A new model based on contact survey data suggests strict social distancing curtailed COVID-19 transmission in Wuhan and Shanghai. The results show a significant decrease in daily interpersonal contacts, leading to transmission rates below epidemic levels.
A one-hour exercise increasing feelings of social belonging in college students appears to significantly improve their lives and careers up to eleven years later. The study found that targeted psychological intervention can be an important tool to interrupt generational sociocultural disadvantages.
Researchers developed a multi-cancer blood test that detected some cancers, including ovarian cancers, and successfully screened for non-cancer causes before diagnostic tests. The test showed promise as a minimally invasive option to increase cancer detection rates in populations already following standard screening approaches.
A meta-analysis of 166 long-term surveys across 1,676 sites worldwide reveals highly spatially variable global insect population trends, showing an average 9% per decade decline in terrestrial insects. In contrast, freshwater insect abundance increases by 11% per decade, possibly due to successful clean water efforts.
Current regulatory standards for coastal waters have not kept pace with scientific understanding of hypoxia and acidification, putting important fisheries worldwide at risk. Aging policies fail to account for the combined effects of low dissolved oxygen and pH levels on marine life.
The authors present five criteria of quality for evaluating research during the pandemic. Researchers and stakeholders must evaluate studies based on importance, rigor, analytical integrity, transparency, and feasibility to ensure that resources are allocated efficiently and effectively.
Researchers tracked Venus' atmospheric clouds and winds using Akatsuki data to estimate forces sustaining super-rotation. Thermal tides from solar heating near the equator are found to provide required angular momentum
Researchers found evidence of modern-like plate motion velocities at 3.2 Ga in rocks from the Honeyeater Basalt, pushing back the date for plate tectonics' onset. The discovery supports the theory that continuous uniform processes shaped Earth's crust.
Research found that children with mild RSV infections had higher viral loads than those requiring hospitalization, but less expression of inflammatory genes. This suggests a key role for innate immunity in determining RSV severity.
A new modeling study projects that COVID-19 will persist in the human population after its initial pandemic stage, depending on human immunity. The study finds that social distancing measures may need to be maintained intermittently into 2022 to control the spread of the virus.
Cynomolgus macaques infected with SARS-CoV-2 exhibit mild symptoms and high viral RNA levels, shedding the virus from respiratory tract early during infection. The results suggest these animals are suitable for testing COVID-19 control measures and therapeutics.
A new aluminum-based metal-organic framework material exhibits high gravimetric and volumetric uptake and delivery of methane and hydrogen. The material outperforms Department of Energy targets for methane storage, with a deliverable capacity of 14% by weight for hydrogen.
New insights into drought's impacts on social, ecological and agricultural systems are highlighted in this special issue. Research identifies vulnerabilities in water management policy and the importance of soil microbiota in crop resilience.
A new study suggests a single cell division error can trigger a cascade of mutational events, generating defining features of cancer genomes. Researchers recreated the BFB cycle in cultured cells and observed an increase in chromothripsis after aberrant chromosome bridge formation.
A new study analyzed 1,800 tropical reef sites worldwide to understand conditions for maximizing reef health and biodiversity. The findings suggest that high conservation levels can support all three key ecological metrics when human use is low, but become increasingly challenging with increased pressure.
A new study found that high blood glucose levels may trigger a severe inflammatory response in flu patients, leading to hospitalization or death. Glucose metabolism is believed to contribute to various COVID-19 outcomes as both influenza and COVID-19 can induce a cytokine storm.
Researchers have developed an antibody treatment that improves survival in rodent models of sepsis by targeting a protein called tetranectin. The therapy boosts survival even when started late after sepsis onset, suggesting its potential for treating severe bacterial infections and secondary sepsis in COVID-19 patients.
A new study has measured wind speeds on a brown dwarf using infrared and radio emissions, revealing strong winds of up to 2,400 kilometers per hour. The technique can be adapted to characterize atmospheres of exoplanets with similar rotation rates and periodic variability.
Researchers have identified a gene from a wild wheatgrass relative that confers resistance to fusarium head blight in wheat. The Fhb7 gene, likely transferred from a fungus, detoxifies mycotoxins produced by Fusarium fungi and promotes broad resistance without affecting yield.
Experts argue for a more experimental approach to biosecurity governance, focusing on systematically evaluating effectiveness and limitations of current solutions. This shift could help address previously unknown security concerns created by advancements in biological sciences like CRISPR and synthetic genomics.
Analyses of four fossilized molars found in Peruvian Amazon reveal a new primate lineage, Ucayalipithecus perdita, with features distinct from the known Platyrrhini. This discovery suggests that another group of primates may have crossed the Atlantic Ocean around 35-32 million years ago, settling in the New World.
A Russia-based study found that national online education platforms can significantly lower instruction costs for STEM courses, allowing resource-constrained universities to enroll more students. The study also discovered that blended instruction formats offer the greatest cost savings of 19.2% for one course and 15.4% for another.
Granular energy technologies offer lower-cost and modular solutions for rapid low-carbon energy transition. Policy support can help accelerate this shift while larger technologies continue to develop.
The study finds that Homo and Paranthropus fossils in the region date back to 2.04-1.95 million years, providing new insights into the transition of species in southern Africa during this period. The findings suggest a shift from endemic species like Australopithecus going extinct, while new migrants like Homo and Paranthropus moved in.
Researchers unveil a new slip law to describe glaciers sliding on soft, deformable material, improving models of fast-flowing, marine-terminating glaciers in Antarctica and Greenland. This development enhances the understanding of glacier movement and parameterization for better sea-level rise estimations.
