Новости за 02.08.2022

A group of researchers has succeeded in converting methane into methanol using light and dispersed transition metals such as copper in a process known as photo-oxidation. According to an article reporting the study published in Chemical Communications, the reaction was the best obtained to date for conversion of methane gas into liquid fuel under ambient conditions of temperature and pressure (25 °C and 1 bar respectively).

To combat the ongoing threat of mosquito-borne diseases worldwide, University of South Florida researchers have launched a mosquito-tracking dashboard driven by citizen science—a scalable solution proven effective in a recent USF study.

Weddell seals are excellent divers, and provide so much iron to their pups during lactation that the mothers dramatically limit their own diving and underwater foraging capabilities.

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) and six other leading research associations have submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of narrowly tailored race-conscious admissions practices at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Joining AERA on the brief were the American Anthropological Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Political Science Association, the American Sociological Association, the Association for the Study of Higher Education... Читать дальше...

A new study has found that boaters often cluster along the edges of marine protected areas (MPAs) off the coast of California. These new findings suggest that fishers are aware of the MPA boundaries and cluster just outside them to potentially benefit from better fishing opportunities by "fishing the line."

Projections previously indicated that the vaquita could be extinct by now but, while they remain the world's most endangered marine mammal, the new research shows the few survivors are reproducing, and may have developed ways to avoid the gillnets that have otherwise decimated the species.

For the first time, plant biologists have defined the high-efficiency "hacks" that cannabis cells use to make cannabinoids (THC/CBD). Although many biotechnology companies are currently trying to engineer THC/CBD outside the plant in yeast or cell cultures, it is largely unknown how the plant does it naturally.

A fruit fly genome is not a just made up of fruit fly DNA—at least for one fruit fly species. New research from the University of Maryland School of Medicine's (UMSOM) Institute for Genome Sciences (IGS) shows that one fruit fly species contains whole genomes of a kind of bacteria, making this finding the largest bacteria-to-animal transfer of genetic material ever discovered. The new research also sheds light on how this happens.

A UBC Okanagan research team has created a computer modeling program to help scientists predict the effect of climate damage and eventual restoration plans on coral reefs around the globe.

Using single calcite crystals with varying surface roughness allows engineers to simplify the complex physics that describes fault movement. In a new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, researchers show how this simplification may lead to better earthquake prediction.

Quantum computing, though still in its early days, has the potential to dramatically increase processing power by harnessing the strange behavior of particles at the smallest scales. Some research groups have already reported performing calculations that would take a traditional supercomputer thousands of years. In the long term, quantum computers could provide unbreakable encryption and simulations of nature beyond today's capabilities.

Adjusting the sowing dates for wheat in eastern India will increase untapped potential production by 69%, new research shows, helping to ensure food security and farm profitability as the planet warms.

The region's sewers, creeks and storm drains were no match for last week's record-shattering rainfall—a downpour remarkable not just for its unprecedented total, but also for its intensity. Pouring water sprawled over creek banks, across roads, and into homes and vehicles, stranding hundreds and killing two.

Florida's marine life attracts people from all over the world—but what happens if someone gets too comfortable with the state's natural wonders?

Researchers have harnessed the light-guiding properties of spider silk to develop a sensor that can detect and measure small changes in the refractive index of a biological solution, including glucose and other types of sugar solutions. The new light-based sensor might one day be useful for measuring blood sugar and other biochemical analytes.

Griffith University researchers have discovered a genetic switch in a common bacterium that helps defend itself against the human body's natural immune system.

Researchers at the University of Würzburg have developed "photoswitching fingerprint analysis"—a unique technology that for the first time allows the analysis of molecular processes and the regulation of individual proteins in living cells with sub-10 nm spatial resolution. Its application ranges from biological to medical research and the work has been published in Nature Methods.

Scientists from Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST) have used elastic shell theory to describe how the stiffness of plant cell walls depends on their elasticity and internal turgor pressure. By utilizing atomic force microscopy (AFM) combined with finite element computer simulations, they were able to show that cell stiffness is very sensitive to internal turgor pressure.

Agri-environment schemes can significantly increase local bird and butterfly populations without damaging food production, a long-term research project has found.

A team of researchers at the University of Cambridge, working with colleagues from the University of Turin and Zoomarine Italia, has found evidence of bottle-nosed dolphins having episodic memory recall. In their paper published in the journal Current Biology, the group outlines the experiments they conducted with the dolphins and what they learned from them.

The finale of ITV's Love Island was watched by millions of fans, many commenting live on social media as Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti were awarded the £50,000 prize. The four couples who made the final will now leave the Majorca villa where they've kissed, cried and cracked on for the past eight weeks. When they enter the outside world, they will be met with massive amounts of attention.

Oxygen plays a key role in various industrial processes, including combustion and energy conversion, which are involved in important fields such as fuel cells, automotive engines, and gas turbines. Thus, a real-time, accurate measurement of oxygen concentration is crucial for the seamless functioning of these industries.

In 2015, the member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The central element is the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include "Zero Hunger", "Clean Water", "Responsible Consumption" and "Life Below Water". The SDGs relate to all three pillars of sustainability, i.e. social, economic and environmental sustainability. Achieving the goals should enable a life of dignity for everyone worldwide and conserve the planet's natural resources on a sustained basis. Читать дальше...

New research from the University of Cincinnati shows early indications that light can be used as a treatment for certain diseases, including cancer.

Opera arias are typically rich in coloratura, for example fast, high notes that stretch over a wide frequency range. Coloratura aren't just beautiful to listen to: they are also designed to allow the best singers to show off their virtuosity. Now, researchers from Sam Ratulangi University in Indonesia and Cornell University in the US show that pairs of Gursky's spectral tarsier sing duets that have evolved to similarly show off virtuosity—at least, for those individuals that manage to pull off their species' version of coloratura... Читать дальше...