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Humans may be uniquely identified by the proteins in their hair

Unique protein markers in hair could be used alongside DNA profiling for human identification, according to a study published September 7, 2016 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Glendon Parker from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA, and colleagues.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Critical information needed in fight to save wildlife

With global temperatures rising, an international group of 22 top biologists is calling for a coordinated effort to gather important species information that is urgently needed to improve predictions for the impact of climate change on future biodiversity.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Yellow or black, large or small? Ant color and body size respond strongly to environment

A University of Liverpool study of ants across three continents has revealed that their colour and size is strongly influenced by their environment, and that the dominant colour and average body size can change from year to year as temperatures vary. This finding has implications for how ant communities will cope with rising global temperatures.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Chinese investigators characterize the world of resistance gene exchange among bacteria

Certain antibiotic resistance genes are easily transferred from one bacterial species to another, and can move between farm animals and the human gut. A team led by Chinese researchers has characterized this "mobile resistome," which they say is largely to blame for the spread of antibiotic resistance. They found that many antibiotic resistance genes that are shared between the human and animal gut microbiome are also present in multiple human pathogens. These findings are published September 9 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.

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  • Biology & Nature

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The history of beer yeast

Today's industrial yeast strains are used to make beer, wine, bread, biofuels, and more, but their evolutionary history is not well studied. In a Cell paper publishing September 8, researchers describe a family tree of these microbes with an emphasis on beer yeast. The resulting genetic relationships reveal clues as to when yeast was first domesticated, who the earliest beer brewers were, and how humans have shaped this organism's development.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Bacteria supply their allies with munitions

Many bacteria possess molecular spear guns, which they fire at enemies and rivals, thus putting them out of action. The tips of these nano-spear guns, known as Type VI secretion system (T6SS), are loaded with toxic molecules that lead to death of their adversaries. However, sometimes close related bacteria come under fire.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Genetic analysis uncovers 4 species of giraffe, not just 1

Up until now, scientists had only recognized a single species of giraffe made up of several subspecies. But, according to the most inclusive genetic analysis of giraffe relationships to date, giraffes actually aren't one species, but four. For comparison, the genetic differences among giraffe species are at least as great as those between polar and brown bears.

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  • Biology & Nature

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A cinematic approach to drug resistance

In a creative stroke inspired by Hollywood wizardry, scientists from Harvard Medical School and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have designed a simple way to observe how bacteria move as they become impervious to drugs.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Linking RNA structure and function

Several years ago, biologists discovered a new type of genetic material known as long noncoding RNA. This RNA does not code for proteins and is copied from sections of the genome once believed to be "junk DNA."

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  • Biology & Nature

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Kill them with cuteness: The adorable thing bats do to catch prey

A Johns Hopkins University researcher noticed the bats he works with cocked their heads to the side, just like his pet Pug.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Male chemistry primes females for reproduction -- but at a cost

A research team led by a Northwestern University scientist has discovered that male animals, through their invisible chemical "essence," prime female animals for reproduction but with the unfortunate side effect of also hastening females' aging process.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Training human antibodies to protect against HIV

During HIV infection, the virus mutates too rapidly for the immune system to combat, but some people produce antibodies that can recognize the virus even two years after infection. With an eye towards developing a vaccine, in four related papers from multiple groups publishing September 8 in Cell and Immunity, researchers describe a multi-step method for "training" the immune system to produce these antibodies in genetically engineered mice.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Hippo teeth reveal environmental change

Loss of megaherbivores such as elephants and hippos can allow woody plants and non-grassy herbs and flowering plants to encroach on grasslands in African national parks, according to a new University of Utah study, published Sept. 12 in Scientific Reports. The study used isotopes in hippopotamus teeth to find a shift in the diet of hippos over the course of a decade in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park following widespread elephant poaching in the 1970s.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Seek and you shall find -- bees remain excellent searchers even when ill

Honeybees are hardwired to efficiently search the landscape enabling them to continue working for the greater good of their hives even when they are sick, according to new research co-authored by Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).

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  • Biology & Nature

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Study reveals how ionising radiation damages DNA and causes cancer

For the first time, researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their collaborators have been able to identify in human cancers two characteristic patterns of DNA damage caused by ionising radiation. These fingerprint patterns may now enable doctors to identify which tumours have been caused by radiation, and investigate if they should be treated differently.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Trees recognize roe deer by saliva

In spring, the young, delicate shoots in the forest light up, bright and May green. The buds and shoots are the future of the forests as they allow young trees to grow. The problem for the trees is: Roe deer like to eat them, and especially their buds. With a bit of luck, the young, gnawed saplings will only take a few more years to grow than their non-bitten conspecifics. In the worst case, they will become stunted trees, or they will have to give up their fight for survival after a number of years. In this respect, roe deer can cause a great deal of damage and hinder the regeneration of many deciduous tree species.

