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Tiny molecular forces at the surface of water droplets can play a big role in laser output emissions. As the most fundamental matrix of life, water drives numerous essential biological activities, through interactions with biomolecules and organisms. Studying the mechanical effects of water-involved interactions contributes to the understanding of biochemical processes. According to Yu-Cheng Chen, professor of electronic engineering at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), “As water interacts with a surface, the hydrophobicity at the bio-interface mainly determines the mechanical equilibrium of the water....

Researchers took blood samples from astronauts who served on space shuttle missions between 1998 and 2001 for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). All 14 astronauts were found to have DNA alterations, or somatic mutations, in the blood-forming system (hematopoietic stem cells). Their research, which was recently published in the journal Communications Biology, raises the possibility that these mutations may be brought on by spaceflight and highlights the importance of routine blood testing for astronauts throughout their careers and during retirement to keep an eye on their health....

An inexpensive repurposed drug called fluvoxamine (FDA can save the lives of COVID-19 patients and cut hospital admissions by up to 30 percent, says a study co-led by McMaster University. McMaster researcher Edward Mills and his team treated 739 randomly selected Brazilian COVID-19 patients with fluvoxamine, with another 733 receiving a placebo, between January 15 to August 6 of this year. Every patient who received fluvoxamine during the trial was tracked for 28 days to determine their health outcomes and if they still need hospital treatment....

In a paper published in the journal Joule, researchers led by a University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) materials scientist report that they have leveraged the principles behind radiative sky cooling to develop an innovative way to produce renewable energy at night. The approach could be adapted into a low-cost technology that could eventually be a boon for the more than 1 billion people around the world who, according to the International Energy Agency, lack reliable access to electricity....

Previous research has proposed that an asteroid or comet impact within an ocean in the Martian northern lowlands may have caused a megatsunami approximately 3.4 billion years ago. However, prior to this study, the location of the resulting impact crater was unclear. Alexis Rodriguez and colleagues analyzed maps of Mars’ surface, created by combining images from previous missions to the planet, and identified an impact crater that could have resulted from the asteroid collision that caused the megatsunami....

Lead author and Ph.D. candidate from RMIT University’s School of Engineering, Carmelo Todaro, said the promising results could inspire new forms of additive manufacturing. “If you look at the microscopic structure of 3D printed alloys, they’re often made up of large and elongated crystals,” Todaro explained. “This can make them less acceptable for engineering applications due to their lower mechanical performance and increased tendency to crack during printing.” “But the microscopic structure of the alloys we applied ultrasound to during printing looked markedly different: the alloy crystals were very fine and fully equiaxed, meaning they had formed equally in all directions throughout the entire printed metal part....

University of Rochester researchers Benjamin Hmiel, a postdoctoral associate in the lab of Vasilii Petrenko, a professor of earth and environmental sciences, and their collaborators, measured methane levels in ancient air samples and found that scientists have been vastly underestimating the amount of methane humans are emitting into the atmosphere via fossil fuels. In a paper published in Nature, the researchers indicate that reducing fossil fuel use is a key target in curbing climate change....

Micrometeorites have always fallen on our planet. These interplanetary dust particles from comets or asteroids are particles of a few tenths to hundredths of a millimeter that have passed through the atmosphere and reached the Earth’s surface. To collect and analyze these micrometeorites, six expeditions led by CNRS researcher Jean Duprat have taken place over the last two decades near the Franco-Italian Concordia station (Dome C), which is located 1,100 kilometers off the coast of Adélie Land, in the heart of Antarctica....

National Institutes of Health researchers have isolated a set of promising, tiny antibodies, or “nanobodies,” against SARS-CoV-2 that were produced by a llama named Cormac. Preliminary results published in Scientific Reports suggest that at least one of these nanobodies, called NIH-CoVnb-112, could prevent infections and detect virus particles by grabbing hold of SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. In addition, the nanobody appeared to work equally well in either liquid or aerosol form, suggesting it could remain effective after inhalation....

Stanford researchers have helped open a new door of possibility in the high-stakes effort to save the world’s coral reefs. Working with an international team, the scientists – including Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment Senior Fellows Jeff Koseff, Rob Dunbar and Steve Monismith – found a way to create future ocean conditions in a small lab-in-a-box in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The water inside the device can mimic the composition of the future ocean as climate change continues to alter Earth....