Researchers used machine learning to analyze mouse facial expressions and identified specific facial expressions correlated with emotional descriptors. The study may assist in moving towards a universal definition of emotions across species.
Artifacts at Waim show fixed domestic space and symbolic cultural practices, suggesting regional Neolithic Era began 1000 years before Eurasian counterparts. Radiocarbon dating confirms age of stone carvings and ground stone pestle fragments.
Researchers used XMM-Newton space telescope data to search for a 3.5 keV X-ray emission line, a predicted signature of dark matter decay. No evidence was found, ruling out the signal strength by over an order of magnitude and challenging previous interpretations.
Researchers have developed novel Cas9 variants that eliminate the need for a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM), allowing for genome-wide targeting with unprecedented accuracy. These variants, SpG and SpRY, can correct mutations in previously 'un-editable' regions of the genome, expanding the potential of CRISPR-Cas systems.
A new study reveals frequent disruptions to North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) stability during warm climate interglacials, contradicting previous notions of relative stability. The high-resolution sediment record suggests that large perturbations in ocean circulation are more easily triggered than previously thought.
Researchers have discovered evidence of Neanderthals' extensive use of the sea as a food source, similar to modern humans in Africa. The findings suggest that Neanderthals were fisher-hunter-gatherers with a long-term coastal resource use record dating back to around 106-86 kya.
Researchers uncovered symbolic stone carvings and artifacts suggesting a fixed domestic space and cultural practices in highland New Guinea. The findings indicate the region independently developed hallmarks of the Neolithic around 1000 years before Lapita farmers arrived.
The Hayabusa2 spacecraft impacted asteroid Ryugu, creating an artificial crater that provided insights into the asteroid's age and surface cohesion. The results suggest a younger age estimate for Ryugu, with implications for surface age estimations of other rubble-pile asteroids.
Domiciled feeding studies have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of dietary influences on health by providing controlled and standardized environments. By minimizing participant variability, these studies can elucidate complex interactions between diet changes, microbiota, and host physiology.
Researchers developed a method to engineer specific populations of neurons to manufacture electronic-tissue composites within living cells. This approach enables targeted use of electrical fields for therapeutic applications, such as pain relief and tissue regeneration.
A new oral poliovirus vaccine is urgently needed due to ongoing mutant polio outbreaks. The current OPV2 formulation's continued use contributes to transmission and outbreaks, prompting the need for a novel serotype 2 vaccine.
A new study by Margaret Walls and colleagues found that national monuments in the US West increase establishment growth rates near the monument. The research indicates that fears of economic restriction after monument designation are unwarranted, as designated areas do not affect existing jobs or traditional industries.
Combining therapeutic HPV vaccine ISA101 with chemotherapy drugs carboplatin and paclitaxel may extend survival in patients with advanced cervical cancer. The vaccine was well-tolerated, reducing suppressive myeloid cells to better stimulate T cell responses.
Researchers successfully harnessed an evolutionarily conserved mechanism to promote tissue repair and suppress inflammation in aged tissues. This approach improved the success of stem cell-based therapies for retinal disease, restoring vision in old, blind mice.
Researchers identified 15 potent tumor suppressor genes that, when mutated, triggered rapid growth of HNSCC in mice. These genes include ADAM10 and AJUBA, which are also mutated in human HNSCC. The study reveals the identity of rare driver mutations in tumor-suppressing genes using a mouse-based CRISPR screen.
Researchers identified ammonium salts as a substantial source of nitrogen in comets like 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This discovery resolves the long-standing N/C ratio discrepancy between comets and the Sun.
A new record of deglaciations reveals the persistent influence of obliquity and insolation in pacing Earth's glacial-interglacial cycle. The study presents a high-resolution record of the last 11 deglaciations, showing that Earth's obliquity remained the main driver of glacial cycles throughout the Quaternary period.
Researchers develop combined technique to restore damaged intervertebral discs, improving hydration and structural integrity of the nucleus pulposus. The method also repairs damaged annulus fibrosus tissue, suggesting a potential strategy for improving outcomes in discectomy patients.
Researchers found that smaller tropical forest fragments experienced greater losses than larger ones between 2001 and 2018. Connecting small fragments to reestablish wide-ranging tree cover is crucial in Central America, West Africa, and Southeast Asia.
A new study reveals that random variation in brain development generates behavioral diversity in fruit flies, contradicting the nature vs nurture debate. The origin of unique behavioral idiosyncrasies lies in individual differences in neural circuit wiring, which significantly influence behavior.
Researchers created a 3D nematic system using bacteriophage virus particles and microtubules to study the motion of defects in real-time. They found excitations in 3D nematics were primarily disclination lines and loops that can nucleate, shrink, open and merge.
Researchers found IgE-producing plasma cells abundant in the stomach and duodenum of patients with peanut allergy, highlighting a potential mechanism for severe allergies. The study suggests that targeted prevention of class switch recombination in the gut may be a promising treatment approach for severe peanut allergy.
A family of porin-like proteins helps M. tuberculosis acquire essential nutrients while evading antibiotics and immune attacks. Researchers discovered the unique role of PE/PPE proteins in ferrying vital nutrients across the cell's waxy wall.
A new regenerative peripheral nerve interface (RPNI) technology has been developed to improve the control and precision of prosthetic hands for upper limb amputees. The RPNIs allowed participants to perform complex finger and thumb movements with high accuracy and worked for up to 300 days without requiring recalibration.
Research shows that concentrations of nicotine and smoking-related volatile organic compounds spike when moviegoers enter a non-smoking theater, equivalent to up to 10 cigarettes of secondhand smoke. The study highlights the need for regulation and warns of the health risks of thirdhand exposure, especially for infants and children.