'Tweezer clock' may help tell time more precisely

Atomic clocks are used around the world to precisely tell time. Each "tick" of the clock depends on atomic vibrations and their effects on surrounding electromagnetic fields. Standard atomic clocks in use today, based on the atom cesium, tell time by "counting" radio frequencies. These clocks can measure time to a precision of one second per every hundreds of millions of years. Newer atomic clocks that measure optical frequencies of light are even more precise, and may eventually replace the radio-based ones.

Nanoparticle therapeutic restores tumor suppressor, sensitizes cancer cells to treatment

Leveraging advancements in nanotechnology, investigators from the Brigham have found that restoring p53 not only delays the growth of p53-deficient liver and lung cancer cells but may also make tumors more vulnerable to cancer drugs known as mTOR inhibitors.

The global reef expedition: French Polynesia

Scientists have released their findings from the largest coral reef survey and mapping expedition ever conducted in French Polynesia. The Global Reef Expedition: French Polynesia Final Report provides a comprehensive summary of the research findings from the expedition, an assessment of the health and resiliency of French Polynesia's coral reefs, and recommendations for preserving French Polynesia's coral reefs into the future.

Scientists learn what women know—and don't know—about breast density and cancer risk

Breast density is an important risk factor for breast cancer but no study had asked women what they know or think about breast density in relation to screening they have had. A number of states do have notification laws about breast density, but these laws vary. In a new qualitative study, a team of scientists at Dartmouth and Dartmouth-Hitchcock's Norris Cotton Cancer Center and the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium led by Karen Schifferdecker, Ph.D., MPH, and Anna Tosteson, ScD, sought to explore women's knowledge and perceptions of breast density and experiences of breast cancer screening across three states with and without notification laws.

Can brain injury from boxing, MMA be measured?

For boxers and mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters, is there a safe level of exposure to head trauma? A new study shows different effects in the brain for younger, current fighters compared to older, retired fighters. The study is published in the December 23, 2019, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

NASA analyzes Tropical Cyclone Phanfone's water vapor concentration

When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Northwestern Pacific Ocean, water vapor data provided information about the intensity of Tropical Cyclone Phanfone. In the Philippines, the storm is known locally as Ursula.

Cultural evolution caused broad-scale historical declines of large mammals across China

Cultural evolution has been the dominant driver of range contractions in megafauna taxa across China since the beginning of the Common Era, with little or no direct importance of climate. A research team led by Aarhus University along with collaborators from Nanjing University analyzed maps of megafauna distribution dynamics and societal development based on Chinese archival records alongside data on climate across China from 2 to 1953 CE.

Chimpanzees more likely to share tools, teach skills when task is complex

Teach a chimpanzee to fish for insects to eat, and you feed her for a lifetime. Teach her a better way to use tools in gathering prey, and you may change the course of evolution.

Calcium channels play a key role in the development of diabetes

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have deciphered the diabetogenic role of a certain type of calcium channel in insulin-secreting beta cells. The researchers believe that blockade of these channels could be a potential new treatment strategy for diabetes. The study is published in the scientific journal PNAS.

2-D materials: Arrangement of atoms measured in silicene

Silicene consists of a single layer of silicon atoms. In contrast to the ultra-flat material graphene, which is made of carbon, silicene shows surface irregularities that influence its electronic properties. Now, physicists from the University of Basel have been able to precisely determine this corrugated structure. As they report in the journal PNAS, their method is also suitable for analyzing other two-dimensional materials.

A fast and inexpensive device to capture and identify viruses

A device to quickly capture and identify various strains of virus has been developed, according to researchers at Penn State and New York University.

New treatment strategy may thwart deadly brain tumors

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are important medications that boost the immune system's response against certain cancers; however, they tend to be ineffective against glioblastoma, the most deadly primary brain tumor in adults. New research in mice led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and the University of Florida reveals a promising strategy that makes glioblastoma susceptible to these medications. The findings, which are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, indicate that such combination therapy should be tested in clinical trials of patients with glioblastoma, for whom there is no known cure.

Study reveals a role for jumping genes during times of stress

Only percent of human DNA codes for proteins, and approximately half of the rest of the genome is made up of what used to be called "junk" sequences that can copy themselves into RNA or DNA and jump from one location to another. Previous research led by investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) had revealed a critical role for one of these jumping genes during times of stress. In new research published by the same group in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the investigators report a surprising new property of this jumping RNA.

Study finds whales use stealth to feed on fish

Small fish are speedy and easy to scare. So how is it that a giant humpback whale, attacking at speeds about as fast as a person jogs, is able to eat enough fish to sustain itself? Combining field studies, laboratory experiments and mathematical modeling, researchers at Stanford University have found a surprising answer to this seemingly paradoxical feat: Whales capture fish using stealth and deception.

Want to get better iPhone 11 pics? Here are a few tips from the pros

This year the revamped iPhone 11 Pro was one of the most acclaimed upgrades of the year, most notably for the improved camera. Apple added a third lens, to allow for ultra-wide, GoPro like shots, and the ability to shoot in super low light.

Obesity is a risk factor for cardiotoxicity in chemotherapy-treated patients with breast cancer

Anthracyclines remain a cornerstone of breast cancer therapy in combination with new-generation targeted drugs such as trastuzumab. Both types of drugs are major culprits in chemotherapy-induced heart disease. A recent study showed that being overweight or obese was a risk factor for cardiotoxicity in chemotherapy-treated patients with breast cancer, but it did not take into account related cardiac risk factors or other classic risk factors of cardiotoxicity produced by anthracycline and trastuzumab (e.g., older age, concomitant chemotherapy or previous radiation therapy, smoking, high blood pressure, or diabetes).

Barring nonmedical exemptions increases vaccination rates, study finds

The first rigorously controlled study of a 2016 California law that aimed to increase childhood vaccination rates by eliminating nonmedical exemptions has found the law worked as intended, although the researchers noted a small increase in the number of medical exemptions.

Video games in 2030: Will I still need a console game system? That depends

There's a cloud hovering over the future of video games. Not a cloud of impending doom, but more of uncertainty.

The link between drawing and seeing in the brain

Drawing an object and naming it engages the brain in similar ways, according to research recently published in JNeurosci. The finding demonstrates the importance of the visual processing system for producing drawings of an object.

High fat diet impairs new neuron creation in female mice

A high fat diet limits the birth and growth of new neurons in adult female, but not male, mice, according to new research published in eNeuro. Further research could inspire metabolism-based preventions and treatments for brain disorders.

The U.S. Navy banned TikTok from government-issued smartphones over cybersecurity concerns

The U.S. Navy thinks TikTok is a threat to national cybersecurity.

For CRISPR, tweaking DNA fragments before inserting yields highest efficiency rates yet

University of Illinois researchers achieved the highest reported rates of inserting genes into human cells with the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing system, a necessary step for harnessing CRISPR for clinical gene-therapy applications.

Computing with molecules: A big step in molecular spintronics

Spintronics or spin electronics in contrast to conventional electronics uses the spin of electrons for sensing, information storage, transport, and processing. Potential advantages are nonvolatility, increased data processing speed, decreased electric power consumption, and higher integration densities compared to conventional semiconductor devices. Molecular spintronics aims for the ultimate step towards miniaturization of spintronics by striving to actively control the spin states of individual molecules. Chemists and physicists at Kiel University joined forces with colleagues from France and Switzerland to design, deposit and operate single molecular spin switches on surfaces. The newly developed molecules feature stable spin states and do not lose their functionality upon adsorption on surfaces. They present their results in the current issue of Nature Nanotechnology.