Credit: CC0 Public Domain In today's global economy, production of goods depends on inputs from many trade partners around the world. Companies and governments need a deeper understanding of the global value chain to reduce costs, maintain a profitable production system, and anticipate ripple effects of disruptions in the supply chain. Applied economists from...
Month: February 2021
Hexbyte Glen Cove Researchers use new tool to study stress in root-colonizing bacteria
Biological engineering researchers at Utah State are trying to understand how they can leverage the benefits of a plant's microbiome in the face of adverse agricultural conditions. Credit: Matt Jensen One solution to agriculture's many challenges—climate change-induced drought, less arable land, and decreased water quality, to name a few—is to develop smarter fertilizers. Such...
Hexbyte Glen Cove Ape escape: Indonesian orangutans airlifted back to the wild
An orangutan in a cage is delivered by helicopter in Central Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia Ten orangutans have been airlifted back to their natural habitat on Indonesia's Borneo island, in the first release of the apes into the wild for a year due to the dangers of coronavirus infection. The animals were flown by helicopter...
Hexbyte Glen Cove India’s endangered lion prides conquer disease to roam free
Asiatic lions were once found widely across southwest Asia Three years after a deadly virus struck India's endangered Asiatic lions in their last remaining natural habitat, conservationists are hunting for new homes to help booming prides roam free. The majestic big cats, slightly smaller than their African cousins and with a fold of skin...
Hexbyte Glen Cove Stranded whales refloated in New Zealand but concerns remain
Map of New Zealand locating Farewell Spit where dozens of pilot whales were found beached early Monday. Rescuers successfully refloated 28 pilot whales stranded on a notorious stretch of New Zealand's coast Tuesday, but the mammals remained close to shore and could beach themselves again, wildlife officials said. The Department of Conservation (DOC) said...
Hexbyte Glen Cove Power failure: How a winter storm pushed Texas into crisis
In this Feb. 16, 2021, file photo, a woman wrapped in a blanket crosses the street near downtown Dallas. As temperatures plunged and snow and ice whipped the state, much of Texas' power grid collapsed, followed by its water systems. Tens of millions huddled in frigid homes that slowly grew colder or fled for...
Hexbyte Glen Cove Frozen pipes, electric woes remain as cold snap eases grip
From left, U.S. Representatives Sheila Jackson Lee, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Sylvia Garcia, fill boxes at the Houston Food Bank on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021. President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in Texas on Friday, directing federal agencies to help in the recovery. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP) Higher temperatures spread across the southern...
Hexbyte Glen Cove New technology enables predictive design of engineered human cells
Synthetic biologists achieve a breakthrough in the design of living cells. Credit: Justin Muir Northwestern University synthetic biologist Joshua Leonard used to build devices when he was a child using electronic kits. Now he and his team have developed a design-driven process that uses parts from a very different kind of toolkit to build...
Hexbyte Glen Cove Bioengineered hybrid muscle fiber for regenerative medicine
Schematic illustration of the 3D skeletal muscle-like bioengineered constructs Credit: Institute for Basic Science Muscle constitutes the largest organ in humans, accounting for 40% of body mass, and it plays an essential role in maintaining life. Muscle tissue is notable for its unique ability for spontaneous regeneration. However, in serious injuries such as those...
Hexbyte Glen Cove NASA’s Mars helicopter reports in
In this illustration, NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter stands on the Red Planet's surface as NASA's Perseverance rover (partially visible on the left) rolls away. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech Mission controllers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California have received the first status report from the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which landed Feb. 18, 2021, at Jezero...