Tuesday 25 June 2019

Which climates are best for passive cooling technologies?

A group of University of California, San Diego researchers set out to gain a better understanding of the thermal balance of power plants and surfaces, like heliostat mirrors or solar panels, when exposed to both solar (shortwave) and atmospheric (longwave) radiation. They quickly realized that they would first need to determine what roles cloud cover and relative humidity play in the transparency of the atmosphere to radiation at temperatures common on Earth.

* This article was originally published here

These neurons affect how much you do, or don't, want to eat

Like a symphony, multiple brain regions work in concert to regulate the need to eat. University of Arizona researchers believe they have identified a symphony conductor—a brain region that regulates appetite suppression and activation—tucked within the amygdala, the brain's emotional hub.

* This article was originally published here

US Fed to look 'carefully' at Facebook virtual coin Libra

Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said Tuesday the US central bank will be closely scrutinizing Facebook's newly announced cryptocurrency Libra with an eye toward potentially regulating the virtual coin.

* This article was originally published here

Genetics may help predict the right blood pressure drug for you

Medication can play a huge role in reducing high blood pressure, a leading cause of stroke, heart attack and other serious health problems. Yet given the wide selection of drugs for doctors to choose from, figuring out which drug works best for someone is difficult.

* This article was originally published here

Zero-calorie sweeteners on trial again

As a sugar substitute, zero-calorie sweeteners may reduce tooth decay and blood sugar spikes. Seven are approved worldwide and safe for humans—but does this mean they're healthy?

* This article was originally published here

Voxelotor improves hemoglobin levels in sickle cell disease

(HealthDay)—For individuals with sickle cell disease, 1,500 mg of voxelotor increases hemoglobin levels and reduces the incidence of worsening anemia compared with placebo, according to a study published in the June 14 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

* This article was originally published here

Researchers study healthy ALS neurons as way to understand resistance to the disease

Although largely paralyzed, ALS patients can communicate through eye-tracking devices because they retain eye movement until the disease's late stages. Yet, how some motor neurons resist ALS to allow for this movement has been a mystery.

* This article was originally published here

Scientists on Madeira see new 'plasticrust' sea pollution

Researchers say they may have identified a new kind of plastic pollution in the sea and they're calling it "plasticrust."

* This article was originally published here

New research shows how melting ice is affecting supplies of nutrients to the sea

The findings of a research expedition to coastal Greenland which examined, for the first time, how melting ice is affecting supplies of nutrients to the oceans has been published in the journal Progress in Oceanography.

* This article was originally published here

Symbiotic upcycling: Turning 'low value' compounds into biomass

Plants use light energy from the sun for photosynthesis to turn carbon dioxide (CO2) into biomass. Animals can't do that. Therefore, some of them have teamed up with bacteria that carry out a process called chemosynthesis. It works almost like photosynthesis, only that it uses chemical energy instead of light energy. Many animals rely on chemosynthetic bacteria to supply them with food. The symbionts turn CO2 into biomass and are subsequently digested by their host. Kentron, a bacterium nourishing the ciliate Kentrophoros, was thought to be 'just another' chemosynthetic symbiont. However, recent results indicate that it is not.

* This article was originally published here

Mice with a human immune system help research into cancer and infections

Researchers from Aarhus University and Aarhus University Hospital have succeeded in using mice with a transplanted human immune system to study functions in the immune system which are otherwise particularly difficult to study. The method could turn out to be important in further research into cancer, HIV and autoimmune diseases.

* This article was originally published here

Trulifi leveraging light waves for send-receive of office data

Some companies need your time when they explain properly what their technology is all about and in turn brochures, white papers and video talks are in order. Signify is lucky. Two words wrap it up for them. Light connects.

* This article was originally published here

National emergency alerts potentially vulnerable to attack

On October 3, 2018, cell phones across the United States received a text message labeled "Presidential Alert." The message read: "THIS IS A TEST of the National Wireless Emergency Alert System. No action is needed."

* This article was originally published here

Atmospheric rivers getting warmer along U.S. West Coast

Most of the West Coast of the United States relies on a healthy winter snowpack to provide water through the dry summer months. But when precipitation falls as rain rather than snow, it can diminish summer water supplies, as well as trigger floods and landslides.

* This article was originally published here

Robot circulatory system powers possibilities

Untethered robots suffer from a stamina problem. A possible solution: a circulating liquid—"robot blood"—to store energy and power its applications for sophisticated, long-duration tasks.

* This article was originally published here

New therapy promotes vascular repair following stroke

Following a stroke, antibodies that inhibit the signaling molecule Nogo-A can help repair blood vessels in the affected brain regions. This also promotes the regaining of motor functions, researchers at the University of Zurich have shown in a mouse model. The study opens up new avenues for treatment.

* This article was originally published here

PizzaGAN gets the picture on how to make a pizza

Is nothing sacred? Who would dare to even attempt to talk about a machine-learning experiment that results in the perfect (gasp) pizza? It is difficult to contemplate, but a research quintet did not shy away from trying, and they worked to teach a machine how to make a great pie.

* This article was originally published here

Five rhinos resettled in Rwanda from Czech zoo

Five critically endangered eastern black rhinos were on Monday successfully relocated to Rwanda's Akagera National Park after a long journey from the Czech Republic, park officials said.

* This article was originally published here

Greater long-term decline in stroke seen among older adults

(HealthDay)—The decline in midlife ischemic strokes over time is less pronounced than the decline among older adults, according to a study published in the June issue of Stroke.

* This article was originally published here