Transient quantum fluctuations tune polymer self-assembly

Trapping a polymer in a tiny dark space between two mirrors is all it takes to profoundly change the way it self-assembles – forming flakes instead of the usual fibres. The tiny mirrored box provides so-called vibrational strong coupling between molecules and the vacuum field, the boiling quantum mechanical soup that fills the universe with […]

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Deep-sea mining: is it an environmental curse or could it save us?

Potato-sized clumps of metal at the bottom of the deepest oceans might aid our fight against climate change, but mining these could also damage a world we know very little about. More than 150 years after French author Jules Verne released his Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the classic tale of deep-sea exploration, we know […]

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Global warming begets more warming, new paleoclimate study finds

It is increasingly clear that the prolonged drought conditions, record-breaking heat, sustained wildfires, and frequent, more extreme storms experienced in recent years are a direct result of rising global temperatures brought on by humans’ addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. And a new MIT study on extreme climate events in Earth’s ancient history suggests […]

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Molecular cryo-EM discovers error in 25-year-old natural product structure

Researchers in the US have combined genome mining with a type of cryo-electron microscopy to discover new natural products and their structures – even correcting the structure of a natural product first isolated 25 years ago. The technique is faster and overcomes limitations of other methods like nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and x-ray crystallography, so […]

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Ultraprocessed foods now comprise 2/3 of calories in children and teen diets

The calories that children and adolescents consumed from ultraprocessed foods jumped from 61% to 67% of total caloric intake from 1999 to 2018, according to a new study from researchers at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University. Published August 10, 2021, in JAMA, the study analyzed dietary intake from 33,795 children and adolescents nationwide. […]

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Deletion of single gene promotes growth of functional lymphatic valves

A University of South Florida (USF Health) preclinical study unexpectedly identified the gene Foxo1 as a potential treatment target for hereditary lymphedema. The research, published July 15 in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, was done with colleagues from Tulane University and the University of Missouri. Lymphedema — a chronic condition in which lymphatic (lymph) fluid accumulates in soft tissue under the skin, usually […]

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Expressive writing reduces relationship conflict and aggression during pandemic

Individuals who wrote about their relationship troubles during the pandemic from the point of view of a neutral observer had less conflict and aggression with their partner, according to new research from USF’s St. Petersburg campus. Led by Associate Professor of Psychology Lindsey Rodriguez, the study surveyed 716 American adults across the U.S. and at […]

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Epilepsy surgery may improve overall brain health

Epilepsy surgery may be associated with improvements to overall brain health, a study led by University of Liverpool researchers has found. The study, published in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, used advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to inform its findings. Corresponding author Dr Christophe de Bezenac said: “Many clinicians remain hesitant […]

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