New research describes the immune response triggered by COVID-19 infection that damages the brain’s blood vessels and may lead to short- and long-term neurological symptoms. In a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study published in Brain, researchers from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) examined brain changes in nine people who died suddenly after contracting the virus. Evidence that antibodies—proteins produced by the immune system in response to viruses and other invaders—are involved in an attack on the cells lining the brain’s blood vessels, leading to inflammation and damage was discovered by the scientists....

The International Space Station (ISS) is made possible through the cooperative efforts and funding of its participating space agencies – NASA (U.S.), Roscosmos (Russia), the ESA (Europe), the CSA (Canada), and JAXA (Japan). As such, it was rather curious when Russian state media company RIA Novosti posted a video online that showed Russian cosmonauts packing up and detaching the Russian segment from the ISS. Whether this represents a threat or a prediction, the message is clear: cooperation in space may be the next casualty of this war!...

In this week’s Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, from AIP Publishing, scientists in Germany report the results of a survey of stakeholders in the wind energy field about their attitudes toward the relative emphasis on climate change versus biodiversity issues. They surveyed 500 stakeholders, from members of nongovernmental organizations, conservation agencies, and wind energy industry groups to consultants and researchers. “Understanding the diversity of views on a highly disputed topic is a starting point for an improved discussion aimed at mitigating or even solving the conflict,” said Christian Voigt, co-author of the survey study....

Radiative zone This is the layer above the core. Although not as dense as the core, the plasma is still packed so tightly in the radiative zone that convection cannot take place. Instead, the energy created in the core diffuses slowly through the plasma. It takes photons around 170 000 years to pass through the radiative zone: The photons travel at the speed of light, but can travel only a few millimeters at a time before they are absorbed by an atom and then re-emitted in any direction....

Colloids, which are insoluble particles or molecules anywhere from a billionth to a millionth of a meter across, are so small they can stay suspended indefinitely in a liquid or even in the air. By coupling these tiny objects to complex circuitry, the researchers hope to lay the groundwork for devices that could be dispersed to carry out diagnostic journeys through anything from the human digestive system to oil and gas pipelines, or perhaps to waft through air to measure compounds inside a chemical processor or refinery....

Dr. Kendall Jones said the international community needed to rapidly increase marine conservation efforts to maintain the health of the world’s oceans. “Preserving a portion of habitat for all marine species would require 8.5 million square kilometers of new conservation areas,” Dr. Jones said. “Currently one-third of all marine species have less than 10 percent of their range covered by protected areas. “Conserving the areas we’ve identified in our study would give all marine species a reasonable amount of space to live free from human impacts like fishing, commercial shipping or pesticide runoff....

When the universe was still very young, only a few kinds of atoms existed. Scientists believe that around 100,000 years after the big bang, helium, and hydrogen combined to make a molecule called helium hydride for the first time. Helium hydride should be present in some parts of the modern universe, but it has never been detected in space — until now. Scientists on the airborne observatory SOFIA detected the first type of molecule that ever formed in the universe....

The size and shape of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, reflect not only its current structure but also its evolutionary history, providing details that form the basis for our understanding of all galaxies. The information is also important because it helps enable astronomers determine distances to objects in the Milky Way relative to other object’s distances. Distance is often the main uncertainty when calculating a star’s inherent (not apparent) luminosity, its mass, or other physical attributes....

A recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Birmingham found that the fatty acids present in cooking emissions are extremely stable and difficult to break down in the atmosphere. This means that when they collide with a solid surface, like a window, they create a thin, self-organized film that slowly accumulates and can only be gradually broken down by other chemicals in the atmosphere. The film will become rougher throughout this process and draw more water from the humidity in the air....

The Mars 2020 mission is tasked with not only seeking signs of habitable conditions on Mars in the ancient past, but also searching for signs of past microbial life. The landing site for Mars 2020 is of great interest to the planetary community because, among the rover’s new medley of science gear for surface exploration, it carries a sample system that will collect rock and soil samples and set them aside in a “cache” on the surface of Mars....

