Infrared detectors created for viper-like night vision
Much like some snakes use infrared to 'see' at night, researchers are working to create similar viper vision to improve the sensitivity of night-vision cameras.
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Turning wood into pharmaceutical ingredients
Production of hazardous waste during drug manufacturing is a serious concern for the pharmaceutical industry. Typically, large amounts of flammable solvents are used during these processes, which usually require several steps to make structurally complex drugs. Researchers now report a method to produce pharmaceutically relevant compounds in just two or three steps, with water as the only waste product, using renewable woodchips as starting material.
Read moreBoosting the popularity of social media posts
Computer scientists created a new algorithm to recommend tags for social media posts which should boost the popularity of the post in question. This algorithm takes into account more kinds of information than previous algorithms with a similar goal. The result is a measurably improved view count for posts which use the tags recommended by this new algorithm. Such research could be useful commercially and for other researchers who study online behavior.
Read moreVitamin D deficiency is associated with poor muscle function in adults aged 60+
New research shows that vitamin D deficiency is an important determinant of poor skeletal muscle function in adults aged 60 years and over. While resistance exercise is known to preserve muscle function, there is growing evidence that adequate vitamin D status may also be protective.
Read moreProtein movement in cells hints at greater mysteries
A new imaging technique that makes it possible to match motor proteins with the cargo they carry within a cell is upending a standard view of how cellular traffic reaches the correct destination. The research focuses on neurons and sheds light on some neurodegenerative diseases.
Read moreHow to spot a wormhole (if they exist)
Whether wormholes exist is up for debate. But in a recent article, physicists describe a technique for detecting these pathways.
Read moreAchieving quantum supremacy
Researchers have made good on their claim to quantum supremacy. Using 53 entangled quantum bits ('qubits'), their Sycamore computer has taken on — and solved — a problem considered intractable for classical computers.
Read moreStudy looks at distribution of new cases of diabetes, density of specialists
Researchers analyzed national data on the prevalence of diabetes and the number of internal medicine specialists in each U.S. state. They found that cardiologists were the highest represented specialists and conclude that they are well positioned to be integral members of a patient's care team.
Read moreConsuming alcohol leads to epigenetic changes in brain memory centers
New research revealed a surprising pathway that shows alcohol byproducts travel to the brain to promote addiction memory. They show how acetate travels to the brain's learning system and directly alters proteins the regulate DNA function, impacting how some genes are expressed and ultimately affecting how mice behave when given environmental cues to consume alcohol.
Read moreNew data on the evolution of plants and origin of species
There are over 500,000 plant species in the world today. They all evolved from a common ancestor. How this leap in biodiversity happened is still unclear. Researchers now present the results of a unique project on the evolution of plants. Using genetic data from 1,147 species the team created the most comprehensive evolutionary tree for green plants to date.
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