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For nearly half a century, astrophysicists and organic chemists have been on the hunt for the origins of C6H6, the benzene ring – an elegant, hexagonal molecule comprised of 6 carbon and 6 hydrogen atoms. Astrophysicists say that the benzene ring could be the fundamental building block of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs, the most basic materials formed from the explosion of dying, carbon-rich stars. That swirling mass of matter would eventually give shape to the earliest forms of carbon – precursors to molecules some scientists say are connected to the synthesis of the earliest forms of life on Earth....

Individuals with blood type O may have lowest risk of infection; individuals with A and AB may have increased risk of severe clinical outcomes. Two studies published today (October 14, 2020) in Blood Advances suggest people with blood type O may have a lower risk of COVID-19 infection and reduced likelihood of severe outcomes, including organ complications, if they do get sick. As the pandemic continues, the global biomedical research community is working urgently to identify coronavirus risk factors and potential therapeutic targets....

“What we’re really interested in,” says Peter Chien, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at UMass Amherst and the paper’s senior author, “is how cells respond to stress. We study a class of enzymes, called proteases, which target and destroy harmful proteins within a cell. These proteases can selectively recognize specific, individual proteins singular proteins. But how do they do this? How can they choose between healthy proteins and harmful ones?...

Scientists from the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science analyzed ground movements measured by Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) satellite data and GPS stations to precisely model where magma intruded and how magma influx changed over time, as well as where faults under the flanks moved without generating significant earthquakes. The GPS network is operated by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory. “An earthquake of magnitude-6 or greater would relieve the stress imparted by the influx of magma along a sub-horizontal fault under the western flank of the volcano,” said Bhuvan Varugu, a Ph....

Dark matter is a mysterious and unknown form of matter that comprises more than 80 percent of matter in the Universe today. Its nature is unknown, but it is believed to be responsible for forming stars and galaxies by its gravitational pull, which led to our existence. “Dark matter is actually our mom who gave birth to all of us. But we haven’t met her; somehow, we got separated at birth....

Scientists now understand the mechanism that leads to platelet activation and clotting. A new lifesaving treatment for people suffering from vaccine-related blood clots has been demonstrated by scientists at McMaster University. Researchers at the McMaster Platelet Immunology Laboratory (MPIL) are recommending two treatments, a combination of anti-clotting drugs with high doses of intravenous immunoglobulin, to combat vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). The treatment’s effectiveness was described in a report describing three Canadian patients who received the AstraZeneca vaccine, and who subsequently developed VITT....

This animation simulates a flyover of a portion of a Martian canyon detailed in a geological map produced by the U.S. Geological Survey and based on observations by the HiRISE camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The landforms include a series of hills called Candor Colles. Long ago, in the largest canyon system in our solar system, vibrations from “marsquakes” shook soft sediments that had accumulated in Martian lakes. The shaken sediments formed features that now appear as a series of low hills apparent in a geological map based on NASA images....

Imaging techniques that employ quantum light are becoming of major importance nowadays, since their capabilities in terms of resolution and sensitivity can surpass classical limitations and, in addition, they do not damage the sample. This is possible because quantum light is emitted in single photons and that uses the property of entanglement to reach lower light intensity regimes. Now, even though the use of quantum light and quantum detectors has been experiencing a steady development over these last years, there are still a few caveats that need to be solved....

In DSCs, photosensitizers are attached (“adsorbed”) to the surface of nanocrystalline mesoporous titanium dioxide films that are imbibed with redox-active electrolytes or a solid charge-transport material. The entire design aims to generate electric power by moving electrons from the photosensitizer toward an electrical output like a device or a storage unit. DSCs are transparent, can be fabricated in multiple colors for low cost, and are already being used in skylights, greenhouses, as well as glass facades, such as those adorning the SwissTech Convention Center....

X-ray binaries are binary stars that emit X-rays and are composed of a normal star and either a neutron star or a black hole. The gravity of the very dense neutron star or black hole causes material from the normal star to fall toward it, creating a rapidly rotating accretion disk that emits intense X-ray radiation. X-ray binaries are an important research target for those trying to understand strong gravitational and magnetic fields and the matter affected by them....