Key blood biomarkers for the pathological social withdrawal disorder called Hikikomori have been discovered by researchers at Kyushu University. The team’s research enabled them to distinguish between healthy people and hikikomori sufferers, as well as to gauge the severity of the disease. Hikikomori is a condition in which people isolate themselves from society and family for a time longer than six months, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare of Japan....

Repairing major load-bearing bones such as those in the leg can be a long and uncomfortable process. To facilitate repair, doctors may install a metal plate to support the bone as it fuses and heals. Yet that can be problematic. Some metals leach ions into surrounding tissue, causing inflammation and irritation. Metals are also very stiff. If a metal plate bears too much load in the leg, the new bone may grow back weaker and be vulnerable to fracture....

The scientists published their findings in the journal Nature Geoscience. This could indicate that the region is at risk today since there are about one million inhabitants living on the lake’s shores. This happened before and it will probably happen again, states geologist Guy Simpson, from the University of Geneva, one of the researchers involved in this project. The team used high-resolution profiles of the sediment composition of the lake, which they gathered using seismic reflection from a ship....

Called HARP (high-area rapid printing), the new technology enables a record-breaking throughput that can manufacture products on demand. Over the last 30 years, most efforts in 3D printing have been aimed at pushing the limits of legacy technologies. Often, the pursuit of larger parts has come at the cost of speed, throughput, and resolution. With HARP technology, this compromise is unnecessary, enabling it to compete with both the resolution and throughput of traditional manufacturing techniques....

The company’s autonomous vehicles only drive in areas it comprehensively maps, or geofences. Self-driving vehicles can safely move through these areas at about 25 miles (40 km) per hour with today’s technology. “It’s important to realize there are multiple approaches, and multiple markets, to self-driving,” says Optimus Ride CEO Ryan Chin MA ’00, SM ’04, Ph.D. ’12. “There’s no monolithic George Jetson kind of self-driving vehicle. You have robot trucks, you have self-driving taxis, self-driving pizza delivery machines, and each of these will have different time frames of technological development and different markets....

As rural masses migrate to urban areas, populations grow, and people work toward better living standards, global food system sustainability pays a high price, according to a new analysis spanning low- to high-income countries. The study, which was published April 3, 2020, in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, shows that only one major global driver — the increase in international trade flows — appears to have a net positive effect on global food systems sustainability....

A new study shows that doing crossword puzzles has an advantage over computer video games for memory functioning in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. The research was conducted by scientists from Columbia University and Duke University. The study will be published today (October 27) in the journal NEJM Evidence. In a randomized, controlled trial, researchers determined that participants (average age 71) trained in doing web-based crossword puzzles demonstrated greater cognitive improvement than those who were trained on cognitive video games....

Wednesday, three NASA astronauts and one astronaut from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) spent the day performing numerous research, cargo, and maintenance tasks. Thursday, the quartet will be off-duty observing the U.S. holiday before going into a busy weekend. To observe the effects of microgravity on humans, NASA Flight Engineer Frank Rubio turned on the Ultrasound 2 device on Wednesday and scanned the leg, neck, and shoulder veins of JAXA Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata....

However, the new study, led by researchers at the University of York, suggests that expansion rates have been limited by insufficient habitat in the areas that are becoming climatically suitable. The study analyzed 25 million recorded sightings of 300 different insect species and found there is a huge variation in the rates at which they are moving and that not all species are able to keep pace with the warming conditions....

People tend to have less self-control when dealing with online problems and issues, whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, message boards, or websites. They tend to say things that would never be said face to face. Anonymity seems to be a powerful force, but many websites no longer allow this since sites like Facebook usually connect comments directly with a profile. According to researchers at Columbia University and the University of Pittsburgh, browsing Facebook lowers self-control....