Messier 85 has a peculiar globular cluster system, study finds

Astronomers have conducted a study of stellar population and kinematics of globular clusters (GCs) in the galaxy Messier 85, and found that this galaxy hosts a peculiar globular cluster system. The finding is reported in a paper published October 6 on the arXiv pre-print repository.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-messier-peculiar-globular-cluster.html

Researchers create a new 'green' engine for lorries

Researchers from the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) have designed a new engine to decrease the environmental impact of the most common type of lorries that travel on European roads—those that weigh between 18 and 25 tons. From their laboratories at the CMT-Thermal Engines of the UPV, they propose a new configuration that unites all the benefits of hybrid and dual-fuel combustion engines.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-green-lorries.html

High-confidence approach for artificial intelligence-based models

They call it artificial intelligence—not because the intelligence is somehow fake. It's real intelligence, but it's still made by humans. That means AI—a power tool that can add speed, efficiency, insight and accuracy to a researcher's work—has many limitations.

source https://techxplore.com/news/2020-10-high-confidence-approach-artificial-intelligence-based.html

Researchers develop small animal PET scanner with high spatial resolution and high sensitivity

Positron emission tomography (PET) is an important tool for studying the animal model of human diseases and the development of new drugs and new therapies. 

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-small-animal-pet-scanner-high.html

Earth observation instruments pass review

As part of the atmospheric environment monitoring satellite (DQ-1) programs, the Environmental Trace Gas Monitoring Instrument (EMI-II) and Particulate Observing Scanning Polarization (POSP) passed the delivery acceptance review on science island of Hefei, Anhui province last month.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-earth-instruments.html

Researchers develop magnetically switchable mechano-chemotherapy to overcome tumor drug resistance

Prof. Wu Aiguo's team at the Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) developed a novel therapeutic method termed mechano-chemotherapy, which can efficiently overcome tumor drug resistance. The study was published in Nano Today.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-magnetically-switchable-mechano-chemotherapy-tumor-drug.html

Microwave lenses harnessed for multi-beam forming

This highly compact beam forming network has been designed for multi-beam satellite payload antennas. Generating a total of 64 signal beams outputted from a single antenna, this novel design could cover the entire Earth with multiple spot beams from geostationary orbit.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-microwave-lenses-harnessed-multi-beam.html

NASA InSight's 'Mole' is out of sight

NASA's InSight lander continues working to get its "mole"—a 16-inch-long (40-centimeter-long) pile driver and heat probe—deep below the surface of Mars. A camera on InSight's arm recently took images of the now partially filled-in "mole hole," showing only the device's science tether protruding from the ground.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-nasa-insight-mole-sight.html

Humans and climate drove giants of Madagascar to extinction

Nearly all Madagascan megafauna—including the famous dodo bird, gorilla-sized lemurs, giant tortoises, and the Elephant Bird, which stood 3 meters tall and weighted close to a half ton—vanished between 1,500 and 500 years ago. Were these animals overhunted to extinction by humans? Or did they disappear because of climate change? There are numerous hypotheses, but the exact cause of this megafauna crash remains elusive and hotly debated.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-humans-climate-drove-giants-madagascar.html

Echo from the past makes rice paddies a good home for wetland plants

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University studied the biodiversity of wetland plants over time in rice paddies in the Tone River basin, Japan. They found that paddies that were more likely to have been wetland previously retained more wetland plant species. On the other hand, land consolidation and agricultural abandonment were both found to impact biodiversity negatively. Their findings may one day inform conservation efforts and promote sustainable agriculture.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-echo-rice-paddies-good-home.html

Creating perfect edges in 2-D-materials

Ultrathin materials such as graphene promise a revolution in nanoscience and technology. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have published a study in Nature Communications in which they present a method for controlling the edges of two-dimensional materials using a "magic" chemical.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-edges-d-materials.html

Complex metabolism may have self-assembled from simple precursors

All modern life uses energy to reproduce itself. During this process, organisms build and break down larger molecules such as fats and sugars using a remarkably common set of reactive intermediate energy carrier molecules. These intermediate energy carriers (for example, ATP) are often not building blocks in and of themselves, but they allow the energy coupling between separate reactions needed to push forward cellular reproduction.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-complex-metabolism-self-assembled-simple-precursors.html

Losing flight had huge benefits for ants, new study finds

Ants are one of the most successful groups of animals on the planet, occupying anywhere from temperate soil to tropical rainforests, desert dunes and kitchen counters. They're social insects and their team-working abilities have long since been identified as one of the key factors leading to their success. Ants are famously able to lift or drag objects many times their own weight and transport these objects back to their colony. But with previous research having focused on the social aspects of an ant colony, looking at an individual ant has been somewhat neglected.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-flight-huge-benefits-ants.html

Understudied deeper water reefs could teach us how to better conserve corals

In three decades of diving at locations including the Red Sea and Great Barrier Reef, Gal Eyal has seen coral reefs transform in front of his eyes.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-10-understudied-deeper-reefs-corals.html