Bringing SETI science to community colleges SETI Institute Launches ARISE Lab, Bringing SETI and Radio Astronomy to Community Colleges The SETI Institute announced it will expand its pilot program funded through a grant from the Amateur Radio and Digital Communication (ARDC) Foundation now called ARISE Lab (arise.seti.org). This initiative brings SETI science to community colleges and provides hands-on training for community college instructors and students in astronomy, digital signal processing, and radio science. “Hands-on experiences are proven to improve student…
The amygdala plays a key role in driving increased risk-taking Expecting feedback from an avatar compared to a real human facilitates risk-taking behavior in a gambling task, and a brain region called the amygdala is central to this facilitation, according to a study published April 22nd in the open-access journal PLOS Biology by Toshiko Tanaka and Masahiko Haruno from the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Japan. In virtual-reality environments, individuals can adopt various forms of avatars, projecting their behaviors…
One of the challenges of fighting pancreatic cancer is finding ways to penetrate the organ’s dense tissue to define the margins between malignant and normal tissue. A new study uses DNA origami structures to selectively deliver fluorescent imaging agents to pancreatic cancer cells without affecting normal cells. The study, led by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign mechanical science and engineering professor Bumsoo Han and professor Jong Hyun Choi at Purdue University, found that specially engineered DNA origami structures carrying imaging dye…
By analyzing DNA from different cells in nearly 200 lines of maize plants, research led by the University of Michigan has revealed insights that could help growers better adapt their crops to a fast-changing environment. The new study led by Alexandre Marand reveals previously hidden information about the activity of genes inside different cell types. This provides essential context that helps better understand how the molecular biology of a lineage connects to its readily visible traits, or its phenotype. This…
A Kobe University team was able to edit the DNA of Lactobacillus strains directly without a template from other organisms. This technique is indistinguishable from natural variation and enabled the researchers to create a strain that doesn’t produce diabetes-aggravating chemicals. Humans have improved the microorganisms we rely on for millennia, selecting variants that are better able to produce wine, yogurt, natto and many other products. More recently, direct genetic modification has emerged as a tool to exert more precise and…
Researchers from The University of Osaka discover that specific white blood cells and the amount of an inflammation protein in the blood can predict relapse of an autoimmune blood vessel disease Neutrophils, one of the immune system warriors that were thought to be all the same, turn out to be diverse. Unfortunately, these cells are also active in autoimmune diseases. New research from Japan has found that a certain subpopulation of these white blood cells can predict disease relapse at…
Multicenter study suggests stroke prevention guidelines may underestimate risk in patients with symptomatic mild carotid stenosis Ischemic stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability worldwide, with narrowing of the carotid artery due to atherosclerosis contributing to up to 30% of all cases. For decades, medical practitioners have primarily relied on the degree of carotid narrowing (stenosis) to assess the risk of stroke and determine the best treatment options. However, mounting evidence suggests that this approach…
Honeybees are essential pollinators for agriculture and natural ecosystems. Stressors like climate change, habitat loss and pesticide exposure threaten their ability to forage for pollen, a critical resource for colony survival. Researchers in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology demonstrate that an artificial intelligence (AI)-based monitoring system combined with a computer model can link the exposure of neonicotinoid pesticides on individual honeybees to the health of the whole colony. Neonicotinoid pesticides are widely used in agriculture. Plants absorb and distribute neonicotinoids throughout…
Noninvasive method detects anemia in children by analyzing smartphone photos of the eye’s conjunctiva Anemia, a condition marked by low levels of hemoglobin in the blood, affects nearly 2 billion people worldwide. Among them, school-age children in low- and middle-income countries are particularly vulnerable. Left untreated, anemia in children can interfere with growth, learning, and overall development. Detecting the condition early is essential, but standard diagnostic methods require blood samples and lab equipment—resources that are often unavailable in low-income areas….
UT Arlington research finds wastewater treatment plants are still not effectively removing dangerous microplastics Despite advances in wastewater treatment, tiny plastic particles called microplastics are still slipping through, posing potential health and environmental hazards, according to new research from The University of Texas at Arlington. Because plastic is inexpensive to produce yet lightweight and sturdy, manufacturers have found it ideal for use in nearly every consumer good, from food and beverage packaging to clothing and beauty products. The downside is…
Another race to space is on, but the competitors aren’t reaching for the moon. Instead, multiple national agencies and private companies across the world are aiming for the edge of Earth’s atmosphere. Launching satellites into this very low Earth orbit (VLEO) environment — the altitude between 60 and 280 miles above Earth — could solve spacecraft crowding in traditional orbits, according to Sven Bilén, Penn State professor of engineering design, of electrical engineering and of aerospace engineering. Bilén said satellites in traditional…
Farmers apply nitrogen fertilizers to crops to boost yields, feeding more people and livestock. But when there’s more fertilizer than the crop can take up, some of the excess can be converted into gaseous forms, including nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that traps nearly 300 times as much heat in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. About 70% of human-caused nitrous oxide comes from agricultural soils, so it’s vital to find ways to curb those emissions. Before they can recommend practices…
Research team tests how stream contents and flow impact microplastic retention Microplastics, tiny plastic particles found in everyday products from face wash to toothpaste, are an emerging threat to health and ecology, prompting a research team to identify what keeps them trapped in stream ecosystems. Everyday actions like washing synthetic clothing and driving, which wears down tires, contribute to an accumulation of microplastics in environments from city dust to waterways. These plastics often carry toxic chemicals that can threaten the…
A new study in PNAS uses historical and ecological data to examine the rise and fall of Piast Poland, investigating the factors necessary for the emergence and sustainability of state-run social-ecological intensification Understanding the acceleration of human impacts on the environment is key to addressing the complex planetary and social challenges of the Anthropocene. But even as the inter-relatedness of environmental, political, and social processes becomes clearer, the conditions that produce sustainable outcomes remain little understood. Now, a new study…
In the largest study of its kind, researchers at the Florida Museum of Natural History have used data from a 120-year-old program managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to quantify the effects of introduced species. The researchers included more than 5 million measurements from individual trees across much of eastern North America and showed the rate at which introduced species are spreading has increased over the last two decades. Additionally, native tree diversity is on the decline in areas…
Queensland University of Technology QUT researchers have identified a new material which could be used as a flexible semiconductor in wearable devices by using a technique that focuses on the manipulation of spaces between atoms in crystals. In a study published in the prestigious journal Nature Communication, the researchers used “vacancy engineering” to enhance the ability of an AgCu(Te, Se, S) semiconductor, which is an alloy made up of silver, copper, tellurium, selenium and sulphur, to convert body heat into…
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