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The Story of Charles Willson Peale’s Massive Mastodon

When a European intellectual snubbed the U.S., the well-known artist excavated the giant fossil as evidence of the new Republic’s strength and power




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Possible vaccine for virus linked to type 1 diabetes

According to many observations, certain virus infections may play a part in the autoimmune attack that leads to type 1 diabetes. Researchers have now produced a vaccine for these viruses in the hope that it could provide protection against the disease.




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Plasma electrons can be used to produce metallic films

Computers, mobile phones and all other electronic devices contain thousands of transistors, linked together by thin films of metal. Scientists have developed a method that can use the electrons in a plasma to produce these films.




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Repurposing existing drugs for COVID-19 offers a more rapid alternative to a vaccine

Repurposing existing medicines focused on known drug targets is likely to offer a more rapid hope of tackling COVID-19 than developing and manufacturing a vaccine, argue an international team of scientists.




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Global trade in soy has major implications for climate

The extent to which Brazilian soy production and trade contribute to climate change depends largely on the location where soybeans are grown, according to a new study. In some municipalities, carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the export of soybean and derivatives are more than 200 times higher than in others.




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A closer look at superconductors

High-temperature superconductors have the potential to revolutionize today's technologies. 'Higgs spectroscopy' could bring about a watershed as it reveals the dynamics of paired electrons in superconductors. Remarkably, the dynamics also reveal typical precursors of superconductivity even above the critical temperature at which the materials investigated attain superconductivity.




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Vitamin D levels appear to play role in COVID-19 mortality rates

Researchers analyzed patient data from 10 countries. The team found a correlation between low vitamin D levels and hyperactive immune systems. Vitamin D strengths innate immunity and prevents overactive immune responses. The finding could explain several mysteries, including why children are unlikely to die from COVID-19.




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A billion years missing from geologic record: Where it may have gone

The geologic record is exactly that: a record. The strata of rock tell scientists about past environments, much like pages in an encyclopedia. Except this reference book has more pages missing than it has remaining. So geologists are tasked not only with understanding what is there, but also with figuring out what's not, and where it went.




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2D oxide flakes pick up surprise electrical properties

Researchers find evidence of piezoelectricity in lab-grown, two-dimensional flakes of molybdenum dioxide.




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Accurate 3D imaging of sperm cells moving at top speed could improve IVF treatments

Researchers have developed a safe and accurate 3D imaging method to identify sperm cells moving at a high speed. The new method has the potential to significantly improve IVF treatments.




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Benthos in the Antarctic Weddell Sea in decline

Over the past quarter-century, changes in Antarctic sea-ice cover have had profound impacts on life on the ocean floor.




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Highly efficient hydrogen gas production using sunlight, water and hematite

Hydrogen is a possible next generation energy solution, and it can be produced from sunlight and water using photocatalysts. A research group has now developed a strategy that greatly increases the amount of hydrogen produced using hematite photocatalysts. In addition to boosting the high efficiency of what is thought to be the world's highest performing photoanode, this strategy will be applied to artificial photosynthesis and solar water-splitting technologies via university-industry collaborations.




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Variance in tree species results in the cleanest urban air

What kind of an effect do trees have on aerosol particle concentrations in cities? Modelling carried out at the University of Helsinki revealed that the air was cleanest on the street level with three rows of trees of variable height situated along boulevard-type city street canyons.




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Vitamin D linked to low virus death rate, study finds

A new study has found an association between low average levels of vitamin D and high numbers of COVID-19 cases and mortality rates across 20 European countries.




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Beer was here! A new microstructural marker for malting in the archaeological record

A new method for reliably identifying the presence of beer or other malted foodstuffs in archaeological finds is described in a new study.




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See a 3D mouse brain with single-cell resolution

A manually constructed 3D atlas offers a cellular-level view of the entire mouse brain. This reference brain, called the Allen Mouse Brain Common Coordinate Framework (CCFv3), is derived from serial two-photon tomography images of 1,675 mice.




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The feeling a limb doesn't belong is linked to lack of brain structure and connection

People with body integrity dysphoria (BID) often feel as though one of their healthy limbs isn't meant to be a part of their bodies. They may act as though the limb is missing or even seek its amputation 'to feel complete.' Now, researchers have found that these feelings that a limb doesn't belong are mirrored in the brains of people with this condition.




