The International Astronautical Federation (IAF) selected Würzburg space expert Professor Klaus Schilling for the Frank J. Malina Astronautics Medal 2023. This medal is a top award in the space sector for innovative research and for commitment to education. According to a statement by the IAF, the medal is awarded each year to a personality who has provided outstanding services to space education and research. This applies to Professor Schilling without reservation: "He has provided numerous students with practical experience in satellite construction and has been involved in a wide ...

Ion channels play a crucial role in many cellular processes, including neuronal communication, muscle contraction or cell proliferation. Most multi subunit ion channels exist in two functional states, either closed or open. During gating, one should expect that all subunits undergo conformational changes. The absence of intermediate conduction levels is surprising and asks for an explanation. A team of researchers from the University of Vienna and the Washington University in St. Louis created a smart model system to answer this important question. The study is currently published in Nature ...

A new type of analysis of a spectacular 120-million-year-old fossil skeleton of the extinct early bird Jeholornis from northeastern China has revealed the oldest evidence for birds eating leaves, marking the earliest known evolution of arboreal plant-eating among birds. The pheasant-sized Jeholornis, a member of the second most primitive lineage of known birds, has teeth and a long bony tail like its predatory, feathered dinosaur relatives. However, microscopic analysis of the fossilized residues in the stomach of this juvenile, arboreal (tree-living) bird demonstrates that Jeholornis was not a predator. It had eaten tree leaves from a group ...

  Scientists have developed a breakthrough method to detect structural variations on proteins based on nanopore technologies. Protein chains are fed through an engineered nanopore, with subtle variations in structure detected through the modulation of tiny electrical currents. The method could transform our understanding of how protein variants are associated with diseases, and allow point-of-care diagnostics. A team of scientists led by the University of Oxford have achieved a significant breakthrough in detecting modifications on protein structures. The method, published in Nature Nanotechnology, employs innovative nanopore technology to identify structural ...

When you need accurate information about a serious illness, should you go to Google or ChatGPT?  An interdisciplinary study led by University of California, Riverside, computer scientists found that both internet information gathering services have strengths and weaknesses for people seeking information about Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. The team included clinical scientists from the University of Alabama and Florida International University. Google provides the most current information, but query results are skewed by service and product providers seeking customers, the researchers found. ChatGPT, meanwhile, ...

Silicon-based materials are currently the undisputed leaders in the field of semiconductors. Even so, scientists around the world are actively trying to find superior alternatives for next-generation electronics and high-power systems. Interestingly, diamonds are among the most promising materials for applications such as fast telecommunications and power conversion in electric vehicles and power plants.  Despite their attractive properties for the semiconductor industry, the applications of diamonds are limited due to the lack of techniques to slice them into thin wafers efficiently. As a result, diamond wafers must be synthesized one by one, making fabrication ...

A new study from UC San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography researcher emeritus Peter Bromirski uses nearly a century of data to show that the average heights of winter waves along the California coast have increased as climate change has heated up the planet.  The study, published today in the Journal of Geophysical Research - Oceans, achieved its extraordinarily long time series by using seismic records dating back to 1931 to infer wave height, a unique but accepted method first developed by Bromirski in 1999. The results, made more robust by their ...

With mighty jaws and plate-like teeth, the whitespotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) can pretty much crunch on anything. In fact, hard clam farmers in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon have considered this species a threat to their production efforts and profit margin. This assumption, however, is mostly anecdotal. Despite their protected status in Florida and designation as globally “endangered,” there is limited information in the United States available on critical components of the life history of the whitespotted eagle ray, such as their diet. Prior observations have described a location-specific yet variable diet consisting of hard ...

COLUMBUS, Ohio – More than 4 out of 5 older women survivors of colorectal cancer may be experiencing a range of gastrointestinal symptoms many years after being diagnosed and treated, a new study suggests. Using data from the Women’s Health Initiative, researchers found that 81% of colorectal cancer survivors reported persistent GI symptoms, with abdominal bloating and gas topping the list as the most common and severe problem. The average time since diagnosis was eight years for all participants whose data was used in the study. The analysis also showed that severe GI symptoms were linked to poor quality of life, ...

Just a handful of years ago, retinoblastoma had the medical field stumped. This pediatric eye cancer cannot be directly biopsied, which means clinicians must diagnose the disease by visual examination and imaging. Recently, a researcher at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles developed a new way to diagnose retinoblastoma by sampling the fluid at the front of the eye. These liquid biopsies also offer genetic and chromosomal information, which gives a more complete picture of each child’s disease. Now CHLA will lead an international liquid biopsy retinoblastoma study, the first of its kind.  A New Line of Research  Jesse Berry, MD, is the Director of Ocular Oncology ...

Climate change goals set out in the Paris Agreement are only economically reasonable if non-market factors such as human health and loss of biodiversity are prioritised, according to a new study published by Dr Taikan Oki, former Senior Vice-Rector of United Nations University headquartered in Japan, in IOP Publishing’s academic journal Environmental Research Letters.   A multi-disciplinary, collaborative effort from researchers at 23 institutions including The University of Tokyo, National Institute for Environmental Studies, and Kyoto University, the new study provides a cost-benefit analysis ...

Only 19% of Saudi Arabian women are diagnosed at stage I of cervical cancer where survival rates are highest, according to a study published by the King Abdulaziz University. To further motivate action to combat cervical cancer, BGI Genomics today released its State of Cervical Cancer Awareness Report in Saudi Arabia. This report assesses the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination. By examining these key areas, this survey seeks to highlight the associated barriers and opportunities. 1,878 female respondents from six countries ...

