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Science News for April 3, 2015


NASA catches a tropical cyclone's birth in 3-D

Tropical Cyclone 05W formed in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean on April 3, with NASA's GPM satellite analyzing rainfall rates and creating a 3-D image of high thunderstorms. The storm was moving west-northwest through Micronesia at 11 knots per hour.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateApr 3, 2015

New genetic clues emerge on origin of Hirschsprung's disease

Researchers have identified a new pathway guiding the development of the enteric nervous system, which is separate from the central nervous system. This pathway interacts with specific genes and proteins to cause Hirschsprung's disease, a rare condition that can be fatal if left untreated.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalAmerican Journal of Human Genetics·DateApr 3, 2015

Doctor at Rhode Island Hospital develops Ebola virus diagnostic tool

A new diagnostic tool for Ebola virus disease was developed by Dr. Adam C. Levine at Rhode Island Hospital, which can help determine the likelihood of a patient having EVD based on six specific symptoms. The tool aims to facilitate timely and effective treatment for patients suspected to have the virus.

SourceLifespan·JournalAnnals of Emergency Medicine·DateApr 3, 2015
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.

Camera chip provides superfine 3-D resolution

A new nanophotonic coherent imager (NCI) developed at Caltech uses an inexpensive silicon chip to provide the highest depth-measurement accuracy of any such device. The NCI produces high-resolution 3D images with micron-level resolution, enabling applications in 3D scanning and printing, driverless cars, and human machine interfaces.

SourceCalifornia Institute of Technology·JournalOptics Express·DateApr 3, 2015

Gender difference in moral judgments rooted in emotion, not reasoning, study finds

A new study found that gender differences in moral decisions are caused by stronger emotional responses among women, not rational thinking. Women were more likely to reject harmful actions, even if they would ultimately save lives, while men showed less emotional aversion.

SourceSociety for Personality and Social Psychology·JournalPersonality and Social Psychology Bulletin·DateApr 3, 2015

Targeting dangerous inflammation inside artery plaque

A study led by researchers from Mount Sinai Hospital shows that a nanotherapeutic medicine can halt the growth of artery plaque cells and suppress inflammation, leading to reduced heart attack risk. The therapy uses high-density lipoprotein (HDL) to target inflamed immune cells in arterial plaques.

SourceThe Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine·JournalScience Advances·DateApr 3, 2015

New evidence shows carbon's importance to ocean life's survival 252 million years ago

Scientists discovered that elemental carbon became a key construction material for certain marine organisms, such as agglutinated foraminifers and worm tubes, after the devastating Permian-Triassic extinction event. The high influx of carbon into the ocean environment was linked to volcanic activity and coal combustion.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Arlington·JournalInternational Geology Review·DateApr 3, 2015
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.

NASA sees Typhoon Maysak weakening

Typhoon Maysak is weakening due to vertical wind shear as it approaches landfall in Luzon on April 4. The storm had peak intensity of over 130 knots but has weakened to about 115 knots, with heavy rain detected in its northwestern side.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateApr 3, 2015

Science and medicine have a 'publication pollution' problem

The scientific community is facing a 'pollution problem' due to plagiarism, fraud, and predatory publishing, threatening the trustworthiness and reliability of research. Dr. Arthur Caplan proposes a national meeting to address this issue and promote sustainable publishing practices.

SourceNYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine·JournalMayo Clinic Proceedings·DateApr 3, 2015

UCLA research links HIV to age-accelerating cellular changes

Researchers at UCLA find that HIV infection accelerates age-related epigenetic changes, leading to accelerated onset of diseases like cancer and osteoporosis. The study suggests that HIV itself may accelerate these aging-related changes by more than 14 years.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences·JournalPLOS ONE·DateApr 3, 2015
GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.

OU physicists first to create new molecule with record-setting dipole moment

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma have successfully created a new molecule with an unprecedented electric dipole moment, opening up potential pathways for the development of scalable quantum computers. The molecule's unique property allows it to react with electric fields like a bar magnet reacts with magnetic fields.

SourceUniversity of Oklahoma·JournalScience·DateApr 3, 2015

Fertility patients' history is best predictor of risk for major depression

Research from San Francisco State University reveals that fertility treatment patients are more likely to experience major depressive disorder (MDD) than the general population. A key factor in predicting a patient's risk is whether they have a previous diagnosis of MDD, which is often overlooked by healthcare providers.

SourceSan Francisco State University·JournalFertility and Sterility·DateApr 3, 2015

Possible progress against Parkinson's and good news for stem cell therapies

Researchers have developed a safe and effective therapeutic strategy for Parkinson's disease using mitomycin-treated embryonic stem cells. The treatment showed significant improvements in motor function and survival rate in mice, with no tumor formation detected.

SourceD'Or Institute for Research and Education·JournalFrontiers in Cellular Neuroscience·DateApr 3, 2015
Meta Quest 3 512GB

Meta Quest 3 512GB enables immersive mission planning, terrain rehearsal, and interactive STEM demos with high-resolution mixed-reality experiences.

Better actionless than action-taking

A recent study found that unconscious priming of acceptance attitude can effectively reduce frustrating emotional responses. Unconscious acceptance serves as a stable background, reducing frustration from the start, whereas conscious acceptance requires salient experience of unpleasant emotion.

SourceScience China Press·JournalScience China Life Sciences·DateApr 3, 2015