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New simple method for measuring the state of lithium-ion batteries

Scientists have presented a non-contact method for detecting the state of charge and any defects in lithium-ion batteries.




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Virgin birth has scientists buzzing

Researchers have identified the single gene that determines how Cape honey bees reproduce without ever having sex. One gene, GB45239 on chromosome 11, is responsible for virgin births.




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A role reversal for the function of certain circadian network neurons

A new study y reveals surprising findings about the function of circadian network neurons that undergo daily structural change. The research could lead to a better understanding of how to address circadian rhythm disruptions in humans and facilitate preventing a host of associated health problems, including increased risk for cancer and metabolic syndrome.




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Lipid metabolism controls brain development

A lipid metabolism enzyme controls brain stem cell activity and lifelong brain development. If the enzyme does not work correctly, it causes learning and memory deficits in humans and mice, as researchers have discovered. Regulating stem cell activity via lipid metabolism could lead to new treatments for brain diseases.




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Light, sound, action: Extending the life of acoustic waves on microchips

Data centres and digital information processors are reaching their capacity limits and producing heat. Foundational work here on optical-acoustic microchips opens door to low-heat, low-energy, fast internet.




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Immunity of recovered COVID-19 patients could cut risk of expanding economic activity

New modeling of coronavirus behavior suggests that an intervention strategy based on shield immunity could reduce the risk of allowing the higher levels of human interaction needed to support expanded economic activity.




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Planting trees is no panacea for climate change

A restoration ecologist has a simple message for anyone who thinks planting 1 trillion trees will reverse the damage of climate change: 'We can't plant our way out of climate change.'




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Revealing links between education and a good diet

Educational status appears to have positive influence on a healthy diet, particularly in low income countries, according to new research examining European nutritional data.




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Laser loop couples quantum systems over a distance

For the first time, researchers have succeeded in creating strong coupling between quantum systems over a greater distance. They accomplished this with a novel method in which a laser loop connects the systems, enabling nearly lossless exchange of information and strong interaction between them. The physicists reported that the new method opens up new possibilities in quantum networks and quantum sensor technology.




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Physicists shed light on the nanoscale dynamics of spin thermalization

In physics, thermalization, or the trend of sub-systems within a whole to gain a common temperature, is typically the norm. There are situations, however, where thermalization is slowed down or virtually suppressed; examples are when considering the dynamics of electron and nuclear spins in solids. Understanding why this happens and how it can be controlled is presently at the center of a broad effort, particularly for applications in the emerging field of quantum information technologies.




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Telescopes and spacecraft join forces to probe deep into Jupiter's atmosphere

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the ground-based Gemini Observatory in Hawaii have teamed up with the Juno spacecraft to probe the mightiest storms in the solar system, taking place more than 500 million miles away on the giant planet Jupiter.




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Key mechanism of cytokine storm in Castleman disease

Researchers discover what is happening at the cellular level when Castleman patients experience a cytokine storm.




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Olanzapine may help control nausea, vomiting in patients with advanced cancer

Olanzapine, a generic drug used to treat nervous, emotional and mental conditions, also may help patients with advanced cancer successfully manage nausea and vomiting unrelated to chemotherapy.




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Prediction tool shows how forest thinning may increase Sierra Nevada snowpack

Thinning the Sierra Nevada forest by removing trees by hand or using heavy machinery is one of the few tools available to manage forests. However, finding the best way to thin forests by removing select trees to maximize the forest's benefits for water quantity, water quality, wildfire risk and wildlife habitat remains a challenge for resource managers.




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Blood thinners may improve survival among hospitalized COVID-19 patients

Treating hospitalized COVID-19 patients with anticoagulants -- blood thinners that slow down clotting -- may improve their chances of survival, researchers report. The study could provide new insight on how to treat and manage coronavirus patients once they are admitted to the hospital.




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First simulation of a full-sized mitochondrial membrane

Scientists have developed a method that combines different resolution levels in a computer simulation of biological membranes. Their algorithm backmaps a large-scale model that includes features, such as membrane curvature, to its corresponding coarse-grained molecular model. This has allowed them to zoom in on toxin-induced membrane budding and to simulate a full-sized mitochondrial lipid membrane. Their approach opens the way to whole-cell simulations at a molecular level.




