Science & Technology
Best of both worlds — Combining classical and quantum systems to meet supercomputing demands
Quantum entanglement is one of the most fundamental and intriguing phenomena in nature. Recent research on entanglement has proven to be a valuable resource for quantum communication and information processing. Now, scientists have discovered a stable …
Researchers pinpoint how PARP inhibitors combat BRCA1 and BRCA2 tumor cells
PARP inhibitors, used to treat patients with cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate and pancreas, work by inducing persistent DNA gaps in tumor cells with BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. The discovery offers the potential to monitor tumors for the developm…
Touted as clean, ‘blue’ hydrogen may be worse than gas, coal, researchers say
‘Blue’ hydrogen — an energy source that involves a process for making hydrogen by using methane in natural gas — is being lauded as a clean, green energy to help reduce global warming. But authors of a new report believe it may harm the climate more …
Southeastern U.S. gray foxes may be struggling for survival
A new study suggests competition for food from coyotes — a relative newcomer to the Southeast — may be putting pressure on foxes, particularly the gray fox.
New marmoset species discovered in Brazilian Amazon
A team of scientists has discovered a new marmoset species in the Brazilian Amazon. Schneider’s marmoset is named after professor Horacio Schneider, a pioneer and major contributor to the research of diversity and evolution of monkeys.
CRISPR gene editing tech lead to new insights about hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common of all genetic heart diseases and is the leading cause of sudden cardiac death. It is characterized by an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle, which over time can lead to cardiac dysfunction and,…
How Arctic-alpine plants respond to global warming
Researchers have studied how two characteristic Arctic-alpine plant species respond to global warming. They did this by analyzing almost 500 million of their own readings from the mountainous region of Norway. The analyses show that potential consequen…
Genetic enigma solved: Inheritance of coat color patterns in dogs
Scientists have unraveled the enigma of inheritance of coat color patterns in dogs. The researchers discovered that a genetic variant responsible for a very light coat in dogs and wolves originated more than two million years ago in a now extinct relat…
A mobility-based approach to optimize pandemic lockdown strategies
A new strategy for modeling the spread of COVID-19 incorporates smartphone-captured data on people’s movements and shows promise for aiding development of optimal lockdown policies.
Unprecedented peek into life of 17,000-year-old mammoth
An international research team has retraced the astonishing lifetime journey of an Arctic woolly mammoth, which covered enough of the Alaska landscape during its 28 years to almost circle the Earth twice.
Study reveals missing link between high-fat diet, microbiota and heart disease
A high-fat diet disrupts the biology of the gut’s inner lining and its microbial communities — and promotes the production of a metabolite that may contribute to heart disease, according to a new study.
New enzyme that infects plants identified, paving the way for potential disease prevention
Scientists have identified an unusual enzyme that plays a major role in the infection of plants – and have shown that disabling this enzyme effectively stops plant disease in its tracks.
Discovery of origin of esophageal cancer cells highlights importance of screening for pre-cancerous Barrett’s esophagus
Abnormal cells that go on develop into esophageal cancer — cancer that affects the tube connecting the mouth and stomach — start life as cells of the stomach, according to scientists. The study found that a particular subtype of esophageal cancer kno…
Black hole size revealed by its eating pattern
The feeding patterns of black holes offer insight into their size, researchers report. A new study revealed that the flickering in the brightness observed in actively feeding supermassive black holes is related to their mass.
Metabolism changes with age, just not when you might think
Most of us remember a time when we could eat anything we wanted and not gain weight. But a new study suggests your metabolism, the rate at which you burn calories, actually peaks much earlier and starts its inevitable decline later than you might think.
Is your mobile provider tracking your location? New technology could stop it
Right now, there is a good chance your phone is tracking your location — even with GPS services turned off. That’s because, to receive service, our phones reveal personal identifiers to cell towers owned by major network operators. This has led to vas…
Research shows flocking birds, schooling fish, other collective movements can stabilize ecosystems
In addition to being visually stunning, schools of herring, herds of wildebeest and countless other groups of organisms that act in concert can help complex ecosystems maintain their diversity and stability.