A Swiss army knife for genomic data

A good way to find out what a cell is doing—whether it is growing out of control as in cancers, or is under the control of an invading virus, or is simply going about the routine business of a healthy cell—is to look at its gene expression. Though a vast majority of cells in an organism all contain the same genes, how those genes are expressed is what gives rise to different cell types—the difference between a muscle cell and a neuron, for example.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-swiss-army-knife-genomic.html

Under the radar: Searching for stealthy supersymmetry

The standard model of particle physics encapsulates our current knowledge of elementary particles and their interactions. The standard model is not complete; for example, it does not describe observations such as gravity, has no prediction for dark matter, which makes up most of the matter in the universe, or that neutrinos have mass.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-radar-stealthy-supersymmetry.html

Curbs on press freedom come with a cost, new research reveals

The importance of a free press to a thriving democracy is well-known. But what is its importance to a thriving economy?

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-curbs-freedom-reveals.html

Floodplains are an extension of a river: How we connect with them needs to change

Dramatic scenes of flood damage to homes, infrastructure and livelihoods have been with us on the nightly news in recent weeks. Many will be feeling the pain for years to come, as they contend with property damage, financial catastrophe and trauma.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-floodplains-extension-river.html

Avoiding a bitter end for coffee from climate change

I didn't start drinking coffee until this past fall. Despite working as a barista for four years, and growing up in a household that takes their coffee by IV, I just never had a taste for it. The last straw that turned my years of coffee-making knowledge into a coffee-drinking routine was starting graduate school. That timing is probably no coincidence. But coffee also entered my life in another way when it became the subject of a year-long research project.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-bitter-coffee-climate.html

If astronomers see isoprene in the atmosphere of an alien world, there's a good chance there's life there

It is no exaggeration to say that the study of extrasolar planets has exploded in recent decades. To date, 4,375 exoplanets have been confirmed in 3,247 systems, with another 5,856 candidates awaiting confirmation. In recent years, exoplanet studies have started to transition from the process of discovery to one of characterization. This process is expected to accelerate once next-generation telescopes become operational.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-astronomers-isoprene-atmosphere-alien-world.html

How ethically sourced chocolate can support wildlife

A study of currently farmed cacao forests, abandoned forests and natural unfarmed forest on the Caribbean island of Trinidad found that all three supported bird diversity, contrary to expectations.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-ethically-sourced-chocolate-wildlife.html

Millimeter wave and sub-terahertz spatial statistical channel model for an indoor office building

Driven by ubiquitous usage of mobile devices and the explosive growth and diversification of the Internet of Things (IoT), sixth-generation (6G) wireless systems will need to offer unprecedented high data rate and system throughput, which can be achieved in part by deploying systems transmitting and receiving at millimeter-wave (mmWave) and Terahertz (THz) frequencies (i.e., 30 GHz—3 THz). These regions of the electromagnetic spectrum are capable of massive data throughput at near zero latency, key to future data traffic demand created by such wireless applications as augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) and autonomous driving.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-millimeter-sub-terahertz-spatial-statistical-channel.html

Researcher develops better tools for understanding, protecting big data

Patterns and anomalies in big data can help businesses target likely customers, reveal fraud or even predict drug interactions. Unfortunately, these patterns are often not easily observable. To extract the needles of useful information out of haystacks of data, data scientists need increasingly powerful methods of machine learning.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-tools-big.html

Texans blame variety of factors for severity of winter storm, support reform attempts

After an unprecedented winter storm left more than 100 dead and millions without power, Texans call for better preparation through winterization and improved energy reserves, and they support legislative proposals that require energy council board members to live in Texas, according to a new poll by The University of Texas at Austin.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-texans-blame-variety-factors-severity.html

What it takes to realize a circular economy for solar photovoltaic system materials

Rapidly increasing solar photovoltaic (PV) installations has led to environmental and supply chains concerns. The United States relies on imports of raw materials for solar module manufacturing and imports of PV cells and modules to meet domestic demand. As PV demand increases, so will the need to mine valuable materials—a motivation for domestic reuse and recycling.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-circular-economy-solar-photovoltaic-materials.html

