Science & Technology
Using additive manufacturing to detect counterfeit parts
Researchers have developed a method of imprinting a hidden magnetic tag, encoded with authentication information, within manufactured hardware during the part fabrication process. The revolutionary process holds the potential to expose counterfeit good…
Rwandan tree carbon stock mapped from above
Researchers have developed accurate nation-wide mapping of the carbon content of trees based on aerial images.
Scientists enhance recyclability of post-consumer plastic
Scientists have developed a new method for recycling high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
Researchers show a new way to induce useful defects using invisible material properties
Much of modern electronic and computing technology is based on one idea: add chemical impurities, or defects, to semiconductors to change their ability to conduct electricity. These altered materials are then combined in different ways to produce the d…
When grandpa can’t hear words at a noisy holiday gathering, too many brain cells may be firing at once
Looking for answers about how the brain works amid age-related hearing loss, researchers say they found that old mice were less capable than young mice of ‘turning off’ certain actively firing brain cells in the midst of ambient noise. The result, they…
Current Antarctic conservation efforts are insufficient to avoid biodiversity declines, study shows
Existing conservation efforts are insufficient to protect Antarctic ecosystems, and population declines are likely for 65% of the continent’s plants and wildlife by the year 2100, according to a new study.
Shrinking hydrogels enlarge nanofabrication options
Researchers have developed a strategy for creating ultrahigh-resolution, complex 3D nanostructures out of various materials.
Glassfrogs achieve transparency by packing red blood cells into mirror-coated liver
New research shows that glassfrogs — known for their highly transparent undersides and muscles — perform their ‘disappearing acts’ by stowing away nearly all of their red blood cells into their uniquely reflective livers. The work could lead to new a…
Can the AI driving ChatGPT help to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s disease?
The artificial intelligence algorithms behind the chatbot program ChatGPT — which has drawn attention for its ability to generate humanlike written responses to some of the most creative queries — might one day be able to help doctors detect Alzheime…
Hawai’i earthquake swarm caused by magma moving through ‘sills’
A machine-learning algorithm reveals the shape of massive subterranean structures linking active volcanoes.
New analysis maps out impacts of marine chokepoint closures
New GIS-enabled analysis maps what the far-reaching impacts to international trade and shipping could be if any of the world’s 11 busiest marine chokepoints, or shipping straits, are closed due to politics, piracy, vessel accidents, or other causes. Kn…
Rewriting the textbook on gene regulation: It’s the big picture that counts
Researchers have shown that changes in gene expression happen almost entirely during the transcription stage while the cells are growing. The researchers have provided a simple quantitative formula linking regulatory control to mRNA and protein levels.
Cellular messengers improve cancer therapy
Nano-sized membrane bubbles known as extracellular vesicles activate the immune system in mice and seem to render their tumors sensitive to a type of immunotherapy drug called a checkpoint inhibitor.
Found! Lost puzzle piece involved in gene regulation revealed in search that began in water-loving, one-celled organism
After an intrepid, decade-long search, scientists say they have found a new role for a pair of enzymes that regulate genome function and, when missing or mutated, are linked to diseases such as brain tumors, blood cancers and Kleefstra syndrome — a ra…
COVID-19 vaccination protects people with blood cancer
Researchers have demonstrated that people suffering from blood cancer have a good immune response to COVID-19 vaccinations. Vaccination protects patients with B-cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma against severe illness from COVID-19. Some patients even…
First test of anti-cancer agent PAC-1 in human clinical trials shows promise
A phase I clinical trial of PAC-1, a drug that spurs programmed cell death in cancer cells, found only minor side effects in patients with end-stage cancers. The drug stalled the growth of tumors in the five people in the trial with neuroendocrine canc…
Researchers discover water-based mechanism of human sex reversal at edge of developmental ambiguity
Researchers have discovered a molecular ‘clamping’ mechanism within a male-specific protein-DNA complex whose mutation causes sex reversal: children with XY chromosomes but female bodies, a condition called Swyer Syndrome.