Newsic Media | News, Publication & Technology

A structural model of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein as the virus fuses with host human cells reveals an opportunity to disrupt dynamics and halt transmission. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210831142409.htm

Laboratory and retrospective analyses suggest that MMR and Tdap memory T cells are activated by SARS-CoV-2 and decrease COVID-19 severity. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210831142423.htm

Blake Leeper fought to compete with able-bodied athletes, but his blades were deemed too long.

The winning image by Mexican photographer Alejandro Prieto shows a roadrunner at the border wall.

Experts say 17,500 tree species are at risk around the world, including magnolias, oaks and maples.

Former crew of the oil tanker Gulf Sky talk publically for the first time about the ship's disappearance.

A 14-year-old is the latest victim of Marseille's gang war, prompting a key visit from President Macron.

Honey boss Scott Davies says cash flow problems meant though he was profitable he "had no money".

A new study has revealed that biotechnology could be the missing ingredient in helping cocoa farmers get a better deal for their beans. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210831190320.htm

According to an FBI report, black and Asian Americans saw the biggest surges in targeted offences.

Traffic clogs evacuation routes as residents and tourists flee from the encroaching Caldor Fire.

Wondering how to feel less anxious? Learn ways to ease anxiety naturally.

A new study explains the science behind microscale concave interfaces (MCI) -- structures that reflect light to produce beautiful and potentially useful optical phenomena. Future applications of these effects could include aiding autonomous vehicles in recognizing traffic signs, researchers say. Multiple images, including of a sign created using the material, are available. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210831155306.htm

The CC11 series is expected to arrive with two models – vanilla and Pro – and should be available globally under the Note 11 (last year’s CC9 was exported as the Note 10 series). We’ve been hearing rumors about the devices, now TENAA has supplied some additional details about the vanilla phone. The Xiaomi CC11 features a 6.55” AMOLED display with 1,080 x 2,400 px resolution (that is 20:9). According to previous rumors, it will have a 90 Hz refresh rate. Unfortunately, there are no images attached to the listing yet, so we can’t tell if the display is curved or flat. The phone measures... http://dlvr.it/S6hYLT

The Realme 8i was a subject of an extensive leak last week along with an official-looking render. Most of the specs are already out there but today Realme and MediaTek themselves confirmed the chipset. #MediaTekHelioG96 brings an impressive breadth of features & capabilities to 4G smartphones to power premium user experience. It comes with an 120Hz display, 108MP Camera & #MediaTekHyperEngine 2.0 Lite gaming technologies. https://t.co/tkeoRbQr6h#MediaTek #MediaTekHelioGSeries pic.twitter.com/XQpzyrb1gR— MediaTek India (@MediaTekIndia) August 31, 2021 As expected, the device will run on... http://dlvr.it/S6hYLP

Nearly four years after the debut of Bose’s QuietComfort 35 II the American audio brand released a successor dubbed QuietComfort 45. The new pair comes in black and white colors with a largely unchanged design and several improvements like USB-C charging, up to 24 hours of battery life and a fourth onboard mic for better voice pickup. Bose QuietComfort 45 (images: Bose) The active noise cancelation is still here and you get two modes - Quiet and Aware. The former isolates you from the noises in your surrounding area while the latter amplifies ambient noises so you’re more aware... http://dlvr.it/S6hYLJ

Staying in Afghanistan was not an option, the US president says, as Taliban militants celebrate.

Joe Biden defends his decision to pull US troops out of Afghanistan before all Americans were evacuated.

B-SOiD is an open source, unsupervised algorithm that can discover and identify behaviors without user input. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210831155304.htm

New research shows many parts of the U.S. saw a significant drop in breast cancer screening of older low-income women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A new family of materials that could result in improved digital information storage and uses less energy may be possible thanks to a team of researchers who demonstrated ferroelectricity in magnesium-substituted zinc oxide. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210831142420.htm

A research team investigated whether electrical therapy, coupled with exercise, would show promise in treating tendon disease or ruptures. They found that tendon cell function and repair can be controlled through electrical stimulation from an implantable device powered by body movement. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210831142415.htm

Beheshta Arghand, who made headlines when she interviewed the Taliban, has spoken out after fleeing the country.

