silk | Common News Update

Jul102020 by adminNo Comments

Silk Road discovery suggests cats were pets 1,000 years ago

Science

July 10 (UPI) -- The discovery of a cat skeleton along Kazakhstan's Silk Road suggests that cats were kept as pets over 1,000 years ago, according to a new study. Researchers from Germany's Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg and the University of Tubingen, Kazakhstan's Korkyt-AtaKyzylorda State University and the Higher School of Economics in Russia reconstructed the cat's life for a study published this week in the journal Scientific Reports. Advertisement DNA analysis of the nearly complete cat skeleton indicates that the animal, a domesticated species not related to local feral cats, had a high-protein diet and was likely fed by members of the pastoral Oghuz tribe, researchers said. An X-ray indicated it sustained numerous broken bones and lost most of its teeth, further suggest...

Apr262020 by adminNo Comments

Best homemade mask combines cotton, natural silk, chiffon, study says

Science

April 24 (UPI) -- New research suggests homemade masks combining cotton with natural silk or chiffon offer the best protection against virus-carrying aerosol particles. Though public health experts offered conflicting guidance on mask-wearing at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization are now recommending that people wear masks when out in public. With N95 masks still in short supply, officials recommend the masks be reserved for healthcare professionals and others on the front-lines of the battle against the coronavirus. Those without an N95 mask must opt for an alternative, whether bought online or made at home. To see which materials best filter out tiny airborne particles called aerosols, scientis...

Aug22019 by adminNo Comments

Male black widow spiders hijack silk strands of their rivals to find a mate

Science

Aug. 2 (UPI) -- To find mates, male black widow spiders follow the silk trails left by their rivals, according to a new study. The revelation, detailed this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, surprised scientists at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Scientists assumed males followed the scents, or pheromones, released by females and avoided those emitted by males. It is the pattern followed by most mate-seeking insects. "We expect males to use female cues to find a potential mate, and use those left by their rivals to avoid them," Catherine Scott, a doctoral candidate at UTSC, said in a news release. "We found male black widows follow rather than avoid rival males, using their silk trails as highways that rapidly lead them to a female's web, even if they can't s...

May302018 by adminNo Comments

Study reveals key mechanism in formation of spider silk

Science

May 29 (UPI) -- A team of scientists has discovered a previously unidentified structural component key to the formation of spider silk and its extraordinary strength. Prized for its strength and flexibility, material scientists have long tried to produce synthetic analogs for spider silk. The results of previous efforts, however, have been mixed. Studies have shown the importance of beta sheets, or beta strands, the secondary structure in spider silk proteins, but scientists have struggled to understand how these strength-giving structures form. The transformation from soluble proteins to crystalized silk happens fast, making it difficult to study the proteins' structures. In order to gain new insights into the formation process, scientists at Japan's RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resourc...

Jan92018 by adminNo Comments

Anna Friel goes braless as silk outfit parts over ample cleavage

Entertainment

The Marcella actress has turned heads as she shared an eye-popping post on social media, behind the scenes of a glam photoshoot.Taking to the official Anna Friel Instagram account, the brunette beauty teased her followers after partnering with acclaimed photographer Rankin.The 41-year-old bombshell's saucy snap saw her rocking a silky race car jumpsuit, which was partially unzipped.Choosing to wear the red hot ensemble half open meant that Anna's plunging ensemble revealed she'd ditched her bra for the new shoot.INSTAGRAM/ ANNA FRIELRACY PICTURE: Anna Friel's latest Instagram snap is breaking the internetStars without bras Check out these celebs out and about without their bras on.WENN Braless Courtney Stodden's serious sideboob makes a break for it INS...