The first light curve solutions of the binary systems V1370 Tau and QQ Boo are presented. The periodic changes are calculated, and a new ephemeris presented for each of these two binary systems. O-C analysis is performed using the MCMC method in OCFit code. The changing rate of period was measured as dP/dt= 0.2423 days/year for V1370 Tau and dP/dt= -0.1363 days/year for QQ Boo. The light curve solutions

In the present article we construct physically viable models of anisotropic charged compact stellar objects admitting quadratic equation of state and linear equation of state. We analyze the physical behavior of compact star models 4U1538-52, LMCX-4, and Vela X-1 with in the frame work of general relativity. Our stellar models are free from singularities, satisfy all energy conditions and exhibit physically

In this paper, we have considered that the Moon motion around the Earth is a source of a perturbation for the infinitesimal body motion in the Sun–Earth system. The perturbation effect is analyzed by using the Sun–Earth–Moon bi–circular model (BCM). We have determined the effect of this perturbation on the Lagrangian points and zero velocity curves. We have obtained the motion of infinitesimal body

The matter accretion onto a noncommutative (NC) inspired Schwarzschild black hole is addressed for a polytropic fluid and results are compared with Schwarzschild black hole. The flow parameters - critical velocity u(r), sonic speed cs2 and accretion rate M˙ are derived from the NC static black hole and are related to the outcomes acquired for the standard Schwarzschild black hole. Due to the effect

The article describes the main features and algorithms of Astro Space Locator (ASL) software package. This high performance package has a user-friendly graphical interface and it is used for VLBI data processing and reduction. ASL supports data editing, calibration, multi-frequency analysis, standard and multi-frequency VLBI imaging.

This paper characterizes the impacts of sudden stratospheric warmings (SSWs) and mesospheric coolings (MCs) on the light species distribution (i.e., helium (He), and atomic hydrogen (H)) of the thermosphere using a combined data‐modeling approach. Performing a set of numerical experiments with a general circulation model whose middle atmospheric dynamical and thermodynamical fields were constrained

We present a novel technique to analyze VDF, which allows to capture their fine structure including wave‐particles resonances. By applying the technique to Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) data, the simultaneous observation of characteristic 3‐dimensional (3D) signatures in the electron velocity distribution function (VDF) and intense quasi‐monochromatic waves in the terrestrial magnetosheath is investigated

Three lower‐band (f < 0.5 fce) chorus riser elements detected in the dayside generation region were studied in detail using the Van Allen Probe data. Two subelements/wave packets within each riser were examined for their wave “frequency” constancy within 7 consecutive wave cycles. The 7 wave cycles contained the maximum amplitudes of the subelements/packets. Maximum variance B1 zero crossings were

A comprehensive analysis on the ionospheric planetary wave activity is undertaken using 8 years of ionosonde data at Trivandrum (8.5°N, 77°E), a dip equatorial station. The study reveals that the dominant planetary wave is of 16‐day type and its strength is maximum in winter solstice/autumnal equinox and minimum in summer solstice in high solar activity conditions. In low solar activity years planetary

We use global and local hybrid (kinetic ions and fluid electrons) simulations to investigate the conditions under which foreshock bubbles (FBs) form and how their topology changes with solar wind conditions. FBs form as a result of the interaction between solar wind discontinuities and backstreaming ion beams in the foreshock. They consist of an outer shock and its associated sheath plasma and a low

Similar to Earth, Mercury's magnetotail experiences frequent dipolarization of the magnetic field. These rapid (~2 s) increases in the northward component of the tail field (ΔBz ~ 30 nT) at Mercury are associated with fast sunward flows (~200 km/s) that enhance local magnetic field convection. Differences between the two magnetospheres, namely Mercury's smaller spatiotemporal scales and lack of an

This paper evaluates the role of magnetic reconnection in the dayside ionosphere of Mars in the collisional regime and presents some relevant data from the MAVEN (Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN) mission. Magnetic reconnection is an important process operating in the solar corona, planetary magnetospheres, and astrophysical plasmas, but most of the literature focuses on collisionless plasmas

The European Astronomical Society awarded its most prestigious prizes during its annual meeting held from 29 June to 3 July 2020. The meeting was entirely virtual and the largest such gathering of astrophysicists so far.