The foreign secretary says the UK will fight ISIS by all means available - but what does that mean?

It's also time, some experts say, to do contact tracing smarter. That means merging it with testing and vaccination efforts.

New research shows a high amount of coronavirus in the lungs is a major contributor to death in COVID-19 patients.

Looking for a way to relieve muscle tension? Try using a foam roller.

Learn how to fall asleep quicker and sleep better.

Plant endophytic microorganisms, especially those growing inside seeds, can survive antimicrobial compounds and have attracted attention for their potential biocatalytic activity. Recently, researchers successfully isolated several strains of endophytic bacteria that survive in high concentrations of antimicrobial resveratrol and piceatannol inside passion fruit seeds and get transmitted to next-generation seedlings. One of the bacteria could convert resveratrol and piceatannol to their respective derivatives. These findings will significantly advance endophyte and biocatalyst research. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830163932.htm

In a move that could one day free the world's countertops from their snarl of charging cords, researchers have developed a system to safely deliver electricity over the air, potentially turning entire buildings into wireless charging zones. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830123220.htm

Using a novel modelling approach, new research reveals the location and intensity of key threats to biodiversity on land and identifies priority areas across the world to help inform conservation decision making at national and local levels. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830113328.htm

Feeling drained after a day of virtual meetings is worse for those who keep their cameras on throughout those meetings, according to new research. The study also shows the effects are often stronger for women and newer employees. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830092203.htm

Realme Pad, the maker's first entry into the tablet space will be powered by a 12nm octa-core MediaTek Helio G80 chipset, as revealed by Geekbench. The benchmark also shows the software is Android 11, as expected, and that the Realme Pad will start with 4GB of RAM, although we expect a 6GB model as well. The Realme Pad will come in Grey and Gold, with a 10.4-inch 1080x2400px 60Hz IPS LCD, an 8MP front-facing camera and 8MP camera on the opposite side. There will be a 7,100mAh battery, 64GB of storage, possibly expandable, and even a stylus, housed in the body of the... http://dlvr.it/S6d0n8

The Honor X20 series already have two members - the affordable X20 SE and the X20 5G with an Oreo-shaped camera island on the back. Reports from China now reveal a third variant is on its way - it will have a humongous 7.2” screen, a 6,000 mAh battery and will keep the circle on the back. The Honor X20 Max would be a natural successor of the Honor X10 Max, launched in the summer of 2020. It came with a 7.1” screen, meaning the new device will have the biggest screen on an Honor smartphone ever. The new device is said to have a Dimensity 1100 chipset. The bigger question here is... http://dlvr.it/S6d0my

The Lenovo K13 quietly launched in Russia – it is a basic Android 10 Go edition smartphone that doesn’t share much DNA with the Lenovo K13 Note. Instead, it is a rebrand of the Motorola Moto E7i Power. The K13 features a 6.52” IPS display with 720p+ resolution (20:9), which sounds very similar to the K13 Note display (you didn’t expect the “Note” to be bigger, did you?). There’s no word on a hardened glass above it, but the phone has a plastic body with an IP52 rating (dust and splash resistant). The phone is powered by a UNISOC SC9863A chipset, a 28 nm part with eight Cortex-A55... http://dlvr.it/S6d0lL

A million people in Louisiana are still are without electricity after a devastating storm hit.

Learn eco-friendly cleaning habits for Your home.

Learn about the best exercises to build leg strength.

Anticipating the increased need for better oxygen concentrators as the fight against COVID-19 rages on, researchers have laid a computational framework to design the most optimal concentrator to filter ambient air and produce oxygen that can scale with patient demand. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830152906.htm

Interviews with Northern California residents reveal that social norms and social support are essential for understanding protective health behaviors during wildfire smoke events -- information that could be leveraged to improve public health outcomes. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830152903.htm

Humans living about 400,000 years ago produced an unprecedented diversity of elephant bone tools, including pointed tools for carving meat and wedge-shaped tools for cracking open large femurs and other long bones. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830144755.htm

As we live and breathe, ancient-looking fish known as bowfin are guarding genetic secrets that that can help unravel humanity's evolutionary history and better understand its health. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830140300.htm

Researchers have discovered a new way to track genetically modified animals using the artificial transgenes they leave behind in the environment. The discovery provides a powerful new tool to locate and manage genetically modified animals that have escaped or been released into the wild. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830140257.htm

A family comb through rubble for remains of relatives they say were killed by a US drone strike.

