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Science News Archive January 2014


Page 26 of 28

Reactivation of the AKT survival pathway by ERK1/2

Researchers found that long-term PI3K inhibitor treatment reactivates Akt through an unknown ERK1/2 regulatory loop. This limits the effectiveness of anti-PI3K strategies against K-Ras mutant or overexpressed tumor cells. Combining MEK-ERK1/2 and PI3K inhibitors may overcome resistance in these tumors.

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition is a durable star atlas for planning sessions, identifying targets, and teaching celestial navigation.

Tiny proteins have outsized influence on nerve health

Researchers found auxiliary proteins play crucial role in sodium channels, affecting disease treatment and pain syndromes. The discovery could lead to more focused treatments for epilepsy, neurological diseases, and muscular disorders.

Supernova's super dust factory imaged with ALMA

Astronomers have captured the remains of a recent supernova brimming with freshly formed dust, which could explain how many galaxies acquired their dusty appearance. The ALMA telescope's unprecedented resolution and sensitivity revealed a large dust mass concentrated in the central part of the ejecta.

To curb China's haze and air pollution, use water

Researchers propose using water spray from tall buildings to remove aerosol pollutants, reducing fine particle load in the atmosphere. This geoengineering technique is environmentally safe, technologically feasible, efficient, and low-cost.

Autism Speaks awards nearly $2.7 million for new research projects

The grants will focus on reducing the average age of diagnosis, increasing access to high-quality early intervention and understanding environmental risk factors for autism. Researchers will also develop effective treatments and assess the benefits of early interventions in urban settings.

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Jumping snails left grounded in future oceans

A study found that conch snails that use a strong foot to leap away from predators either stop jumping or take longer when exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide projected for the end of this century. This disruption affects vital decision-making, making snails more vulnerable to their slow-moving nemesis.

Nanoplasmonics: Towards efficient light harvesting

Transformation optics tackles challenges in plasmonic devices by transforming complex structures into canonical ones, facilitating accurate modeling and design. This enables the development of efficient light-harvesting nanostructures with strong near-field enhancements.

Technology 1 step ahead of war laws

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists explores the impact of emerging military technologies on the laws of war, highlighting the need for new legal thinking and institutions to address asymmetric warfare. The article argues that current international law is no longer sufficient to handle the complexity of modern warfare.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

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

RAMBO a small but powerful magnet

RAMBO allows researchers to run spectroscopy-based experiments in pulsed magnetic fields of up to 30 tesla on a tabletop. The device enables direct optical access to the sample and combines ultrastrong magnetic fields with short and intense optical pulses.

'Ardi' skull reveals links to human lineage

New research confirms Ardi's close evolutionary relationship to humans, revealing a pattern of similarity linking it to Australopithecus and modern humans. The study shows that the human cranial base pattern is at least a million years older than previously thought, with implications for our understanding of human evolution.

BIDMC researcher looks at race and bariatric surgery

A study by BIDMC researchers found that African Americans are less likely to consider weight loss surgery due to lower quality of life concerns, not economic barriers. Patients' reported quality of life was a significant motivator for their decision-making process.

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Laying money on the line leads to healthier food choices over time

A new study published in Psychological Science found that people who use the risk of losing their monthly healthy food discount as a motivational tool are more likely to make healthier choices at the grocery store. By precommitting to increase their healthy food purchases, participants increased their healthy food intake by an average ...

Suburban sprawl cancels carbon footprint savings of dense urban cores

A new study by UC Berkeley researchers finds that suburban sprawl cancels out the carbon footprint savings of densely populated cities, with suburbs accounting for 50% of household emissions. Interactive maps show striking differences between urban cores and surrounding suburbs, highlighting the need for tailored climate action plans.

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.

Tiny acts of microbe justice help reveal how nature fights freeloaders

Researchers at Princeton University discovered that bacteria like Vibrio cholerae have a system to prevent freeloaders from enjoying the fruit of others' hard work. By producing a thick coating or using natural fluid flow, these microbes deny access to nutrients generated by productive community members.

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.

Imaging technology to improve survival of ischemic disease patients

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are developing imaging technology to improve treatment and survival rates for ischemic heart disease patients. The new technology uses high-speed computer analysis to help doctors determine if stents are restoring circulation as designed, reducing the risk of failure.

Discovery spotlights key role of mystery RNA modification in cells

A recent study by UChicago scientists reveals how the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification on mRNA affects the half-life of mRNA, regulating cellular protein quantities. This discovery could provide fundamental insights into healthy functioning and disorders such as obesity, diabetes, and infertility.

Newfound planet is Earth-mass but gassy

The discovery of KOI-314c reveals a planet weighing as much as Earth but 60% larger in diameter, indicating a thick, gaseous atmosphere. The planet's mass was measured using transit timing variations (TTV), a young method for studying low-mass planets.

Creality K1 Max 3D Printer

Creality K1 Max 3D Printer rapidly prototypes brackets, adapters, and fixtures for instruments and classroom demonstrations at large build volume.

New fossils shed light on the origins of lions, and tigers, and bears (oh my!)

New fossils from Belgium have revealed the earliest known ancestor of modern carnivores, with species such as lions, tigers and bears tracing their ancestry to primitive carnivorous mammals. The new specimens, including over 250 teeth and ankle bones, provide valuable insights into the evolutionary history of these iconic animals.