The determination of the evolutionary stage for a supernova remnant is a demanding task. This guide for radio observers presents a relatively straightforward way to establish the evolutionary phase of newly observed supernova remnants.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The latest science news, in brief.

Nature is tracking what readers care about most in the 2020 election.

Hear the biggest stories from the world of science | 24 September 2020

Cancer treatments that target the characteristics of an individual's tumour could have a wider impact.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in late 2019 in China and caused a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. To mitigate the public health, economic and societal impacts of the virus, a vaccine is urgently needed. The development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines was initiated in early January 2020 when the sequence of the virus became available and moved at record speed

Tweets about biology preprints generally come from members of the academic community — but politics also plays a part.

Many institutions publicly pledged their commitment to inclusion after Black Lives Matter protests this year. And researchers emphasize the need to maintain momentum.

Pictures created from old observations show the void’s stormy evolution over the past decade.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an emerging respiratory infection caused by introduction of a novel coronavirus into humans in late 2019 in China’s Hubei province. As of September 11, 2020, SARS-CoV-2 has spread to 215 countries, has infected more than 28 million people, and has caused more than 910,000 deaths

Local exposure to inequality leads to demands for wealth distribution.

The technology to fine-tune radiotherapy to an individual is here, but a lack of research is holding back its use.

Key step towards production of 3D photonic bandgap crystals.

The current technique requires a person’s own cells, but using the cells of healthy donors could allow more people to benefit.

A rescue mission like no other.

Up to one in 800 people in the city of Manaus, Brazil, is estimated to have died of COVID-19. Plus, Arctic sea ice hits another low and the black hole image is now a movie.

A resistance-evading streptogramin antibiotic.

Failure to address systemic bias in health-care provision and genetic databases will make existing disparities worse.

Janssen’s Craig Tendler talks to Nature about how data collected by the company after a drug is approved can be used to improve treatment.

Current hardware approaches to biomimetic or neuromorphic artificial intelligence rely on elaborate transistor circuits to simulate biological functions. However, these can instead be more faithfully emulated by higher-order circuit elements that naturally express neuromorphic nonlinear dynamics1,2,3,4. Generating neuromorphic action potentials in a circuit element theoretically requires a minimum

The dramatic shift to online learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic risks widening educational inequalities.

Metabolites made by bacteria signal to the developing mouse brain.

The limitations of genomic data have led to a deeper exploration of transcriptomic and proteomic data in cancer.

Targeted treatments for children, a fresh approach to protein analysis and other highlights from clinical trials and laboratory studies.

Some people with cancer are already benefiting from drugs that target genetic features regardless of the tissue involved. But these early successes could be the exceptions.

More than half of Earth’s freshwater resources are held by the Antarctic Ice Sheet, which thus represents by far the largest potential source for global sea-level rise under future warming conditions1. Its long-term stability determines the fate of our coastal cities and cultural heritage. Feedbacks between ice, atmosphere, ocean, and the solid Earth give rise to potential nonlinearities in its response

The genetic circuits that allow cancer cells to evade destruction by the host immune system remain poorly understood1,2,3. Here, to identify a phenotypically robust core set of genes and pathways that enable cancer cells to evade killing mediated by cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), we performed genome-wide CRISPR screens across a panel of genetically diverse mouse cancer cell lines that were cultured

The consolidation of spatial memory depends on the reactivation (‘replay’) of hippocampal place cells that were active during recent behaviour. Such reactivation is observed during sharp-wave ripples (SWRs)—synchronous oscillatory electrical events that occur during non-rapid-eye-movement (non-REM) sleep1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and whose disruption impairs spatial memory3,5,6,8. Although the hippocampus also

Self-assembling colloidal particles in the cubic diamond crystal structure could potentially be used to make materials with a photonic bandgap1,2,3. Such materials are beneficial because they suppress spontaneous emission of light1 and are valued for their applications as optical waveguides, filters and laser resonators4, for improving light-harvesting technologies5,6,7 and for other applications4