Liberty University in Virginia announced a temporary campus-wide quarantine due to a spike in COVID-19 cases among students and staff.

Learn about how to protect your skin from the sun using makeup, sunscreen, and more.

Learn about the best exercises to build arm strength.

Working on your willpower? Learn these strategies to help.

Learn about 11 essential items you should always keep in your car.

An Afghan who had authorisation to fly to the UK speaks to the BBC about his struggle to escape.

Find out how playing tennis can be beneficial for your health.

Learn about ways to keep your beard and the underlying skin healthy.

The ancient art of pigeon fancying, popular across Asia, enjoyed a revival during the pandemic.

A "dignified transfer" ceremony takes place at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, to receive their remains.

Indigenous people in south-east Australia are reviving an expression of cultural identity.

Why women are still battling for better jobs in the world's third largest economy.

An Indian court ruled that forced sex with a spouse is not rape. Campaigners say it's time for new laws.

He'll be remembered for his roles as TV newsman Lou Grant and the lead voice role in Pixar hit Up.

The 1990s had a word for being trapped inside a manipulative notion of human contact: AOL. Facebook and its ilk are the rebirth of that limited vision. http://dlvr.it/S6Ygy3

Is this really how Redmond wants to build loyalty? It appears so. http://dlvr.it/S6Ygxs

There's no longer any reason to continue stressing out about the security of your identity and your most confidential data online when powerful protection is so affordable. http://dlvr.it/S6YgxH

Perry, a legendary singer and music producer, is known for his pioneering experiments with dub.

A new study compares edoxaban anticoagulant with the standard of care in large randomized clinical trial. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210829081922.htm

Animals as small and soft as tardigrades seldom have legs and almost never bother walking. But a new study finds that water bears propel themselves through sediment and soil on eight stubby legs, in a manner resembling that of insects 500,000 times their size. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827184153.htm

Researchers discovered that chlorpyrifos, which is banned for use on foods in Canada but widely sprayed on fruits and vegetables in many other parts of the world, slows down the burning of calories in the brown adipose tissue of mice. Reducing this burning of calories, a process known as diet-induced thermogenesis, causes the body to store these extra calories, promoting obesity. Scientists made the discovery after studying 34 commonly used pesticides and herbicides in brown fat cells and testing the effects of chlorpyrifos in mice fed high calorie diets. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827184147.htm

An international team has reported the observation of ghost polaritons, which are a new form of surface waves carrying nanoscale light strongly coupled with material oscillations and featuring highly collimated propagation properties. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827133759.htm

In the largest study performed to date to understand the relationship between habitual physical activity and physical fitness, researchers have found that higher amount of time spent performing exercise (moderate-vigorous physical activity) and low-moderate level activity (steps) and less time spent sedentary, translated to greater physical fitness. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827133756.htm

Sand and gravel are the most mined materials in the world, with between 32 and 50 billion tons extracted globally each year. They are being extracted faster than they can be replaced. But according to a new study, the human and environmental costs of this extraction on lower and middle-income countries have been largely overlooked. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827133754.htm

The importance of the root system for agricultural yields is often underestimated. Whether roots can access water and nutrients effectively also determines the resilience of important crops to drought and climate change. Researchers have discovered and described a mutant in barley: Its roots grow downwards much more sharply than usual. This discovery potentially provides a starting point for breeding more drought-resistant varieties. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827121524.htm

How to design efficient demo areas for urban carbon sequestration? In the latest policy brief research groups focus on the main principles of urban demonstration areas using biochars for carbon sequestration. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827121520.htm

A new study compares edoxaban anticoagulant with the standard of care in large randomized clinical trial. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210829081922.htm

Animals as small and soft as tardigrades seldom have legs and almost never bother walking. But a new study finds that water bears propel themselves through sediment and soil on eight stubby legs, in a manner resembling that of insects 500,000 times their size. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827184153.htm

