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Astronomy / Space Science - Environment - 20.01.2020

The salt of the comet
Under the leadership of astrophysicist Kathrin Altwegg, Bernese researchers have found an explanation for why very little nitrogen could previously be accounted for in the nebulous covering of comets: the building block for life predominantly occurs in the form of ammonium salts, the occurrence of which could not previously be measured.

Health - Pharmacology - 20.01.2020

Discovery of new T-cell raises prospect of ’universal’ cancer therapy
Researchers at Cardiff University have discovered a new type of killer T-cell that offers hope of a “one-size-fits-all” cancer therapy. T-cell therapies for cancer - where immune cells are removed, modified and returned to the patient's blood to seek and destroy cancer cells - are the latest paradigm in cancer treatments.

Astronomy / Space Science - 20.01.2020

Astronomers use ’cosmic echo-location’ to map black hole surroundings
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Astronomy / Space Science - 20.01.2020

XMM-Newton uses light echoes to map dynamic black hole
Material falling into a black hole throws X-rays out into space - and now, for the first time, the European Space Agency's (ESA) XMM-Newton X-ray observatory has used the reverberating echoes of this light to map the dynamic behaviour and surroundings of a black hole itself. Although most black holes are too small on the sky for us to resolve their immediate surroundings, we can explore these mysterious objects by watching how matter behaves as it nears, and falls into, them.

Life Sciences - Earth Sciences - 20.01.2020

A chronicle of giant straight-tusked elephants
About 800,000 years ago, the giant straight-tusked elephant Palaeoloxodon migrated out of Africa and became widespread across Europe and Asia. It divided into many species, with distinct types in Japan, Central Asia and Europe — even some dwarf forms as large as a small donkey on some Mediterranean islands.

Social Sciences - 20.01.2020

Clubs and bars must support women by cracking down on sexual aggression
Nightclubs and bars must create a supportive environment that cracks down on unwanted sexual attention and allows women to enjoy their nights out, according to a new study. Increasing numbers of women are prepared to speak back to sexual harassment whilst enjoying a night out with female friends by confronting the men responsible and telling them clearly and robustly that their behaviour is unacceptable.

Environment - 20.01.2020

Brazilian wildfire pollution worsens air quality in distant cities - study
Wildfires in south eastern Brazil produce airborne pollution that worsens air quality in major cities such as Sao Paulo - cancelling out efforts to improve the urban environment and posing health risks to citizens, according to a new study. The planet is frequently affected by smoke from fires caused by humans and natural processes.

Health - Pharmacology - 20.01.2020

Blood test for eight gene signatures could predict onset of tuberculosis
Scientists at UCL have shown a blood test could predict the onset of tuberculosis three to six months before people become unwell, a finding which could help better target antibiotics and save countless lives. In the study, published in  The Lancet Respiratory Medicine , researchers sought to identify which, if any, gene expression signatures in blood could be used to predict the disease at a very early stage and before symptoms arise.

Pharmacology - Health - 20.01.2020

Prolonged breath-holding could help radiotherapy treatment of cardiac arrhythmias
A technique that enables patients suffering from heart conditions to hold their breath safely for over 5 minutes could have potential as part of a new treatment for cardiac arrhythmias, say researchers at the University of Birmingham. In a new study, published in Frontiers in Physiology, researchers initially proposed the technique as a new means for earlier diagnosis of ischaemic heart disease.

Pharmacology - Social Sciences - 20.01.2020

Racial disparities in drug prescriptions for dementia
Disparities in drug prescribing suggest that black and Asian people with dementia are not receiving the same quality of care as their white peers, according to a new UCL-led study in the UK. Asian people with dementia are less likely to receive anti-dementia drugs, and take them for shorter periods, according to the findings published in Clinical Epidemiology .

Physics - Chemistry - 20.01.2020

Platelets instead of spheres make screens more economical
ETH scientists have further developed QLED technology for screens. They have produced light sources that for the first time emit high-intensity light in only one direction. This reduces scattering losses, which makes the technology extremely energy efficient. QLED screens have been on the market for a few years now.

Physics - Materials Science - 20.01.2020

Record-breaking Terahertz Laser Beam
A new, extremely efficient source of terahertz radiation has been developed at TU Wien (Vienna): Lasers turn air into plasma, thereby producing terahertz rays for many possible applications. Terahertz radiation is used for security checks at airports, for medical examinations and also for quality checks in industry.

Health - 20.01.2020

Premature menopause increases risk of chronic health issues
Women who experience premature menopause are significantly more likely to develop multiple chronic conditions, according to a new study by The University of Queensland. School of Public Health PhD student Dr Xiaolin Xu analysed data on more than 11 thousand women aged 45 to 50 in 1996 and tracked them until 2016, as part of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health.

Environment - Earth Sciences - 20.01.2020

Local water availability is permanently reduced after planting forests
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Pedagogy - 20.01.2020

Becoming less active and gaining weight: downsides of becoming an adult
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Earth Sciences - Palaeontology - 17.01.2020

Dinosaurs died because of an asteroid impact
Researchers disprove theory of volcanic eruption as reason for mass deaths / Mineralogists and planetologists of the University of Münster participating in worldwide study in "Science' Was it volcanic eruptions in western India or an asteroid impact that caused the death of dinosaurs and many other animal species 66 million years ago? Researchers have been discussing this since the 1980s.

Computer Science / Telecom - 17.01.2020

App uses voice analysis, AI to track wellness of people with mental illness
A new study finds that an interactive voice application using artificial intelligence is an effective way to monitor the well-being of people being treated for serious mental illness. Researchers from UCLA followed 47 people for up to 14 months using an application called MyCoachConnect. The data were collected from 2013 and 2015.

Social Sciences - 17.01.2020

Older ethnic minority adults have fewer close friends
Older adults from ethnic minority groups report having fewer close friends and fewer friends who live locally than older white people, according a new UCL study. The research, published in  Ageing & Society , found that Black and Asian adults over the age of 65 years are almost twice as likely to report having no close friends (9% and 7% respectively) compared to White and mixed or 'other' ethnicity adults of the same age (both 4%).

Physics - 17.01.2020

Ultrafast Camera Takes 1 Trillion Frames Per Second of Transparent Objects and Phenomena
A little over a year ago, Caltech's Lihong Wang developed the world's fastest camera, a device capable of taking 10 trillion pictures per second. It is so fast that it can even capture light traveling in slow motion. But sometimes just being quick is not enough. Indeed, not even the fastest camera can take pictures of things it cannot see.

Health - Chemistry - 17.01.2020

Ingestible medical devices can be broken down with light
New light-sensitive material could eliminate some of the endoscopic procedures needed to remove gastrointestinal devices. A variety of medical devices can be inserted into the gastrointestinal tract to treat, diagnose, or monitor GI disorders. Many of these have to be removed by endoscopic surgery once their job is done.