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Computer vision helps scientists study lithium ion batteries

New machine learning methods bring insights into how lithium ion batteries degrade, and show it's more complicated than many thought.




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How a molecular 'alarm' system in plants protects them from predators

Some plants, like soybean, are known to possess an innate defense machinery that helps them develop resistance against insects trying to feed on them. However, exactly how these plants recognize signals from insects has been unknown until now. Scientists have now uncovered the cellular pathway that helps these plants to sense danger signals and elicit a response, opening doors to a myriad of agricultural applications.




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Newly discovered mechanism can explain increased risk of dementia

Millions of people around the world use acid suppressants called proton pump inhibitors for conditions like heartburn, gastritis and stomach ulcers. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now report that how the long-term use of these drugs could increase the risk of developing dementia. Their results are published in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia.




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Canadian study finds temperature, latitude not associated with COVID-19 spread

A new study finds that temperature and latitude do not appear to be associated with the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but school closures and other public health measures are having a positive effect.




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Neanderthals were choosy about making bone tools

Evidence continues to mount that the Neanderthals, who lived in Europe and Asia until about 40,000 years ago, were more sophisticated people than once thought. A new study shows that Neanderthals chose to use bones from specific animals to make a tool for specific purpose: working hides into leather.




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Fishing can disrupt mating systems

In many fish species body size plays an important role in sexual selection. Large individuals are preferred mating partners because they can enhance offspring survival by providing better quality resources than small individuals. While large females and males are often favored by sexual selection, fishing targets and removes these reproductively superior individuals.




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How does the brain link events to form a memory? Study reveals unexpected mental processes

The brain has a powerful ability to remember and connect events separated in time. And now, in a new study in mice, scientists have shed light on how the brain can form such enduring links.




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Human-driven pollution alters the environment even underground

The Monte Conca cave system in Sicily is showing signs of being altered by pollution from above.




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Protein shredder regulates fat metabolism in the brain

A protein shredder that occurs in cell membranes of brain cells apparently also indirectly regulates the fat metabolism. The shredder, known as gamma-secretase, is considered a possible target for drugs against cancer and Alzheimer's disease. However, the results suggest that such agents may have long-range effects that need to be watched closely.




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Chemistry breakthrough could speed up drug development

Scientists have successfully developed a new technique to reliably grow crystals of organic soluble molecules from nanoscale droplets, unlocking the potential of accelerated new drug development.




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More selective elimination of leukemia stem cells and blood stem cells

Hematopoietic stem cells from a healthy donor can help patients suffering from acute leukemia. However, the side effects of therapies are often severe. Researchers have now shown how human healthy and cancerous hematopoietic stem cells can be more selectively eliminated using immunotherapy instead of chemotherapy in mice. The aim is to test the new immunotherapy in humans as soon as possible.




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Our pupils move to the rhythm of the environment

Regular processes in the environment improve our eyesight.




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Scientists develop sustainable way to extract chitin from prawn shells

Scientists have developed a green way to create chitin, by using two forms of food waste - prawn shells and discarded fruit - and fermenting them.




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Controlling quantumness: Simulations reveal details about how particles interact

A recent study has described new states that can be found in super-cold atom experiments, which could have applications for quantum technology.




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Data science drives new maps to predict the growth of cities over next century

A new global simulation model offers the first long-term look at how urbanization -- the growth of cities and towns -- will unfold in the coming decades. The research team projects the total amount of urban areas on Earth can grow anywhere from 1.8 to 5.9-fold by 2100, building approximately 618,000 square miles.




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To climb like a gecko, robots need toes

Researchers know the secret to geckos' ability to walk on the ceiling: their hairy toes. But how do they use their five toes per foot to adjust to gravity when running horizontally along walls. Biologists have now used high-speed cameras to record how geckos orient their toes with shifting weight, especially when encountering slippery or rough patches, and found a remarkable ability to adjust toe orientation to stick and peel while running full speed.




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To err is human, to learn, divine

New research describes a new model for how the brain interprets patterns in complex networks. They found that the ability to detect patterns stems in part from the brain's desire to represent things in the simplest way possible and that the brain is constantly weighing the pressures of complexity and simplicity when making decisions.