Smoking in pregnancy can harm developing babies, especially their growth . Current guidelines recommend that pregnant smokers who find quitting difficult should be provided with nicotine replacements products and stop-smoking services usually recommend nicotine patches. This research published in NIHR Journals Library, suggests that pregnant women should also consider e-cigarettes. The study included 1,140 pregnant women who were trying to stop smoking who were divided into two groups. Half of the women received e-cigarettes; the other half received nicotine patches. Both approaches were equally safe. The only meaningful difference was that fewer ...

A group of international researchers has achieved a breakthrough in computer security with the development of a new and highly efficient cipher for cache randomization. The innovative cipher, designed by Assistant Professor Rei Ueno from the Research Institute of Electrical Communication at Tohoku University, addresses the threat of cache side-channel attacks, offering enhanced security and exceptional performance. Cache side-channel attacks pose a significant threat to modern computer systems, as they can stealthily extract sensitive information, including secret keys and passwords, from unsuspecting victims. ...

WASHINGTON — People with type-II diabetes who drank the fermented tea drink kombucha for four weeks had lower fasting blood glucose levels compared to when they consumed a similar-tasting placebo beverage, according to results from a clinical trial conducted by researchers at Georgetown University's School of Health, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and MedStar Health. This finding, from a pilot 12-person feasibility trial, points to the potential for a dietary intervention that could help lower blood sugar levels in people ...

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science (CSRS) and the University of Toronto have discovered a new way to attack fungal infections. The key is to block fungi from being able to make fatty acids, the major component of fats. Resistance to anti-fungal drugs is increasing and this new approach will be particularly useful because it works in a new way and affects a broad range of fungal species. The study was published in the scientific journal Cell Chemical Biology. Most of us are familiar with athlete’s ...

Only 28.5% of Thai women are diagnosed at stage I of cervical cancer when survival rates are highest, according to a study published by the Mahidol University. To further motivate action to combat cervical cancer, BGI Genomics released its State of Cervical Cancer Awareness Report in Thailand. This report assesses the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination to highlight the associated barriers and opportunities. 1,878 female respondents from six countries and ...

Researchers have revealed the unique ‘cheating’ strategy a New Zealand insect has developed to avoid being eaten – mimicking a highly toxic species.   In nature, poisonous species typically advertise their toxicity, often by producing high contrast colours such as black, white and yellow, like wasps and bees.   Along similar lines, New Zealand’s cyanide-producing stonefly, Austroperla cyrene, produces strong ‘warning’ colours of black, white and yellow, to highlight its threat to potential predators.   In a new study published in Molecular Ecology, University of Otago Department of Zoology researchers reveal that an ...

It’s an elegant solution: Remove the habitat of a parasite-carrying aquatic snail and reduce the level of infection in the local community; all while generating more feed and compost for local farmers. A collaboration of scientists from the United States and Senegal focused on doing just that by removing overgrown aquatic vegetation from areas upstream of the Diama Dam in northeastern Senegal. In doing so, they generated positive impacts to the local communities’ health and economies.  “It is rare and gratifying when we can find a potential win-win solution to both human health ...

**Embargo: 23.30 [UK time] / 6.30pm [ET] Monday, July 31, 2023** Peer-reviewed                                                                         The Lancet: New study reveals global anemia cases remain ...

Oat is among the top ten cereal crop species in terms of global production. It can adapt to different climates, and farmers can grow it successfully even in harsh environments where other crops such as rice and corn fail. However, not all oat plants are the same. Based on their grains, two major oak varieties can easily be distinguished: hulled, grains that are covered in a non-edible husk, and naked, grains that have a soft outer casing that easily separates from the edible grain during threshing. To gain information on the origins of these different varieties, researchers in China have sequenced the ...

With a Fulton County indictment of former President Donald Trump possible at any time, law enforcement in Atlanta is bracing for potential violence, with orange barricades restricting access to the entrance of the county courthouse.   With the anticipation of each new indictment has come threats of violence, decrease in trust in American justice and calls for retribution against the government. Just how concerned should Americans be that we may face another January 6th-type incident? New data from the Polarization ...

Sperm play a critical role in the creation of new life, delivering essentially half of the genetic material required. The success of this process relies on the generation of a developmentally competent sperm cell, which is often determined by shape. Indeed, during in vitro fertilization, the “best-looking” sperm is selected to fertilize an egg. However, how this optimal shape translates to proper sperm function is difficult to assess because of many confounding factors. Researchers at the University of Michigan are now delving into the molecular-level details of sperm formation, with a particular focus on how abnormalities in ...

Technological advancements like autonomous driving and computer vision are driving a surge in demand for computational power. Optical computing, with its high throughput, energy efficiency, and low latency, has garnered considerable attention from academia and industry. However, current optical computing chips face limitations in power consumption and size, which hinders the scalability of optical computing networks. Thanks to the rise of nonvolatile integrated photonics, optical computing devices can achieve in-memory computing while operating with zero static power consumption. Phase-change materials (PCMs) have emerged as promising candidates for achieving photonic memory and nonvolatile ...

New research reveals a type of monoclonal antibody already tested in certain forms of cancer may be a promising treatment in stopping the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease. The study, led by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study, involving a mouse model and confirmed in the tissue of human brains affected by ALS and donated after death, revealed for the first time that modulating immune cells can slow the progression of the disease. Previous research suggested a role for immune cells in ALS, but researchers this time used a high-throughput ...