TopFeatured.com

EXCLUSIVE: UK to open first ‘body farm’ for forensic research EXCLUSIVE: UK to open first ‘body farm’ for forensic research, Published online: 02 May 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01436-8 Sites that allow the study of human remains have long existed in the United States and have started to appear recently in other countries. Press Release Distribution Service

A new study asserts that women don’t engage in ‘tear-down’ gossip any more than men, and lower income people don’t gossip more than their more well-to-do counterparts. It also holds younger people are more likely to gossip negatively than their older counterparts. Press Release Distribution Service

Researchers have proposed a method enabling air conditioning and ventilation systems to produce synthetic fuels from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water from the ambient air. Compact plants are to separate CO2 from the ambient air directly in buildings and produce synthetic hydrocarbons which can then be used as renewable synthetic oil. Press Release Distribution Service

Compound stops CRISPR enzyme running amok Compound stops CRISPR enzyme running amok, Published online: 02 May 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01412-2 A small molecule is identified that puts the brakes on the Cas9 enzyme. Press Release Distribution Service

David J. Thouless (1934-2019) David J. Thouless (1934-2019), Published online: 02 May 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01424-y Theoretical physicist who discovered topological phases of matter. Press Release Distribution Service

A battery-like device could act as an artificial synapse within computing systems intended to imitate the brain’s efficiency and ability to learn. Press Release Distribution Service

A fainting episode causing traumatic nerve damage affecting his right hand could be why Leonardo da Vinci’s painting skills were hampered in his late career. While the impairment affected his ability to hold palettes and brushes to paint with his right hand, he was able to continue teaching and drawing with his left hand. According…

Daily Briefing: The bumpy ride to carbon zero Daily Briefing: The bumpy ride to carbon zero, Published online: 02 May 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01444-8 Four scenarios for our low-carbon future, the biggest Denisovan fossil yet (and the first that didn’t come from the Denisova Cave) and how gendered language is affecting grant success. Press Release Distribution Service

Saturn’s secrets revealed by deep learning Saturn’s secrets revealed by deep learning, Published online: 02 May 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01386-1 PlanetNet algorithm has helped scientists to understand a storm on the giant planet. Press Release Distribution Service

‘The world has never seen anything like this’: WHO chief on battling Ebola in a war zone ‘The world has never seen anything like this’: WHO chief on battling Ebola in a war zone, Published online: 02 May 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01432-y Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus talks about fighting the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo…

How a particle racing through a vacuum leaves a trail of blue light How a particle racing through a vacuum leaves a trail of blue light, Published online: 02 May 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01430-0 Blue-tinged Cherenkov radiation could help to illuminate quantum interactions between light and matter. Press Release Distribution Service

A photodetector converts light into an electrical signal, causing the light to be lost. Researchers have now built a quantum sensor that can measure light particles non-destructively. It can be used to further investigate the quantum properties of light. Press Release Distribution Service

A newly identified epigenetic hotspot for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder may give scientists a fresh path forward for devising more effective treatments and biomarker-based screening strategies. More than 100 million people worldwide have either schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, which are characterized by periods of hallucinations, delusions and irregular thought processes. They are both associated with…

The drug eculizumab, a synthetic antibody that inhibits the inflammatory response, significantly reduced the risk of relapse with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). This rare but severe autoimmune inflammatory disorder can cause blindness, paralysis and death. Press Release Distribution Service

NGC 2903 is located about 30 million light-years away in the constellation of Leo (the Lion), and was studied as part of a Hubble survey of the central regions of roughly 145 nearby disk galaxies. Press Release Distribution Service

Scientists have developed a new approach for solving atomic-scale 3-D protein structures from tiny crystals. The advance will open up this structural biology technique to a wide range of hard-to-crystallize proteins in bacteria, viruses, plants, and humans. Press Release Distribution Service

Men and women with high mental well-being at the age of 42 were more physically active at the age of 50 compared to those who got lower scores in mental well-being at age 42. Different exercise activities are related to the different dimensions of well-being in midlife. Press Release Distribution Service

Robo-dino helps to pinpoint the origins of dinosaur flight Robo-dino helps to pinpoint the origins of dinosaur flight, Published online: 02 May 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01399-w The spontaneous flaps of a running dinosaur’s ‘wings’ might have paved the way for true powered flapping. Press Release Distribution Service

Chinese hospitals set to sell experimental cell therapies Chinese hospitals set to sell experimental cell therapies, Published online: 02 May 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01161-2 Under a draft proposal, patients would be able to buy some therapies without regulatory approval. Press Release Distribution Service

Pinpointing a spatial address for RNA profiles in tissues Pinpointing a spatial address for RNA profiles in tissues, Published online: 03 May 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01405-1 Knowing the gene-expression pattern of individual cells can unlock their identity. A refined method for generating cellular RNA profiles offers a way to obtain such data at a high level of…

Hippos, haloes and black holes — April’s best science images Hippos, haloes and black holes — April’s best science images, Published online: 03 May 2019; doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01356-7 The month’s sharpest science shots — selected by Nature’s photo team. Press Release Distribution Service

A new study shows how seagrass can help to protect shorelines against erosion and help to mitigate damage from rising sea level, potentially providing useful guidance for seagrass restoration efforts. Press Release Distribution Service