Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Science News for April 14, 2006


Endurance walking test distances improved significantly for COPD patients

Researchers found that patients with severe COPD walked significantly further while breathing Heliox 28 than with other gas mixtures. The study suggests that using lower-density helium gas can reduce airway resistance and improve respiratory gas exchange for these patients.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateApr 14, 2006

New gene reduces retinal degeneration in fruit flies

A new gene, Lazaro, has been discovered to reduce retinal degeneration in fruit flies by enhancing the production of diacylglycerol, a key player in controlling TRP channels. This discovery may have implications for understanding sensory signaling in mammals.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalCurrent Biology·DateApr 14, 2006
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Temperatures, not hotels, likely alter Niagara Falls' mist

Researchers at University at Buffalo have determined that the temperature difference between air and water controls the amount of mist at Niagara Falls. The study found that a higher temperature difference results in a thicker and more substantial mist plume, contrary to previous reports linking high-rise hotels to increased mist levels.

SourceUniversity at Buffalo·DateApr 14, 2006

Other people influence us and we don't even know it

Automatic influences over us are typically benign and help keep us in touch with our present circumstances while our conscious mind is time-traveling into the past or future. The article highlights the importance of acknowledging these unconscious influences to regain control.

SourceBlackwell Publishing Ltd.·JournalCurrent Directions in Psychological Science·DateApr 14, 2006
Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

Lizard 'third eye' sheds light on evolution of color vision

The lizard's parietal eye photoreceptors contain two pigments, allowing it to respond to blue and green light in the same cell. This unique mechanism may have been an economical way to detect changes in sunlight during dawn and dusk. The study proposes a 'missing link' between the light-sensing apparatus of lower animals and humans.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalScience·DateApr 14, 2006

Microfluidic device tests fluid compatibility

Researchers developed a microfluidic instrument to measure interfacial tension between two fluids. The device tracks changes over time as drops move through the channel, producing a measurement in approximately 1 second.

SourceNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)·JournalLab on a Chip·DateApr 14, 2006

Bioactive cement scaffold may improve bone grafts

Researchers have developed a new technology that uses a bioactive cement scaffold to improve bone grafts. The scaffold is seeded with patient cells and formed with a calcium phosphate material strengthened by adding chitosan, which enhances cell attachment and reduces the risk of rejection.

SourceNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)·JournalJournal of Biomedical Materials Research Part A·DateApr 14, 2006
DJI Air 3 (RC-N2)

DJI Air 3 (RC-N2) captures 4K mapping passes and environmental surveys with dual cameras, long flight time, and omnidirectional obstacle sensing.