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  • Biology & Nature

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First accurate simulation of a virus invading a cell

For the first time, scientists know what happens to a virus' shape when it invades a host cell, thanks to an experiment by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Understanding how the virus shape changes could lead to more effective anti-viral therapies.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Study links altered brain chemistry, behavioral impairments in fish exposed to elevated CO2

Study Links Altered Brain Chemistry, Behavioral Impairments in Fish Exposed to Elevated CO2 Research team studied damselfish behavior and physiology under ocean acidification conditions predicted for year 2300

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  • Biology & Nature

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The proteins that domesticated our genomes

EPFL scientists have carried out a genomic and evolutionary study of a large and enigmatic family of human proteins, to demonstrate that it is responsible for harnessing the millions of transposable elements in the human genome. The work reveals the largely species-specific gene-regulatory networks that impact all of human biology, in both health and disease.

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  • Biology & Nature

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Apple announces software tools for developers to create apps for Vision Pro

Apple has announced that starting today, its global community of developers will be able to create spatial computing apps for Vision Pro.




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Microsoft says new computing service for chemicals can slash R&D time

The new offering uses a combination of existing quantum computers, artificial intelligence and conventional high-performance computing systems.




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New AI-enabled Outlook app to replace Mail, Calendar apps on Windows 11

On existing devices, users can switch to the new Outlook for Windows from a toggle in the Mail and Calendar applications.




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Growing wearables production in India bleeds China units

Top wearables brands such as Boat and Gizmore are making most products locally in key categories audio and smartwatch through electronics contract manufacturers such as Dixon Technologies and Optiemus Electronics. Domestic shipments of wearables jumped 81% on-year in the first quarter of calendar year 2023 to 25 million units, with India surpassing China to become the largest market in the world, according to IDC India.




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Apple in talks with NPCI, plans to launch UPI based Apple Pay service in India

According to RBI’s Bulletin for June, UPI transactions in May reached a record Rs 14.3 trillion in terms of value and 9.41 billion in volume. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is expected to account for 90% of retail digital transactions volume in the next five years.




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Tesla charging technology put on fast track to become US standard

Tesla's charging technology has been gathering momentum for weeks. Volvo Car on Tuesday joined General Motors, Ford and Rivian in embracing Tesla's charging design, shunning earlier efforts by the Biden administration to make the Combined Charging System (CCS) the dominant charging standard in the United States.




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Zoox headcount grows as Amazon's self-driving unit expands testing in Vegas

Amazon's shares were 1.2% higher at $128.84 in early afternoon trading.




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Microsoft announces AI-powered shopping tools in Bing, Edge

The new tools help users to harness the power of AI "to make it easier to discover, research, and complete your purchase, all in one place with information you need from expert sources," the tech giant said in a blogpost on Thursday.




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Meta plans to challenge Apple and Google's dominance over apps

Social media giant Meta is looking to challenge Apple and Google's dominance in the app marketplace by considering the creation of its own app store. The move is motivated by the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA), which calls for tech giants to open their platforms and allow alternative methods of app downloading. Meta aims to allow users to download apps directly from Facebook ads, resulting in higher conversion rates for developers. Failure to comply with the DMA can result in fines and possible acquisition bans.




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US lawmaker urges labelling, restrictions on AI content

In the letter to the chief executives of OpenAI, which released ChatGPT, and its partner Microsoft among others, Bennet said it was especially important for Americans to know when AI was used to make political content. US senator Bennet noted that some companies - including OpenAI and Alphabet's Google - have begun marking some content as AI- generated but added that those companies' policies are "alarmingly reliant on voluntary compliance."




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Microsoft announces AI-powered shopping tools in Bing, Edge

The new tools help users to harness the power of AI "to make it easier to discover, research, and complete your purchase, all in one place with information you need from expert sources," the tech giant said in a blogpost on Thursday.




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Mark Zuckerberg vs Elon Musk: Meta’s Twitter clone Threads sees 5 million signups in 4 hours

In just four hours of its launch, the social media platform has recorded over five million signups, Zuckerberg announced on Thursday.




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Google training Bard on scraped web data: Here's what the company has to say

“Our privacy policy has long been transparent that Google uses publicly available information from the open web to train language models for services like Google Translate,” The Verge quoted Google spokesperson Christa Muldoon as saying. This publically available data includes data available on the internet, device type and settings, operating system, mobile network information including carrier name and phone number, and application version number.




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OpenKylin: China introduces indigenous computer operating system

China has developed OpenKylin, an operating system based on the open-source Linux platform, to reduce its dependence on US technology. OpenKylin 1.0, created by a community of approximately 4,000 developers, has been utilised in various sectors, such as finance, energy, and even in its space program. China's tech industry has prioritised developing an operating system that is not dependent on US technology, and OpenKylin is one of several under development that could replace Microsoft's Windows and Apple's MacOS. Notably, the system provides reliable fundamental software services and ensures security in critical areas such as government affairs and finance.




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Global IT hardware companies bat for lifting of import restrictions

In a meeting with IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, held earlier this week, the companies said the import licensing requirement puts "unnecessary pressure" since there is no ecosystem in place in India at present to manufacture these products such as laptops, tablets and servers, executives present at the meeting told ET.