Imagine you live across from a bakery. Sometimes you are hungry and therefore tempted when aromas waft through your window. However, other times satiety makes you uninterested. Sometimes popping over for a popover seems trouble-free, but sometimes your spiteful ex is there. Your brain balances many influences in determining what you’ll do. An example of this working in a much simpler animal is detailed in a new MIT study. It highlights a potentially fundamental principle of how nervous systems integrate multiple factors to guide food-seeking behavior....

If researchers could find a way to chemically convert carbon dioxide into fuels or other products, they might make a major dent in greenhouse gas emissions. But many such processes that have seemed promising in the lab haven’t performed as expected in scaled-up formats that would be suitable for use with a power plant or other emissions sources. Now, MIT researchers have determined, measured, and modeled a significant factor contributing to the poor performance of such conversion devices....

In the following years, Schweitzer and her colleagues discovered more soft tissues, which could be either blood vessels or feather fibers. However, skeptics have been arguing that the organic tissues were simply microbes that had invaded the fossilized bone. Schweitzer and her colleagues have continued to amass support and the latest evidence comes from a molecular analysis of osteocytes from T. rex and Brachylophosaurus canadensis. The cells were isolated and when exposed to an antibody that targets a protein, the cells reacted as expected....

According to an analysis of six studies that recently published their findings in JAMA Psychiatry, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is better than ketamine in quickly relieving major depression. According to the World Health Organization, depression is a widespread condition that affects roughly 5% of individuals globally (WHO). Feeling sad, irritable, losing enjoyment in formerly delightful things, and even enduring inexplicable pain or fatigue for weeks at a time are all signs of depression....

Researchers have discovered a new “hidden” gene in SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — that may have contributed to its unique biology and pandemic potential. In a virus that only has about 15 genes in total, knowing more about this and other overlapping genes — or “genes within genes” — could have a significant impact on how we combat the virus. The new gene is described today in the journal eLife....

Telescopes around the world have been watching the fleeting visitor. NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has provided the sharpest views as the comet skirts by our Sun. Since October the space telescope has been following the comet like a sports photographer following horses speeding around a racetrack. Hubble revealed that the heart of the comet, a loose agglomeration of ices and dust particles, is likely no more than about 3,200 feet (975 meters) across, about the length of nine football fields....

LuSEE-Night is a pathfinder to understand the Moon’s radio environment and to potentially take a first look at a previously unobserved era in our cosmic history. This collaboration further strengthens the longstanding partnership between NASA and the DOE to enable space innovation and exploration. The Dark Ages is an important epoch in cosmological studies as it can provide new insights into the formation and evolution of our Universe. The Dark Ages occurred between approximately 380 thousand – 400 million years after the origin of the universe, known as the Big Bang, and are a time before the first luminous stars and galaxies appeared....

Carrying more than 6,200 pounds of science experiments, crew supplies, and other cargo, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft was launched to the space station by a Falcon 9 rocket at 8:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The cargo spacecraft is scheduled to autonomously dock with the space station at 7:52 a.m. EDT on Thursday, March 16, and remain at the station for about 30 days. Coverage of arrival will begin at 6:15 a....

Orion successfully performed the fourth return trajectory correction burn at 4:43 a.m. using the reaction control system thrusters. The burn lasted 5.7 seconds and changed the velocity of the spacecraft by 0.6 feet per second. Flight controllers used Orion’s cameras to inspect the crew module thermal protection system and European Service Module, the second of three planned external spacecraft inspections. Teams conducted this survey early in the mission to provide detailed images of the spacecraft’s external surfaces after it had flown through the portion of Earth’s orbit containing the majority of space debris, and teams reported no concerns after reviewing the imagery....

“We’re pleased to make progress through awards like this to intentionally build the STEM pipeline of the future, especially in communities of color,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy. “It’s fitting during Black History Month that we make this tangible step to build on the talent pool at HBCUs in our ongoing work to bring to the table all the talents and perspectives we’ll need to send humans to the Moon, Mars and beyond, and do amazing science throughout the solar system....