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

Green spaces deliver lasting mental health benefits

A new study published in Environmental Science & Technology found that moving to a greener area improves mental health and the effect continues long after the move. The research team analyzed data from over 1,000 participants and found significant and sustained improvements in mental health for those who relocated to greener areas.

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Biomaterials get stem cells to commit to a bony future

A research team at the University of California, San Diego has discovered how calcium phosphate-based materials encourage stem cells to differentiate into bone-forming cells. The findings could lead to the development of new biomaterials that can be used to treat bone defects and diseases.

Worker wasps grow visual brains, queens stay in the dark

A new study reveals that queen paperwasps have smaller visual processing brain regions than workers, suggesting environmental factors shape caste differences. The research highlights the importance of considering individual brain differences within insect colonies for studying neuroecology.

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro)

Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch (M4 Pro) powers local ML workloads, large datasets, and multi-display analysis for field and lab teams.

Novel 'attract-and-kill' approach could help tackle Argentine ants

Entomologists at UC Riverside have created a novel technique that combines synthetic pheromone with insecticide sprays to effectively control Argentine ant colonies. The 'attract-and-kill' approach resulted in a 57-142% increase in kill rate, making it an economically viable alternative for urban pest management.

Mediterranean diet without weight loss helps prevent diabetes

A Mediterranean diet rich in extra-virgin olive oil reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 50% without calorie restriction, exercise, or weight loss. The study published in Annals of Internal Medicine suggests that a Mediterranean diet may have public health implications for diabetes prevention.

Inverse design: New route to design a practical invisibility cloak

The article reviews alternative target-oriented invisibility strategy, referred to as an 'inverse design', which integrates the technical advantages of forward strategies. This approach uses anisotropic materials and non-superluminal propagation to provide cloaking performance with a relatively broad bandwidth.

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.

New compounds discovered that are hundreds of times more mutagenic

Scientists have discovered novel compounds produced by chemical reactions that are hundreds of times more mutagenic than their parent compounds. These newly found NPAHs were not previously known to exist and raise concerns about the health impacts of heavily-polluted urban air or dietary exposure.

ALMA spots supernova dust factory

Astronomers have observed a recently formed dust factory in the remnant of Supernova 1987A using ALMA. The findings suggest that significant amounts of dust are being created by supernovae explosions, which could explain the dusty appearance of many galaxies in the early Universe.

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.

Population stability 'hope' in species' response to climate change

A new study finds that butterflies can expand their ranges in northern England and Scotland as the climate warms. However, this expansion is only possible for species with stable or increasing population trends, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts to boost abundances within current ranges.

After a 49-million-year hiatus, a cockroach reappears in North America

A new species of cockroach discovered in Colorado's Green River Formation reveals that the genus Ectobius originated in the New World over 49 million years ago. The finding challenges a long-held assumption about the cockroach's evolutionary history, instead suggesting a complex migration history between the Old and New Worlds.

Yeast's lifestyle couples mating with meiosis

Researchers found that Candida lusitaniae fuses its mating and meiosis programs, expressing genes associated with both processes during each. This 'coupling' offers the yeast an efficient way to split diploid products of mating, maintaining its haploid lifestyle. The discovery challenges understanding of fungal reproduction and evolution.

Supervolcano eruptions are triggered by melt buoyancy

Researchers at ETH Zurich and ESRF have identified a trigger for supereruptions, finding that the overpressure generated by density differences in the magma chamber alone can trigger an eruption. The study suggests that supervolcanos are not triggered solely by overpressure due to magma recharge.

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only)

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only) delivers reliable low-light performance and rugged build for astrophotography, lab documentation, and field expeditions.

Mine landslide triggered quakes

Researchers discovered that a record-breaking landslide at a Utah copper mine triggered 16 small earthquakes due to two massive rock avalanches. The slide was the largest nonvolcanic landslide in modern North American history, covering New York's Central Park with about 20 meters of debris.

Ground-breaking work sheds new light on volcanic activity

An international team of experts has identified conditions for various-sized volcanic eruptions using numerical modelling and statistical techniques. Small, frequent eruptions are triggered by magma replenishment, while larger, less frequent eruptions are driven by magma buoyancy.

Pulsar in stellar triple system makes unique gravitational laboratory

Astronomers have found a rare stellar system featuring a neutron star, two white dwarf stars, in an incredibly close orbit. By measuring the gravitational perturbations in this system, scientists can gain insights into the nature of gravity and potentially detect problems with General Relativity.

New study may aid rearing of stink bugs for biological control

A new study published in Annals of the Entomological Society of America has found that low temperatures can be used to store eggs of the predatory stink bug Podisus nigrispinus. This allows for greater flexibility in mass rearing and storage, increasing the availability of insects for release in the field at an early opportunity.

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C)

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh (Triple 100W USB-C) keeps Macs, tablets, and meters powered during extended observing runs and remote surveys.

Mannotriose promotes survival of hippocampal neurons

Researchers found that mannotriose improves hippocampal neuron survival rates after corticosterone-induced injury. Mannotriose also restored protein levels of glucocorticoid receptor, serum and glucocorticoid-regulated protein kinase, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

A novel look at how stories may change the brain

Researchers found that reading a novel can cause changes in the brain's resting-state connectivity that persist for days after reading. The study, published in Brain Connectivity, used fMRI to examine the neural effects of reading a narrative.