the Lena River show, the scale of erosion is alarming.

Replicating a genome starts with a twist, a pinch, and a bit of a dance Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:34 AM PDT DNA replication begins with a set of proteins -- the Origin of Replication Complex (ORC). Researchers published images of the human ORC in exquisite detail, showing how it changes shapes in dramatic ways as it assembles around DNA.

Rapid 3D printing with visible light Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:34 AM PDT 3D printing has driven innovations in fields ranging from art to aerospace to medicine. However, the high-energy ultraviolet (UV) light used in most 3D printers to cure liquid resins into solid objects limits the technique's applications. Visible-light curing, which would be more appropriate for some uses, such as tissue engineering and soft robotics, is slow. Now, researchers have developed photopolymer resins that boost the speed of visible-light curing.

Potential COVID-19 drug azithromycin may increase risk for cardiac events Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:34 AM PDT Azithromycin -- a commonly-prescribed antibiotic -- also is being investigated as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Researchers have found that azithromycin by itself is not associated with an increase in cardiac events; however, if the drug is taken with certain other drugs that affect the electrical functioning of the heart, then cardiac events increased.

Device could help detect signs of extraterrestrial life Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:34 AM PDT Although Earth is uniquely situated in the solar system to support creatures that call it home, different forms of life could have once existed, or might still exist, on other planets. But finding traces of past or current lifeforms on other worlds is challenging. Now, researchers have developed a fully automated microchip electrophoresis analyzer that, when incorporated into a planetary rover, could someday detect organic biosignatures in extraterrestrial soil.

Engineers improve signal processing for small fiber optic cables Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:34 AM PDT Tiny circuits can go the distance. Researchers have mapped a noise-reducing magneto-optical response that occurs in fiber-optic communications, opening the door for new materials technologies.

Can pumping up cold water from deep within the ocean halt coral bleaching? Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:34 AM PDT Rising ocean temperatures cause marine heat waves, which place stress on living coral animals, as well as the photosynthetic algae on which they depend for energy. A new study is showing potential for the use of artificial upwelling (AU)-- or the application of cooler, deep water -- as a way to mitigate the thermal stress on corals.

Mercury concentrations in Yukon river fish could surpass EPA criterion by 2050 Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:34 AM PDT The concentration of mercury in the fish in Alaska's Yukon River may exceed the EPA's human health criterion by 2050 if greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming are not constrained, according to new research.

A quantum thermometer for measuring ultra-cold temperatures Posted: 16 Sep 2020 08:34 AM PDT In everyday life, measuring temperature is pretty straightforward. But in the quantum world, which deals with the super small and the ultra-cold, determining how hot or cold something is starts to get more challenging. Now researchers have described a quantum process that uses a single atom as a thermometer to sensitively measure the temperature of an ultra-cold gas.

Modern theory from ancient impacts Posted: 16 Sep 2020 06:42 AM PDT It is generally accepted that the inner region of the early solar system was subject to an intense period of meteoric bombardment referred to as the late heavy bombardment. However, researchers have found evidence that suggests this period occurred slightly earlier than thought and was less intense but also more prolonged. Such details about this period could impact theories about the early Earth and the dawn of life.

Unraveling a spiral stream of dusty embers from a massive binary stellar forge Posted: 16 Sep 2020 06:42 AM PDT With almost two decades of mid-infrared imaging from the largest observatories around the world including the Subaru Telescope, a team of astronomers was able to capture the spiral motion of newly formed dust streaming from the massive and evolved binary star system WR112. The study reveals the motion of the dusty outflow from the system and identifies WR112 as a highly efficient dust factory that produces an entire Earth mass of dust every year.

Factors inherent to obesity could increase vulnerability to COVID-19 Posted: 16 Sep 2020 06:42 AM PDT Conditions related to obesity, including inflammation and leaky gut, leave the lungs of obese patients more susceptible to COVID-19 and may explain why they are more likely to die from the disease, scientists say. They suggest that drugs used to lower inflammation in the lungs could prove beneficial to obese patients with the disease.

Reviewing the quantum material 'engine room' Posted: 16 Sep 2020 06:42 AM PDT An Australian collaboration reviews the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE), one of the most fascinating and important recent discoveries in condensed-matter physics. QAHE allows zero-resistance electrical 'edge paths' in emerging quantum materials such as topological insulators, opening great potential for ultra-low energy electronics.

New way of controlling conductivity of materials at the nanoscale Posted: 16 Sep 2020 06:39 AM PDT A new discovery is an important step towards smaller, more advanced electronics. And maybe more environmentally friendly gadgets, too.

Paleontology: The oldest known sperm cells Posted: 16 Sep 2020 06:05 AM PDT An international team of paleontologists has discovered giant sperm cells in a 100-million year-old female ostracod preserved in a sample of amber. Clearly, the tiny crustacean had mated shortly before being entombed in a drop of tree resin.

Choosing the right cover crop to protect the soil Posted: 16 Sep 2020 06:05 AM PDT Research helps farmers pick the best cover crops to keep their soil and nutrients in the field.

Better material for wearable biosensors Posted: 16 Sep 2020 06:05 AM PDT Researchers have used electrospinning to make porous silicone that allows sweat to evaporate.

Slower growing chickens experience higher welfare, commercial scale study finds Posted: 16 Sep 2020 06:05 AM PDT Slower growing broiler chickens are healthier and have more fun than conventional breeds of birds, new evidence from an independent commercial scale farm trial has shown.

Late childhood peer group status linked to heightened adult circulatory disease risk Posted: 15 Sep 2020 04:42 PM PDT Late childhood peer group status may be linked to a heightened risk of developing circulatory system disease --- conditions that affect the normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels -- in later life, indicates new research.

1 in 10 COVID-19 patients return to hospital after being sent home from ER Posted: 15 Sep 2020 04:42 PM PDT A new study finds patients with low pulse oximetry readings or fever were more than three times as likely to require hospitalization after their initial discharge as compared to other COVID-19 patients.

COVID-19 virus uses heparan sulfate to get inside cells Posted: 15 Sep 2020 12:24 PM PDT Researchers discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can't grab hold of cell receptor ACE2 without a carbohydrate called heparan sulfate, which is also found on lung cell surfaces -- disrupting that interaction with a repurposed drug may help treat COVID-19.

Did our early ancestors boil their food in hot springs? Posted: 15 Sep 2020 12:24 PM PDT Scientists have found evidence of hot springs near sites where ancient hominids settled, long before the control of fire.

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