Hand signals improve video meeting success

Using a simple set of hand signals can improve the experience of online meetings, make groups feel closer to each other and that they are learning and communicating better, finds a new study by UCL researchers.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-video-success.html

Scientists develop a safe, cheap technology for disinfection of packed eggs

Russian researchers have developed an inexpensive, safe, and reliable surface disinfection technology for packed eggs. This technology helps to kill bacteria, including salmonella, on eggshells. Also, it allows growing broiler chickens with strong immunity to viral diseases. Packed eggs are disinfected with an electron beam for 50 nanoseconds (one-billionth of a second). Disinfection takes place in plastic containers. The description of the technology was published in Food and Bioproducts Processing.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-scientists-safe-cheap-technology-disinfection.html

At the crossroads of cell survival and death

National University of Singapore researchers discovered that a protein, known as MOAP-1, plays a crucial role in facilitating autophagy, a cellular "self-eating" process that recycles non-essential components during starvation.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-crossroads-cell-survival-death.html

Making cleaner, greener plastics from waste fish parts

Polyurethanes, a type of plastic, are nearly everywhere—in shoes, clothes, refrigerators and construction materials. But these highly versatile materials can have a major downside. Derived from crude oil, toxic to synthesize, and slow to break down, conventional polyurethanes are not environmentally friendly. Today, researchers discuss devising what they say should be a safer, biodegradable alternative derived from fish waste—heads, bones, skin and guts—that would otherwise likely be discarded.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-cleaner-greener-plastics-fish.html

Paleopharmaceuticals from Baltic amber might fight drug-resistant infections

For centuries, people in Baltic nations have used ancient amber for medicinal purposes. Even today, infants are given amber necklaces that they chew to relieve teething pain, and people put pulverized amber in elixirs and ointments for its purported anti-inflammatory and anti-infective properties. Now, scientists have pinpointed compounds that help explain Baltic amber's therapeutic effects and that could lead to new medicines to combat antibiotic-resistant infections.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-paleopharmaceuticals-baltic-amber-drug-resistant-infections.html

Doping by athletes could become tougher to hide with new detection method

As the world awaits the upcoming Olympic games, a new method for detecting doping compounds in urine samples could level the playing field for those trying to keep athletics clean. Today, scientists report an approach using ion mobility-mass spectrometry to help regulatory agencies detect existing dopants and future "designer" compounds.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-doping-athletes-tougher-method.html

SKorea's LG to exit loss-making mobile phone business

South Korean electronics maker LG said Monday it is getting out of its loss-making mobile phone business to focus on electric vehicle components, robotics, artificial intelligence and other products and services.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-skorea-lg-exit-loss-making-mobile.html

Facing pressure at home, Chinese tech giants expand in Singapore

Chinese tech giants are expanding in Singapore as they face a crackdown at home and growing pressure in other key markets—but they may struggle to find talent in the city-state.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-pressure-home-chinese-tech-giants.html

Rescue hampered by distance as more rain falls in Indonesia

Rescuers were hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment Monday after torrential rains caused multiple disasters on remote eastern Indonesian islands.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-hampered-distance-falls-indonesia.html

Delta cancels about 100 flights, opens some middle seats

Delta Air Lines canceled about 100 flights Sunday due to staff shortages, and it opened up middle seats a month earlier than expected in order to carry more passengers.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2021-04-delta-cancels-flights-middle-seats.html

New paper shows benefits of Louisiana coastal restoration to soil carbon sequestration

Without restoration efforts in coastal Louisiana, marshes in the state could lose half of their current ability to store carbon in the soil over a period of 50 years, according to a new paper published in American Geophysical Union Journal of Geophysical Research Biogeosciences.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-paper-benefits-louisiana-coastal-soil.html

New study ties solar variability to the onset of decadal La Nina events

A new study shows a correlation between the end of solar cycles and a switch from El Nino to La Nina conditions in the Pacific Ocean, suggesting that solar variability can drive seasonal weather variability on Earth.

source https://phys.org/news/2021-04-ties-solar-variability-onset-decadal.html