The three-dimensional organization of the genome supports regulated gene expression, recombination, DNA repair, and chromosome segregation during mitosis. Chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C)1,2 analysis has revealed a complex genomic landscape of internal chromosomal structures in vertebrate cells3,4,5,6,7, but the identical sequence of sister chromatids has made it difficult to determine how they

Psychological research shows that social comparison of individuals with peers or others shapes attitude formation1,2. Opportunities for such comparisons have increased with global inequality3,4; everyday experiences can make economic disparities more salient through signals of social class5,6. Here we show that, among individuals with a lower socioeconomic status, such local exposure to inequality

CpG methylation by de novo DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) 3A and 3B is essential for mammalian development and differentiation and is frequently dysregulated in cancer1. These two DNMTs preferentially bind to nucleosomes, yet cannot methylate the DNA wrapped around the nucleosome core2, and they favour the methylation of linker DNA at positioned nucleosomes3,4. Here we present the cryo-electron microscopy

Magnetic skyrmions are topological solitons with a nanoscale winding spin texture that hold promise for spintronics applications1,2,3,4. Skyrmions have so far been observed in a variety of magnets that exhibit nearly parallel alignment for neighbouring spins, but theoretically skyrmions with anti-parallel neighbouring spins are also possible. Such antiferromagnetic skyrmions may allow more flexible

Current understandings of cell specification in early mammalian pre-implantation development are based mainly on mouse studies. The first lineage differentiation event occurs at the morula stage, with outer cells initiating a trophectoderm (TE) placental progenitor program. The inner cell mass arises from inner cells during subsequent developmental stages and comprises precursor cells of the embryo

Natural products serve as chemical blueprints for most antibiotics in clinical use. The evolutionary process by which these molecules arise is inherently accompanied by the co-evolution of resistance mechanisms that shorten the clinical lifetime of any given class of antibiotics1. Virginiamycin acetyltransferase (Vat) enzymes are resistance proteins that provide protection against streptogramins2,

To constrain global warming, we must strongly curtail greenhouse gas emissions and capture excess atmospheric carbon dioxide1,2. Regrowing natural forests is a prominent strategy for capturing additional carbon3, but accurate assessments of its potential are limited by uncertainty and variability in carbon accumulation rates2,3. To assess why and where rates differ, here we compile 13,112 georeferenced

‘Dysbiosis’ of the maternal gut microbiome, in response to challenges such as infection1, altered diet2 and stress3 during pregnancy, has been increasingly associated with abnormalities in brain function and behaviour of the offspring4. However, it is unclear whether the maternal gut microbiome influences neurodevelopment during critical prenatal periods and in the absence of environmental challenges

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) greatly expand the structures and functions of proteins in nature1,2. Although synthetic protein functionalization strategies allow mimicry of PTMs3,4, as well as formation of unnatural protein variants with diverse potential functions, including drug carrying5, tracking, imaging6 and partner crosslinking7, the range of functional groups that can be introduced

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease of the intestinal epithelium that is characterized by the accumulation of mutations and a dysregulated immune response. Up to 90% of disease risk is thought to be due to environmental factors such as diet, which is consistent with a growing body of literature that describes an ‘oncogenic’ CRC-associated microbiota. Whether this dysbiosis contributes

Cell death in human diseases is often a consequence of disrupted cellular homeostasis. If cell death is prevented without restoring cellular homeostasis, it may lead to a persistent dysfunctional and pathological state. Although mechanisms of cell death have been thoroughly investigated1,2,3, it remains unclear how homeostasis can be restored after inhibition of cell death. Here we identify TRADD4

The direction of the eye gaze of others is a prominent social cue in primates and is important for communication1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11. Although gaze can signal threat and elicit anxiety6,12,13, it remains unclear whether it shares neural circuitry with stimulus value. Notably, gaze not only has valence, but can also serve as a predictor of the outcome of a social encounter, which can be either negative

Climate change drives vegetation gains in patches of the high Arctic tundra.

Letter to the Editor