New study suggests falcons have natural 'eye makeup' to improve hunting ability

Dark 'eyeliner' feathers of peregrine falcons act as sun shields to improve the birds' hunting ability, a new scientific study suggests.

Make COVID jab free for everyone in India to boost uptake and curb death toll

The COVID-19 jab should be made free for everyone in India to boost uptake and curb the death toll from the infection, urge experts in a personal view (commentary) published in the online journal BMJ Global Health.

Most box office hit films suitable for children in India contain alcohol imagery

Most box office hit films screened in India that are suitable for children contain alcohol imagery, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open.

Lean and mean: Maximizing 5G communications with an energy-efficient relay network

Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have developed a wirelessly powered relay network for 5G systems. The proposed battery-free communication addresses the challenges of flexible deployment of relay networks. This design is both economical and energy-efficient. Such advances in 5G communications will create tremendous opportunities for a wide range of sectors.

Discovery of new key protein in cell function paves way for new therapies

Over time, we accumulate genetic damage that accelerates the aging process, increasing the risk of carcinogenesis. DNA is continually challenged by genotoxic factors that affect its fragile structure, inhibiting cell functions. To meet this challenge, cells have evolved a number of overlapping DNA repair mechanisms that detect and repair DNA damage. Nucleotide excision repair (NER) is a major DNA repair mechanism that cells employ to remove a wide class of bulky, DNA-distorting lesions from the genome. The importance of NER defects in man is illustrated by rare syndromes that either show increased cancer predisposition or dramatic features of accelerated aging, including depletion of fat depots. However, with the exception of cancer and aging, the links between defects in NER and the rapid onset of developmental defects in humans are not well understood.

Biologists find invasive snails using new DNA-detection technique

Invasive species, beware: Your days of hiding may be ending.

Rare iron mineral from rocks found in mollusk teeth

Northwestern University researchers have, for the first time, discovered a rare mineral hidden inside the teeth of a chiton, a large mollusk found along rocky coastlines. Before this strange surprise, the iron mineral, called santabarbaraite, only had been documented in rocks.

EU, UK raise doubts about COVID weapons patent waiver

The EU, Britain and Japan continued to voice doubts at the WTO on Monday about a proposed intellectual property waiver on COVID-19 products such as vaccines, a Geneva trade official said.

Last resort: the seeds kept safe in a South Korean mountain

Hidden in a South Korean mountain tunnel designed to withstand a nuclear blast, the seeds of nearly 5,000 wild plant species are stored for safekeeping against climate change, natural disaster and war.

Japan approves chip development project with Taiwan's TSMC

Japan has signed off on a $338 million semiconductor research project to develop cutting-edge chip technology in the country with the market-leading Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

Ardern tours 'devastating' New Zealand floods

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern toured flood-hit areas of the country's South Island on Tuesday, expressing shock at the destruction left when three months' worth of rain fell in three days.

Israel eases Covid restrictions after mass vaccination

Israel inched closer to lifting COVID restrictions Tuesday as its caseload remains tiny following a sweeping nationwide vaccination campaign.

US subsidiary of meat-packing giant JBS hit by cyberattack

The American subsidiary of the world's largest meat processing companies said Monday it had been hacked, paralyzing some of its operations and impacting thousands of workers in Australia.

China faces strains as population ages, birth rate falls

Yue Yan is glad to have two daughters but sees why, even with the ruling Communist Party urging them to have more children, fewer Chinese women give birth at all.

Christie's to sell Isaac Newton's notes for greatest work

Handwritten notes that show one of history's greatest scientific minds in action are going up for auction in London.

New Zealand latest nation to sign space agreement with NASA

New Zealand announced Tuesday it was the latest country to sign a space agreement with NASA, just as New Zealand's nascent space industry begins to take off.

18th century graveyard found at former Caribbean plantation

An 18th century burial ground has been discovered at a former sugar plantation on the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, officials said Monday, and archaeologists said it likely contains the remains of slaves and could provide a trove of information on the lives as enslaved people.

Mexico raids building project next to Teotihuacán pyramids

Mexico sent in 250 National Guard troops and 60 police officers Monday to seize land next to the pre-Hispanic ruins of Teotihuacán where authorities have said bulldozers were destroying outlying parts of the archeological site.

China confirms first human case of H10N3 bird flu strain

China reported the world's first human infection of the H10N3 bird flu strain on Tuesday but said the risk of it spreading widely among people was low.

Scientists say active early learning shapes the adult brain

An enhanced learning environment during the first five years of life shapes the brain in ways that are apparent four decades later, say Virginia Tech and University of Pennsylvania scientists writing in the June edition of the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

Greenhouse gas emissions from reservoirs higher than previously expected

A new study in Global Biogeochemical Cycles shows per-area greenhouse gas emissions from the world's water reservoirs are around 29% higher than suggested by previous studies, but that practical measures could be taken to help reduce that impact.

Seeds of economic health disparities found in subsistence society

No billionaires live among the Tsimane people of Bolivia, although some are a bit better off than others. These subsistence communities on the edge of the Amazon also have fewer chronic health problems linked to the kind of dramatic economic disparity found in industrialized Western societies.

Light-shrinking material lets ordinary microscope see in super resolution

Electrical engineers at the University of California San Diego developed a technology that improves the resolution of an ordinary light microscope so that it can be used to directly observe finer structures and details in living cells.

Diabetes remission diet also lowers blood pressure and reduces need for medication

New research has shown that if people achieve and maintain substantial weight loss to manage their type 2 diabetes, many can also effectively control their high blood pressure and stop or cut down on their anti-hypertensive medication.

COVID-19 disease and cost burden especially high among older adults, particularly those of color

A retrospective observational study found that the COVID-19 disease burden among adults aged 65 years or older was substantially higher than in the general U.S. population, especially among those of non-White race/ethnicity. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Hypertension during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of stroke in offspring

A study in 5.8 million children has found a higher incidence of stroke four decades later in those whose mother had high blood pressure or pre-eclampsia while pregnant. The research is presented at ESC Heart & Stroke 2021, an online scientific conference of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).