Researchers discovered that chlorpyrifos, which is banned for use on foods in Canada but widely sprayed on fruits and vegetables in many other parts of the world, slows down the burning of calories in the brown adipose tissue of mice. Reducing this burning of calories, a process known as diet-induced thermogenesis, causes the body to store these extra calories, promoting obesity. Scientists made the discovery after studying 34 commonly used pesticides and herbicides in brown fat cells and testing the effects of chlorpyrifos in mice fed high calorie diets. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827184147.htm

An international team has reported the observation of ghost polaritons, which are a new form of surface waves carrying nanoscale light strongly coupled with material oscillations and featuring highly collimated propagation properties. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827133759.htm

In the largest study performed to date to understand the relationship between habitual physical activity and physical fitness, researchers have found that higher amount of time spent performing exercise (moderate-vigorous physical activity) and low-moderate level activity (steps) and less time spent sedentary, translated to greater physical fitness. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827133756.htm

Sand and gravel are the most mined materials in the world, with between 32 and 50 billion tons extracted globally each year. They are being extracted faster than they can be replaced. But according to a new study, the human and environmental costs of this extraction on lower and middle-income countries have been largely overlooked. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827133754.htm

The importance of the root system for agricultural yields is often underestimated. Whether roots can access water and nutrients effectively also determines the resilience of important crops to drought and climate change. Researchers have discovered and described a mutant in barley: Its roots grow downwards much more sharply than usual. This discovery potentially provides a starting point for breeding more drought-resistant varieties. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827121524.htm

How to design efficient demo areas for urban carbon sequestration? In the latest policy brief research groups focus on the main principles of urban demonstration areas using biochars for carbon sequestration. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827121520.htm

Engineered antibodies immobilize sperm in animal study, paving the way for nonhormonal contraceptive for women. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210826170228.htm

In lifesaving situations, expedient and accurate diagnostic tools are critical to aid pathologists in examining biopsied tissue samples looking for signs of diseases. Engineers found a new path to achieve that with virtual re-staining of tissue images that is both faster than human-performed special stains and just as accurate. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210826170211.htm

Updating the laws, the researchers say, will allow the true value of public resources to be revealed in an environmental market. It will give different groups equal footing in auctions, and create a more stable, actionable path toward conservation, to the benefit of both industry and the environment. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210826170154.htm

The human body can be genetically inclined to attack its own cells, destroying the beta cells in the pancreas that make insulin, which helps convert sugar into energy. Called Type 1 diabetes, this disorder can occur at any age and can be fatal if not carefully managed with insulin shots or an insulin pump to balance the body's sugar levels. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210826170119.htm

Pro-government forces say Houthi rebels targeted the base with missiles and armed drones.

She hit the animal with her bare hands as it attacked the five-year-old at their home in California.

As foreign forces end their 20-year campaign, our world affairs editor considers what has been achieved.

Relatives and friends of Mohammad Niazi and Musa Popal pay tribute after Thursday's blasts.

Afghans land to start a new life in the US as hope dims for those left behind to face the Taliban.

The safe arrival of Afghanistan's Paralympic athletes in Tokyo sends out "a very strong message of hope", says the International Paralympic Committee.

The BBC's Lyse Doucet in Kabul says many people are still desperately trying to leave, as evacuations draw to a close.

Brown dwarfs are astronomical objects with masses between those of planets and stars. The question of where exactly the limits of their mass lie remains a matter of debate, especially since their constitution is very similar to that of low-mass stars. So how do we know whether we are dealing with a brown dwarf or a very low mass star? source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827082409.htm

Françoise de Souza Oliveira was found guilty of planning the murder with her lover, who confessed.

Brazil's right-wing president is trying to rally support ahead of next year's election.

People in Afghanistan’s third-largest city, Herat, explain how life has changed in recent weeks.

Agnes Sithole became an unlikely hero after her husband of nearly 50 years tried to sell their home.

A selection of striking images from our readers around the world.

As the insurgents swept through Afghanistan they inherited an arsenal of American-made equipment.

Jennifer McNern lost both her legs and Margaret Yeaman was blinded in separate IRA bomb attacks.

Afghans living in Texas plead for help to save the lives of loved ones left behind in Afghanistan.

Ida is forecast to be one of the strongest storms to hit Louisiana in 150 years.

