Kakadu food scraps provide ancient rainfall clues

Archaeologists are generating a 65,000-year-old rainfall record from ancient food scraps found at Australia's earliest-known site of human occupation.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-kakadu-food-scraps-ancient-rainfall.html

3-D creature construction: Building chromosomes from the ground up

The Genome in a Box project is the brainchild of researchers Anthony Birnie and Cees Dekker from the Dept. of Bionanoscience at the Delft University of Technology. Their stated goal is to assemble a functioning chromosome from the bottom-up, beginning with the naked DNA. In theory, the raw sequence could be printed in pieces using DNA synthesis machines and then stitched together into one long string with the correct code of the desired chromosome. That would be nearly impossible in practice, at least with our existing technology. There would be no way to keep the fragile strings sorted so that they could be properly joined and folded without error.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-d-creature-chromosomes-ground.html

Dogs synchronize their behavior with children, but not as much as with adults, study finds

Dogs synchronize their behavior with the children in their family, but not as much as they do with adults, a new study from Oregon State University researchers found.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-dogs-synchronize-behavior-children-adults.html

To find the right network model, compare all possible histories

Two family members test positive for COVID-19—how do we know who infected whom? In a perfect world, network science could provide a probable answer to such questions. It could also tell archeologists how a shard of Greek pottery came to be found in Egypt, or help evolutionary biologists understand how a long-extinct ancestor metabolized proteins.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-network-histories.html

Mouse study identifies novel compound that may help develop diabetes drugs

Research led by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine identified a new compound that might serve as a basis for developing a new class of drugs for diabetes.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-mouse-compound-diabetes-drugs.html

New species of custard apple family found in Myanmar

With over 100 species, Artabotrys is a large palaeotropical genus that belongs to the custard apple family (Annonacea), one of the most diverse and primitive families of the angiosperms. In Myanmar, the genus is represented by seven species.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-species-custard-apple-family-myanmar.html

Scientists reveal dynamic mechanism of lead-free quadruple perovskite nanocrystals

In recent years, lead-free halide perovskite nanocrystals have drawn more and more attention due to their low toxicity, high stability and chemical diversity.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-scientists-reveal-dynamic-mechanism-lead-free.html

Smart algorithm cleans up images by searching for clues buried in noise

To enter the world of the fantastically small, the main currency is either a ray of light or electrons.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-smart-algorithm-images-clues-noise.html

Researchers construct molecular nanofibers that are stronger than steel

Self-assembly is ubiquitous in the natural world, serving as a route to form organized structures in every living organism. This phenomenon can be seen, for instance, when two strands of DNA—without any external prodding or guidance—join to form a double helix, or when large numbers of molecules combine to create membranes or other vital cellular structures. Everything goes to its rightful place without an unseen builder having to put all the pieces together, one at a time.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-molecular-nanofibers-stronger-steel.html

Energy spent avoiding humans linked to smaller home ranges for male pumas

In the Santa Cruz mountains, pumas are top predators, patrolling a diverse landscape of forests, meadows, peaks, and valleys. But "mountain lion country" is also bordered by coastal cities to the west and Silicon Valley to the east, with major roadways and fringes of development reaching into wildlands. As a result, humans have become a major source of mortality and fear for these cats. UC Santa Cruz researchers have shown that pumas will go to great lengths to avoid human "super predators," even bolting away from food at the sound of human voices.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-energy-spent-humans-linked-smaller.html

Study shows people are influenced more by fact-checks after they read news headlines, not before

The battle to stop false news and online misinformation is not going to end any time soon, but a new finding from MIT scholars may help ease the problem.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-people-fact-checks-news-headlines.html

The inner ear hides clues on human evolution

A PNAS study led by the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP) analyzed the kinship between two Miocene great apes (Hispanopithecus and Rudapithecus) based on the morphology of their inner ear semicircular canals. This anatomical structure is informative in reconstructing phylogenetic relationships between fossil primate species. The results are in accordance with the distinction of these taxa at a generic level and reinforce their allocation in the Hominidae. Furthermore, the similarities in semicircular canal morphology with extant chimpanzees and bonobos suggest that the latter possibly retained the ancestral condition, while orangutans appear to have derived the structure independently.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-ear-clues-human-evolution.html

Engineers test LiDAR system intended for space missions

Two images of the same front steps: one taken with a camera and the other with a flash imaging LiDAR, the laser equivalent of radar, under development for future space missions.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-lidar-space-missions.html

Keeping a clean path: Doubling the capacity of solid-state lithium batteries

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), Tohoku University, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, and Nippon Institute of Technology have demonstrated by experiment that a clean electrolyte/electrode interface is key to realizing high-capacity solid-state lithium batteries. Their findings could pave the way for improved battery designs with increased capacity, stability, and safety for both mobile devices and electric vehicles.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-path-capacity-solid-state-lithium-batteries.html

Absence of supporters during football matches associated with fewer altercations on pitch

Players, staff and officials engaged in shorter and less extensive emotional behavior and interactions, such as arguments and discussions in games played during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, when supporters were absent. The findings are presented in a case study of 20 FC Redbull Salzburg championship group games published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-absence-football-altercations-pitch.html

Listen-in social network Clubhouse readies for the masses

Invite-only audio social network Clubhouse is readying to let in the masses with the help of a fresh funding round reported to value it at nearly a billion dollars.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-listen-in-social-network-clubhouse-readies.html

Latin American newspapers bet on digital subscriptions

Facing a major slump in printed newspaper sales and advertising revenue, Latin America's press is fighting for survival—and increasingly betting on paid digital subscriptions as readers turn to the internet.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-latin-american-newspapers-digital-subscriptions.html

Hyundai Motor's Q4 net profit jumps 78 percent

South Korean automaker Hyundai Motor defied the coronavirus pandemic to post a surprise 78 percent surge in fourth-quarter profits Tuesday, as robust domestic sales offset weak overseas demand.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-01-hyundai-motor-q4-net-profit.html

Lion cub Simba born in Singapore via artificial insemination

The Singapore Zoo has welcomed a lion cub named Simba to its animal kingdom following artificial insemination that officials said Tuesday was a first for the city-state.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-lion-cub-simba-born-singapore.html

How did Florida fail to respond to a coral disease epizootic and what's to follow?

By 2020, massive losses of large populations of corals have been observed throughout Florida and into the greater Caribbean basin. Taking into account the high mortality and the large number of susceptible species affected, this is likely the most lethal case of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) ever recorded in modern history.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-florida-coral-disease-epizootic.html

Study sheds new light on the behaviour of the giant carnivorous dinosaur Spinosaurus

New research from Queen Mary University of London and the University of Maryland, has reignited the debate around the behavior of the giant dinosaur Spinosaurus.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-01-behaviour-giant-carnivorous-dinosaur-spinosaurus.html