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Flipkart’s Blockchain-based FireDrops seeks more use cases

Walmart-owned ecommerce major Flipkart is collaborating with Polygon for its web3 plans and aims to go deep with this partnership this year, which can help change the way Indians shop and engage with brands online, senior industry executive told ET.




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Samsung has a plan to stop Exynos chips from overheating

Samsung's FOWLP-HPB cooling tech for Exynos 2500 chipsets, set for Q4 2024, will enhance performance, modeled in Galaxy S25. Galaxy Z Fold 6, Z Flip 6 launching at Glaaxy Unpacked with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, 4000mAh battery, 50MP sensor, and IP48 durability rating aims to combat Exynos 2400 throttling, offering better battery life and consistent performance.




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Apple removes 25 VPN apps from App Store in Russia, here's why

Apple has removed 25 VPN apps from its App Store in Russia, complying with orders from the communications regulator. This move comes amidst Russia's crackdown on VPNs and ongoing tensions with big tech companies over content regulation and censorship.




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IT hardware makers push for faster BIS certification to boost local production under PLI scheme

Industry executives have informed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) about the extended timelines for acquiring BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) certification. This is due to the mandatory separate tests for battery packs installed on laptops, after running viability tests for making the products with local contract manufacturers.




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Digital payments show strong uptick buoyed by wider adoption of credit during festive season

During this year’s festive season sales, credit cards and credit-based payment instruments like pay-later products saw a significant increase, according to industry reports. Transactions rose by 35-50% compared to last year, with a large share being made through credit cards, EMIs, and pay-later options. Unified Payments Interface (UPI) remained the dominant payment method, with a 34% rise in transactions and over 500 million daily payments recorded.




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How 5-star online customer reviews can backfire

It may be counterintuitive, but the more positive online reviews a product gets may actually lead to a net negative profit for the retailer. That's the conclusion of new research by a team of marketing experts from a Dutch and a German university that will be published in the September 2016 issue of the Journal of Retailing.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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Reach in and touch objects in videos

We learn a lot about objects by manipulating them: poking, pushing, prodding, and then seeing how they react.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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Online gaming can boost school scores

Teenagers who regularly play online video games tend to improve their school results, according to new research from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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Study highlights serious security threat to many internet users

RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have identified a weakness in the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) of all Linux operating systems since late 2012 that enables attackers to hijack users' internet communications completely remotely.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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Researchers find that Android apps can secretly track users' whereabouts

Three years ago, the Federal Trade Commission dimmed hopes for the Brightest Flashlight app for Android, slapping its developer with charges of consumer deception. Why? The app was transmitting users' locations and device IDs to third parties without telling the users or getting their permission.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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In right balance, environmental regulations increased firms' profits, new study finds

CEOs and corporate lobbyists often spend plenty of time decrying how potential government regulations will affect their bottom line, but a new University of Kansas study finds that the U.S. Clean Water Act, when implemented in the right balance, improves firms' profitability.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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New study: Are voters influenced by campaign visits?

Los Angeles, CA (August 17, 2016) Despite their extensive national press coverage, campaign visits might not be worth presidential candidates' time and resources. A new study out today finds that voters are largely unaware of and unresponsive to campaign visits. The study was published as part of a special issue of The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science (a journal from SAGE Publishing) titled "Elections in America."

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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Stanford scientists combine satellite data and machine learning to map poverty

One of the biggest challenges in providing relief to people living in poverty is locating them. The availability of accurate and reliable information on the location of impoverished zones is surprisingly lacking for much of the world, particularly on the African continent. Aid groups and other international organizations often fill in the gaps with door-to-door surveys, but these can be expensive and time-consuming to conduct.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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Paper-based device spots falsified or degraded medications (video)

The developing world is awash in substandard, degraded or falsified medications, which can either directly harm users or deprive them of needed treatment. And with internet sales of medications on the rise, people everywhere are increasingly at risk. So, a team of researchers has developed a simple, inexpensive paper-based device to screen suspicious medications.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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Edible food packaging made from milk proteins (video)

At the grocery store, most foods -- meats, breads, cheeses, snacks -- come wrapped in plastic packaging. Not only does this create a lot of non-recyclable, non-biodegradable waste, but thin plastic films are not great at preventing spoilage. And some plastics are suspected of leaching potentially harmful compounds into food. To address these issues, scientists are now developing a packaging film made of milk proteins -- and it is even edible.

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  • Mathematics & Economics

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New device could help improve taste of foods low in fat, sugar and salt

Scientists may be closing in on a way to let consumers savor the sweet taste of cake, cookies and other culinary delights without the sugar rush. In preliminary tests using a new device developed in-house that allows them to screen for odor compounds in real foods, they have isolated several natural aromatic molecules that could be used to trick our brains into believing that desserts and other foods contain more fat, sugar or salt than they actually do.

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  • Mathematics & Economics