Bluesky Facebook Reddit Email

Science News Archive February 2017


Page 25 of 37

Dwarf star 200 light years away contains life's building blocks

A UCLA-led team of scientists has discovered a white dwarf star with an atmosphere rich in carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen, the components of water. The study suggests that the planetary system associated with the white dwarf contains materials necessary for life.

New data reveal aging experiences of LGBT Americans

A new supplemental issue of The Gerontologist presents the findings of the largest national survey on LGBT older adults' health and well-being. Findings show that LGBT older adults face higher rates of disability, cardiovascular disease, depression, and social isolation.

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.

New research to help preserve the benefits people receive from nature

A new research framework developed by the University of Queensland aims to identify and track ecosystem services at risk due to growing human demand. The framework allows for analysis of supply and demand, natural system condition, and future demand changes, providing a basis for global assessments.

Endangered African penguins are falling into an 'ecological trap'

African penguins are getting stuck in the wrong part of the sea due to fishing and climate change, leading to reduced food supply and higher mortality rates. Researchers suggest that translocating chicks to safe areas or implementing spatial fishing closures could help protect the endangered species.

Bacteria sleep, then rapidly evolve, to survive antibiotic treatments

Researchers found that bacteria can quickly adapt to antibiotic treatments by evolving dormancy mechanisms. Once tolerant, they rapidly acquire resistance mutations, making it difficult for antibiotics to kill them. This discovery has important implications for the development of new antibiotics.

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

Emphysema treatment could be optimized using network modelling

A computational model of emphysema has been developed to compare novel and traditional treatments, showing that mechanical forces play a critical role in disease progression. The study suggests that newer lung volume reduction techniques can achieve comparable outcomes as current surgical approaches.

Neural network learns to select potential anticancer drugs

Scientists developed a generative neural network to create new pharmaceutical medicines with specific properties. The network, trained on millions of molecular structures, identified 69 potential anticancer compounds and hundreds more using a powerful extension of the method.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

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

New simple method quickly reveals kidney damage

The new method can pinpoint kidney damage in under three-quarters of an hour, using blood/urine with the help of fumarase. Researchers expect the method to be transferable to patients soon, and are currently testing it on patient blood samples.

Rice takes deeper look at unconventional oil and gas

Researchers develop new method to analyze shale samples using NMR and molecular dynamics simulations, helping determine hydrocarbon presence and extraction difficulty. The approach improves identification of gas, oil, and water in organic shales.

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.

MBL study illuminates the origin of vertebrate gills

A new MBL study has shed light on the origin of vertebrate gills, indicating they evolved around 600 million years ago. The research corrects a long-held misunderstanding that gills developed separately and independently in two vertebrate lineages.

Malaria mosquitos sensitive to horseradish

Researchers at Lund University discovered that malaria mosquitos are sensitive to horseradish, similar to the effects of heat on vertebrates. This finding suggests a shared molecular mechanism underlying temperature sensing in insects and animals.

UCI, NASA reveal new details of Greenland ice loss

Two research papers use OMG observations to document how meltwater and ocean currents interact along Greenland's west coast, improving seafloor maps used to predict future melting and sea level rise. The study also reveals the role of meltwater in cooling warmer subsurface water and tracking its impact on glacier melt rates.

An 'ignition key' revs up DNA shuffling to make antibodies

A team of researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine has identified a crucial enzyme, RAG-2, that enables precise DNA rearrangement during white blood cell development. This process is essential for producing novel antibodies that recognize and combat viruses and bacteria.

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.

The Internet and your brain are more alike than you think

Researchers discovered that an algorithm called additive increase, multiplicative decrease (AIMD) is used both in engineered systems like the Internet and biological networks like the human brain. This finding sheds light on how the brain manages information and potentially helps understand learning disabilities.

Infection defense: Call for support by the killer cells

A recent study published in Immunity reveals how killer cells coordinate with dendritic cells to create an army of immune cells. The research, conducted by the University of Bonn, found that killer cells form a team and trigger chemical signals to recruit other cell types, leading to a coordinated and strong immune response.

Researchers develop device that emulates human kidney function

A novel microfluidic device models human kidney function, exhibiting more natural cell behaviors than traditional culturing methods. The device's glomerular filtration system is crucial for healthy cell function and accurately predicting renal drug toxicity in humans.

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.

Wave of the future: Terahertz chips a new way of seeing through matter

Researchers at Princeton University have developed a new terahertz chip technology that can generate and capture intricate details of terahertz waves. The system uses tiny devices inside the microchip to read patterns created by the waves, enabling potential applications in medical imaging, communications, and drug development.

Research uncovers bacteria linking Crohn's disease to arthritis

New research uncovers a connection between Crohn's disease and spondyloarthritis, finding that IgA-coated E. coli bacteria trigger inflammation in Th17 cells. This discovery may lead to the development of diagnostic tools and therapies targeting both conditions.