Is your smartphone feeling slow and sluggish? Try this before spending hundreds of dollars on a new phone. http://dlvr.it/S6WHPn

Cloudflare's system detected and mitigated a 17.2 million request-per-second DDoS attack, which they said is three times larger than any previous one. http://dlvr.it/S6WHPM

The public notice for the auction expected to raise over $8 billion, has received the final seal of approval from the country's authorities. http://dlvr.it/S6WHM4

Italian coastguards rescue 539 people from a small fishing boat believed to have set off from Libya.

Soman Noori gives birth to baby girl Havva while flying to Birmingham, with no doctor on board.

Saba says his family have gone into hiding after the Taliban threatened to kill his nephews.

Jeering crowds force the Canadian prime minister to call off an election campaign event.

The Islamic State group says it carried out Thursday's deadly bombing outside Kabul airport.

Shein said it did not fund nor approve adverts that suggested some ethnic minorities need not apply.

A selection of powerful images from all over the globe, taken this week.

A couple who 30 years ago bought an abused chimpanzee are now trying to save a subspecies.

Schools in India have been closed for more than a year, with learning outcomes falling drastically.

Stories you may have missed this week include Russian army games and a WWII bunker turned into a B&B.

"No-one chooses to be a refugee, if any of us were in that position I hope we would get support."

The Taliban maintain a sophisticated financial network and taxation system to generate income.

The US and UK have different timetables for the effort to evacuate people from Afghanistan

The phenomenon of superconductivity, providing current transmission without dissipation and a host of unique magnetic properties arising from macroscopic quantum coherence, was first discovered over a century ago. It was not understood until 1957, after which it quickly became clear that superconductors could in principle exist with a wide variety of the fundamental characteristic often referred to as the order parameter. Until the late 1970's, however, all superconductors found experimentally had the same class of order parameter. Since then many aspects of the expected variety of order parameters have been discovered, but one surprising fact remained. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210826170128.htm

Setting a price just below a round number ($39.99 instead of $40) may lead consumers into thinking a product is less expensive than it really is -- but it can sometimes backfire on sellers, a new study shows. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210826170122.htm

British swimmer Dan Pepper says his career was ruined by the ban on intellectual impairment sports at the Paralympics after a cheating scandal in 2000.

Fine particle pollution may be one reason why Black women have double the risk of developing Alzheimer's than white women, suggests new research. Data shows that older people are more likely to develop dementia if they live in locations with high PM2.5, and African American populations are more likely to live in neighborhoods near polluting facilities. Even when controlling for other risk factors, this study found that Black women still had roughly two times greater a risk of developing Alzheimer's disease than white women, and it also found that they had higher exposure to PM2.5. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210826170117.htm

The office that oversees US spy agencies could not establish how the coronavirus pandemic began.

A parole board calls for Sirhan Sirhan's release, but the decision now goes to the state's governor.

There may not be a long list of Android tablets available, but you do have options. http://dlvr.it/S6SfDK

Lenovo's 14-inch Yoga 9i has a superb 4K screen and fantastic speakers. Build quality is solid, and there are plenty of configurations on offer. If the leather-clad Shadow Black option doesn't appeal, you'll have to forego the tempered glass wrist rest, haptic touchpad and ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, but that's no great loss. http://dlvr.it/S6SfCb

The new Windows 11 Start Menu takes its cue from non-Windows smartphones - much to the displeasure of fans of Live Tiles, first seen in Windows 8. http://dlvr.it/S6SfCC

The US is still evacuating Afghans desperate to leave, despite a credible threat of further attacks.

It was one of several publicity stunts at the rapper's latest "listening party" for his new album.

The experimental approach delivers nanoparticles to hair follicles to support regrowth.

Roe deer are among the few mammals whose embryos go into a particularly long period of dormancy. Using modern molecular methods, researchers have shown for the first time what exactly happens in the embryo during this phase. They have identified signals that control the embryo`s awakening. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827121505.htm

Academics have been monitoring the Lyme Bay Marine Protected area using underwater cameras and other techniques since 2008, but this is the first known study to examine an MPA's response and resilience in the face of extreme storms. source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210827121455.htm

Hurricane Ida is forecast to strike as a category 3 hurricane, the same as Katrina exactly 16 years ago.