Mathematical model predicts best way to build muscle

Researchers have developed a mathematical model that can predict the optimum exercise regime for building muscle.

Today's decisions lock in industry emissions for decades: How to get them right

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has made clear there's little time left to reach net zero emissions and hold the global temperature rise to 1.5C.

How to help your students learn with masking in classrooms

Associate Professor Lauren Calandruccio, who specializes in auditory perception in the Department of Psychological Sciences, shared that while wearing masks is critical during this time, increased effort is required when listening to someone that is speaking with a mask. Wearing a mask while speaking can increase the effort required to hear and impact how much is actually heard.

Study: Conflict amongst siblings increased during lockdown

Conflict amongst siblings increased during the first UK lockdown according to a new study of children with special education needs and disabilities (SENDs).

Hydrogen as a sustainable source of renewable energy

Researchers from the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague conducted research dealing with the photocatalytic activity of twist-angle stacked 2D TaS2.

Unveiling a century-old mystery: Where the Milky Way's cosmic rays come from

Astronomers have succeeded for the first time in quantifying the proton and electron components of cosmic rays in a supernova remnant. At least 70% of the very-high-energy gamma rays emitted from cosmic rays are due to relativistic protons, according to the novel imaging analysis of radio, X-ray, and gamma-ray radiation. The acceleration site of protons, the main components of cosmic rays, has been a 100-year mystery in modern astrophysics, this is the first time that the amount of cosmic rays being produced in a supernova remnant has been quantitatively shown and is an epoch-making step in the elucidation of the origin of cosmic rays.

An inexpensive resource for the protein-research community

Labs can easily make their own protein ladders—molecular rulers for estimating the sizes of proteins—for less than a penny per experiment using the newly developed, license-free "Penn State Protein Ladder system." A research team of undergraduate students led by Song Tan, Verne M. Willaman Professor of Molecular Biology at Penn State, developed the ladders to be easily used in two of the most common experiments in protein research, gel electrophoresis and Western blots—which researchers use to separate or detect proteins based on their size.

So-called 'junk' DNA plays a key role in speciation

More than 10 percent of our genome is made up of repetitive, seemingly nonsensical stretches of genetic material called satellite DNA that do not code for any proteins. In the past, some scientists have referred to this DNA as "genomic junk."

Climate-smart crop rotation works for Gangetic plains

Climate-smart agriculture practices such as research-backed crop rotation, along with precise water and nutrient management, can safely and significantly suppress weeds that decrease cereal productivity, says a new study.

The five most impressive geological structures in the solar system

When we talk about amazing geological features, we often limit ourselves to those on Earth. But as a geologist, I think that's crazy—there are so many structures on other worlds that can excite and inspire, and that can put processes on our own planet into perspective.

WHO guidelines on human genome editing: Why countries need to follow them

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently called on countries to stop any research that might lead to the birth of genetically edited human beings. The call was made with the release of the recommendations on human genome editing.

Three ways 'algorithmic management' makes work more stressful and less satisfying

If you think your manager treats you unfairly, the thought might have crossed your mind that replacing said boss with an unbiased machine that rewards performance based on objective data is a path to workplace happiness.

School students who had COVID-19 report stigma and bullying; how can we stop it?

Queensland school students have reportedly been bullied after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and have struggled to return to school as a result. The Queensland Department of Education stated it hasn't heard of any bullying related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Given the nature of bullying, this isn't necessarily surprising.

Social emotion detector: Investigating emotional reactions to social events

Seemingly, half the world population now uses social media to share their thoughts and to experience the thoughts of others. There is no topic left unrepresented by users from opinions about technology, politics, society, celebrities, sport, music, cinema, health, war, religion, sex and beyond. Nothing is taboo.

Barrier Island marine ecosystem altered by storm events

Coastal areas are popular places to live and visit. Every summer, families load up their cars and head to the beach for a few days of relaxation. In Alabama, one destination is Dauphin Island, a small barrier island three miles south of Mobile Bay.

High-efficiency ultraviolet light emitting diodes to sterilize pathogens, including COVID-19

ECE Ph.D. student Ayush Pandey details the research led by Prof. Zetian Mi on using high efficiency ultraviolet light emitting diodes to sterilize pathogens. This research, "High-efficiency AlGaN/GaN/AlGaN tunnel junction ultraviolet light-emitting diodes," won the 2020 Editor-in-Chief Choice Award from Photonics Research.

Layered graphene with a twist displays unique quantum confinement in 2D

Scientists studying two different configurations of bilayer graphene—the two-dimensional (2D), atom-thin form of carbon—have detected electronic and optical interlayer resonances. In these resonant states, electrons bounce back and forth between the two atomic planes in the 2D interface at the same frequency. By characterizing these states, they found that twisting one of the graphene layers by 30 degrees relative to the other, instead of stacking the layers directly on top of each other, shifts the resonance to a lower energy. From this result, just published in Physical Review Letters, they deduced that the distance between the two layers increased significantly in the twisted configuration, compared to the stacked one. When this distance changes, so do the interlayer interactions, influencing how electrons move in the bilayer system. An understanding of this electron motion could inform the design of future quantum technologies for more powerful computing and more secure communication.

Interstellar comets like Borisov may not be all that rare

In 2019, astronomers spotted something incredible in our backyard: a rogue comet from another star system. Named Borisov, the icy snowball traveled 110,000 miles per hour and marked the first and only interstellar comet ever detected by humans.

Graft and security issues feed the trade in Iraq's past

Do you want to buy a more than 5,000-year-old Sumerian tablet, listed as the property of a gentleman from Sussex in England and passed down as a family heirloom?

Sniffing out which plant-based burgers smell the most like real beef

For many meat eaters, summer barbecues wouldn't be the same without the mouthwatering aroma of burgers cooking on the grill. But many people are now open to trying plant-based alternatives, as long as they closely resemble the taste, odor, appearance and texture of real beef. Now, researchers report that the aromas of a couple of plant-based burgers come close to the real deal when they are cooking, though other products still have a long way to go.

'Flushing' out drug use trends early in the COVID-19 pandemic

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, stay-at-home orders and other restrictions drastically affected how people lived and worked, resulting in social isolation and economic instability. Now, researchers show that some people turned to a variety of drugs for relief. Using wastewater analysis, the team identified a spike in consumption of easily abused prescription opioids and anti-anxiety sedatives, while some illicit drug use plummeted, between March and June 2020.

Rare tropical storm lashes northeastern United States

Tropical Storm Henri slammed into Rhode Island on the US east coast Sunday, knocking out power to thousands of Americans, uprooting trees and bringing record rainfall before weakening as it moved across New England.

People evacuated as new wildfire hits Greek island

Scores of firefighters backed by water-dropping aircraft battled a forest fire that broke out early Monday on the southern part of Greece's Evia island, less than two weeks after an inferno decimated its northern part.