In-cell molecular sieve from protein crystal

Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology create porous protein crystals with increased porosity, allowing for the accumulation and storage of exogenous molecules in living cells. The engineered crystals showed high stability and ability to retain fluorescent dyes in live cells.

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.

Chemicals hitch a ride onto new protein for better compounds

Chemists have developed a new technique called redox activated chemical tagging (ReACT) that selectively links chemicals to proteins. This method could transform the way drugs are developed, proteins are probed, and molecules are tracked and imaged.

Sorting machine for atoms

Physicists at University of Bonn create method to quickly and precisely sort large numbers of atoms, pushing development of future quantum computers forward. The technique allows atoms to interact with each other in targeted manner to exploit quantum-mechanical effects for calculations.

Language barriers may interfere with access to kidney transplantation

Patients with primary non-English language fluency face disparities in completing kidney transplant evaluations, ultimately affecting their access to a transplant. Researchers found that linguistically isolated households were linked to lower likelihoods of transitioning to active waitlist status and incomplete evaluations.

Dial-an-interpreter can help docs get patients' consent

A study by University of California San Francisco researchers found that installing a bedside interpreter-phone system improved understanding of healthcare procedures among patients with limited English. The system reduced errors and disparities in care, especially for Chinese- and Spanish-speaking patients.

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm)

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) tracks health metrics and safety alerts during long observing sessions, fieldwork, and remote expeditions.

Big data for the universe

The Reference Catalog of Galaxy SEDs (RCSED) contains value-added information about 800,000 galaxies, derived from the elaborated data analysis. The catalog presents properties such as stellar composition, brightness at various wavelengths, and galaxy spectra obtained by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey.

Direct radiolabeling of nanomaterials

Researchers have developed a direct radiolabeling method for nanomaterials using nanographene, eliminating the need for chelators. This approach significantly improves bioimaging accuracy and reduces biases. The method was tested in mice models and showed promising results.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Ancient horse fossils hint factors driving evolution different than thought

A new study analyzing ancient horse fossils reveals that patterns of migration and environmental changes are key drivers of evolutionary development. Contrary to the rapid phenotypic evolution theory, researchers found no significant difference in body size evolution between lineages with high and low speciation rates, suggesting that ...

The Deccan Traps: Double, double magma trouble

Researchers used time-reversed convection modeling to reconstruct ancient mantle structure, finding a second upwelling contributing to the Deccan Traps eruption. A currently active hotspot, Réunion, was also active 65 million years ago.

NASA spots Tropical Cyclone Carlos south of La Reunion Island

Tropical Cyclone Carlos was detected by NASA's Terra satellite as it moved south of La Reunion Island. The storm showed a tight circle of thunderstorms around its center and maximum sustained winds of 63.2 mph (102 kph). Further intensification is expected over the next 24 hours before weakening due to vertical wind shear

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

Scientists estimate solar nebula's lifetime

The team estimated the solar nebula's lifetime using ancient meteorites that formed 4.653 billion years ago, suggesting it disappeared within the first 4 million years of the solar system's formation. The findings indicate that gas giants Jupiter and Saturn must have formed early in the solar system's history.

New drug screening system could help speed development of a cure for HPV

Scientists have developed a new system to aid identification of potential drug targets and treatments for human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The system uses genetic engineering techniques to quickly test the effects of chemicals on viral growth, identifying compounds that can block HPV replication.

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.

$2 million grant to speed the development of new vector control products

A $2 million Gates Foundation grant will support the development of novel test protocols to accelerate the creation and deployment of next-generation vector control products. The project aims to improve the understanding of vector control approaches and produce better-informed products to combat malaria in Africa.

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.

How best to treat infections and tumors

A new mathematical analysis provides guidance for treating infections and tumors with drug resistance, suggesting that containment may extend effective life and improve patient outcomes in some cases. The study identifies two main factors influencing the choice between containment and aggressive treatment.

New engineered material can cool roofs, structures with zero energy consumption

Researchers developed a scalable metamaterial film that efficiently reflects solar energy while allowing objects to shed heat through infrared thermal radiation. The material has been successfully tested in field trials, demonstrating significant radiative cooling powers even under direct sunlight with zero energy consumption.

Research reveals novel quantum state in strange insulating materials

Scientists have confirmed novel theoretical work on Mott insulators, revealing a unique form of magnetism that arises when these materials are cooled below a critical temperature. This discovery helps to shed light on the complex interactions between electrons in these materials, which are crucial for developing new electronic devices.

Study examines how behavioral science can help tackle problem of idling engines

A study by academics at the University of East Anglia suggests that insights from behavioral science can help design road signs to encourage drivers to switch off their engines while waiting at railway crossings. Researchers found that simple visual and written cues doubled the rate of people turning off their engines, with a more effe...

Meta Quest 3 512GB

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