Autonomous cars could one day use the system to quickly avoid a potential collision with another car or pedestrian emerging from around a building’s corner or from in between parked cars. In the future, robots that may navigate hospital hallways to make medication or supply deliveries could use the system to avoid hitting people. In a paper being presented at next week’s International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS), the researchers describe successful experiments with an autonomous car driving around a parking garage and an autonomous wheelchair navigating hallways....

“The Harbin fossil is one of the most complete human cranial fossils in the world,” says author Qiang Ji, a professor of paleontology of Hebei GEO University. “This fossil preserved many morphological details that are critical for understanding the evolution of the Homo genus and the origin of Homo sapiens.” The cranium was reportedly discovered in the 1930s in Harbin City of the Heilongjiang province of China. The massive skull could hold a brain comparable in size to modern humans’ but had larger, almost square eye sockets, thick brow ridges, a wide mouth, and oversized teeth....

Findings warrant further study in view of current coronavirus pandemic, say researchers. High vitamin A, E, and D intake may be linked to fewer respiratory complaints in adults, suggests an analysis of nationally representative long term survey data, published online in the journal BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health. The findings warrant further study among different ethnic groups and geographies in view of the current coronavirus pandemic, suggest the researchers. Nutrition has a key role in cutting the risk of several infections, although exactly how it boosts immunity is complex and not fully understood....

RNA viruses are best known for the diseases they cause in people, ranging from the common cold to COVID-19. They also infect plants and animals important to people. These viruses carry their genetic information in RNA, rather than DNA. RNA viruses evolve at much quicker rates than DNA viruses do. While scientists have cataloged hundreds of thousands of DNA viruses in their natural ecosystems, RNA viruses have been relatively unstudied....

The Onboard Scientific Imaging System (OSIRIS) on the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft captured this parting shot of the mission’s Philae lander after its separation from the mother ship on November 12, 2014. The image was taken with the OSIRIS narrow-angle camera. Rosetta and Philae had been riding through space together for more than 10 years. Philae is the first probe to achieve soft landing on a comet, and Rosetta is the first to rendezvous with a comet and follow it around the sun....

But the research is in its early stages and the drug is yet to be tested on people with COVID-19. There’s so much we don’t know, including the right dose and delivery method for people with coronavirus infection. So if you’re thinking of buying some just in case, think again. What is Ivermectin currently used for? Ivermectin is an antiparasitic agent that was isolated in the 1970s from the fermented broth of a species of bacteria called Streptomyces avermitilis....

Researchers in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin have built a new type of battery that combines the many benefits of existing options while eliminating their key shortcomings and saving energy. Most batteries are composed of either solid-state electrodes, such as lithium-ion batteries for portable electronics, or liquid-state electrodes, including flow batteries for smart grids. The UT researchers have created what they call a “room-temperature all-liquid-metal battery,” which includes the best of both worlds of liquid- and solid-state batteries....

As COVID-19’s initial wave crested around the world, travel restrictions and a drop in passengers led to a record number of grounded flights in 2020. The air travel reduction cleared the skies of not just jets but also the fluffy white contrails they produce high in the atmosphere. MIT engineers have mapped the contrails that were generated over the United States in 2020, and compared the results to prepandemic years....

While there is a growing body of research showing how the loss of Arctic sea ice affects other parts of the planet, this study is the first to also consider the long-range effect of Antarctic sea ice melt, the research team said. “We think this is a game-changer as it shows that ice loss at both poles is crucial to understanding future tropical climate change,” England said of the study funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation....

Excess heat given off by smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices can be annoying, but beyond that, it contributes to malfunctions and, in extreme cases, can even cause lithium batteries to explode. To guard against such ills, engineers often insert glass, plastic or even layers of air as insulation to prevent heat-generating components like microprocessors from causing damage or discomforting users. Now, Stanford researchers have shown that a few layers of atomically thin materials, stacked like sheets of paper atop hot spots, can provide the same insulation as a sheet of glass 100 times thicker....