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How lead (maybe) caused the downfall of ancient Rome (video)
2021-06-28
(Press-News.org) WASHINGTON, June 28, 2021 -- Ancient Rome's emperors did some pretty bizarre stuff -- bursting into uncontrollable fits of laughter, appointing a horse as a priest, dressing in animal skins and attacking people ... the list goes on. Why were they acting that way? Well, it might have been lead poisoning. In this week's episode, we unwrap the possibility that lead caused the Roman Empire's collapse: https://youtu.be/4k7CvSiomlA.
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Scientists discover at the Dead Sea a mineral previously only known in meteorites
2021-06-28
Allabogdanite was first reported in the early 2000s from the Onello - a small iron meteorite recovered from the gold placer at the Bolshoi Dolguchan River in Eastern Yakutia. Chemically, the mineral belongs to phosphides - the compounds containing phosphorus in a negative oxidation state. It was named in honour of the crystallographer Alla Bogdanova. Since that, allabogdanite was identified in several iron meteorites. The recent discovery at the Dead Sea is the first confirmation of the mineral on Earth. Allabogdanite was detected in the course of a systematic study of terrestrial phosphides from the Dead Sea region.
'Our research included the experiments on phase transitions of terrestrial allabogdanite at high pressure and high temperature at the DESY synchrotron ...
Finding support for India during its COVID-19 surge
2021-06-28
India and Pakistan have fought four wars in the past few decades, but when India faced an oxygen shortage in its hospitals during its recent COVID-19 surge, Pakistan offered to help.
On Twitter, hashtags like #IndiaNeedsOxygen and #PakistanStandsWithIndia trended. Finding these positive tweets, however, was not as easy as simply browsing the supportive hashtags or looking at the most popular posts. Negative tweets often hijack the supportive hashtags for trolling or fighting with other users. And Twitter's algorithm isn't tuned to surface the most positive tweets during a crisis.
Ashique KhudaBukhsh of Carnegie Mellon University's Language Technologies ...
New report explains microbiome impact on glucose control
2021-06-28
San Francisco, CA, June 28, 2021 - A new study by Pendulum Therapeutics was presented at the American Diabetes Association's (ADA) 81st (Virtual) Scientific Sessions, the preeminent global conference for diabetes clinicians, researchers, and professionals where cutting-edge science and advances in diabetes research, prevention, and care are discussed. The findings shine a light on proprietary probiotic formulations that may be used to help patients with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D).
The research report entitled, "Changes in Circulating Metabolites, Including Butyrate, Points to Underlying Mechanism of a Probiotic Intervention That Improves Postprandial Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes," is believed to be the first of its kind. Its findings show Pendulum ...
Review by Temple scientists: Endovascular therapy best for superior vena cava syndrome
2021-06-28
(Philadelphia, PA) - Like a blocked water line, obstructions in blood vessels in the human circulatory system can cause serious problems. This is especially the case in superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS), in which oxygen-depleted blood returning from the head, upper chest, and arms is partially or completely prevented from reaching the heart. The result, however, is far more serious than the inconvenience of low water pressure from a clogged pipe - SVCS requires immediate attention.
Each year, some 15,000 people in the United States are affected by SVCS, symptoms of which include facial swelling, ...
Mangrove forest study has takeaways for coastal communities
2021-06-28
A new paper published by an East Carolina University researcher in the Department of Coastal Studies shines light on the effect human-made infrastructure and natural topography has on coastal wetlands after major storm events.
In partnership with NASA and Florida International University, the study, led by assistant professor David Lagomasino, was published in the July edition of Nature Communications.
The study focused on the effects of Hurricane Irma, which struck Florida in 2017, and the damage it caused to the state's mangrove forests. The research team found that the forests suffered unparalleled dieback after the major hurricane.
Mangrove forests are often damaged after hurricanes, but Lagomasino said forests in Florida have shown great resiliency in ...
Plant physiology: A tale of three proteins
2021-06-28
LMU biologists have shown that 'supervisor' and 'motivator' proteins are required to enable a third factor to perform its function in photosynthesis.
Plants, algae and cyanobacteria need only three ingredients for the synthesis of sugars via the process of photosynthesis - carbon dioxide, water and sunlight. However, the operation is far more complicated than this simple list of ingredients might suggest. Prof. Dr. Dario Leister and research group in the Department of Biology I at LMU are analyzing the complex regulation of photosynthesis. Their latest findings shed light on the roles of three proteins, named PGRL1, PGRL2 and PGR5, which participate in the control of one of the two subsystems of the photosynthetic apparatus. PGRL2 itself was first discovered in the course of the ...
US presidents' narcissism linked to international conflict
2021-06-28
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The most narcissistic U.S. presidents since 1897 preferred to instigate conflicts with other great power countries without seeking support from allies, a new study suggests.
Results showed that of the presidents measured, those highest in narcissism - including Lyndon B. Johnson, Teddy Roosevelt and Richard Nixon - were about six times more likely to initiate a dispute with another great power in any given year than a president with average levels of narcissism.
The inclination to "go it alone" in international disputes fits with the desire ...
Public opinion surveys on vaccine hesitancy can help predict where vaccine uptake is likely to be lower
2021-06-28
Public opinion surveys could be used more widely to understand regional variation in vaccine hesitancy, experts have recommended.
The research shows vaccine uptake rates for childhood vaccines are significantly lower in regions where hesitancy observed in mass public opinion surveys is more pronounced.
This data is often not widely available, which makes it challenging for experts to analyse the links between attitudes and real-world behaviour. The study says this data should be used by public health officials to understand where vaccines are more likely to be rejected, and who should be the target of information campaigns.
The research published in the journal ...
Unique exoplanet photobombs Cheops study of nearby star system
2021-06-28
While exploring two exoplanets in a bright nearby star system, ESA's exoplanet-hunting Cheops satellite has unexpectedly spotted the system's third known planet crossing the face of the star. This transit reveals exciting details about a rare planet "with no known equivalent", say the researchers.
The discovery is one of the first results from ESA's Cheops (CHaracterising ExOPlanet Satellite), and the first time an exoplanet with a period of over 100 days has been spotted transiting a star that is bright enough to be visible to the naked eye.
Named Nu2 Lupi, this bright, ...
Pediatricians ID cause of muscle breakdown in rare disease found on newborn screening
2021-06-28
PITTSBURGH, June 28, 2021 - It was a nagging mystery: A rare-disease expert at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh had found a successful treatment for two of the deadliest symptoms of one of the more common classes of rare diseases diagnosed by newborn screenings, but one symptom--painful episodes of muscle breakdown that land victims in intensive care--persisted.
Today, the scientists announce in the journal Clinical & Translational Immunology that they've gotten to the bottom of the self-destructive syndrome and have a good lead on a treatment.
"These episodes looked a lot like inflammatory ...