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Science News Archive July 2017 - Page 9


Page 9 of 37

Shedding light on cause of resistance to tumor immunotherapy

Tumor cells develop resistance to immunotherapy by downregulating MHC class I molecules and triggering immunosuppressive processes. Inhibiting the epigenetic control protein Ezh2 improves treatment efficacy, leading to increased tumor mass shrinkage and extended tumor-free survival.

SourceUniversity of Zurich·JournalCell Reports·DateJul 25, 2017
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount

Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro Equatorial Mount provides precise tracking capacity for deep-sky imaging rigs during long astrophotography sessions.

Chasing the Total Solar Eclipse from NASA's WB-57F jets

Scientists will use twin telescopes on NASA's WB-57F jet planes to capture high-resolution images of the Sun's outer atmosphere and thermal images of Mercury. The observations aim to study coronal heating and temperature variation across Mercury's surface.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateJul 25, 2017

Venus's turbulent atmosphere

Researchers from an international collaboration have analyzed data from the Venus Express spacecraft to investigate Venus's complex atmosphere. They found that stationary gravity waves at higher altitudes are related to surface elevations, suggesting wind currents caused by topographical obstacles contribute to the planet's superrotation.

SourceUniversity of Cologne·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJul 25, 2017

Study points to penile microbiome as a risk factor for HIV in men

A study published in mBio found a ten-fold increase in certain bacteria under the foreskin can increase HIV risk, suggesting that penile microbiome may be a previously unrecognized risk factor. The researchers also suggest that this risk factor may be sexually transmissible and could lead to novel ways to protect against HIV infection.

SourceGeorge Washington University·JournalmBio·DateJul 25, 2017

Colorizing images with deep neural networks

A team of UC Berkeley researchers has developed a new technique for real-time user-guided colorization using deep neural networks. The system enables novice users to quickly produce reasonable results by learning common colors for different objects and making recommendations in real-time.

SourceAssociation for Computing Machinery·DateJul 25, 2017
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.

Scientists find secret to cell size in world's biggest food producer

Researchers at the University of East Anglia have discovered a gene that regulates the size of diatom cells, which contribute 20% to global primary production. The discovery could have significant implications for understanding the effects of climate change on future food webs and the potential impact on phytoplankton cell sizes.

SourceUniversity of East Anglia·JournalThe ISME Journal·DateJul 25, 2017
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.

Humans imitate in unique ways: Comparing children and bonobos

Researchers found that bonobos do not copy actions as children do, highlighting the unique nature of human imitation. The study suggests that over-imitation in young children may be a critical factor in explaining why human cultures differ from those of great apes.

SourceSociety for Research in Child Development·JournalChild Development·DateJul 25, 2017
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

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

Smart surface enables advanced manipulation of droplets

Researchers at the University of British Columbia developed a smart surface that can repel and absorb liquids, controlled by applying electric potential. The copper-based surface exhibits rapid and reversible changes in wetting behavior, making it suitable for various industrial and consumer applications.

SourceUniversity of British Columbia·JournalAdvanced Materials Interfaces·DateJul 25, 2017

People living in rural households have lower risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease

A new study found that children raised in rural households have a lower risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease, particularly those under the age of 10. The study identified 45,567 patients diagnosed with IBD and found that rural residents had a significantly lower incidence of the disease compared to urban residents.

SourceChildren's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute·JournalThe American Journal of Gastroenterology·DateJul 25, 2017

Despite testing program, children with HIV remain undiagnosed

A two-year clinic-based HIV testing program in Zimbabwe failed to identify many cases of HIV in children. The study found that 37.7% of HIV-positive children were undiagnosed, highlighting the need for alternative testing methods to reach these vulnerable populations.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateJul 25, 2017

Mind-body therapies immediately reduce unmanageable pain in hospital patients

Researchers found that mindfulness and hypnotic suggestion significantly reduced acute pain levels in hospital patients, with patients experiencing a 29% and 23% reduction in pain respectively. These brief mind-body therapies also led to a significant decrease in the perceived need for opioid medication.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalJournal of General Internal Medicine·DateJul 25, 2017
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.

What do Trump's tweets say about his personality?

Researchers analyzed Trump's 3200 tweets to find that he exhibits strong features of a Schumpeterian personality, characteristic of successful entrepreneurs. He shows creative and change-oriented behavior, but also struggles with emotional stability.

SourceSpringer·JournalSmall Business Economics·DateJul 25, 2017

CCNY physicists master unexplored electron property

Researchers have successfully manipulated the 'valley' property in electrons using light, a crucial step towards realizing valleytronics technology. This breakthrough has potential applications in logic gates and is a major advancement in the field of materials science.

SourceCity College of New York·JournalNature Photonics·DateJul 25, 2017
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.

NASA spots a waning Tropical Depression Kulap

Tropical Depression Kulap is a waning storm moving west-southwest at 12.6 mph, affected by dry air and northerly wind shear. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center predicts the storm to dissipate late on July 26.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateJul 25, 2017

Male hepatitis B patients suffer worse liver ailments, regardless of lifestyle

A recent study found that men with hepatitis B are more than twice as likely to develop severe liver disease as women, even when accounting for lifestyle and environmental factors. Drinking alcohol significantly increases liver disease risk in both men and women, but sex remains the strongest indicator of liver disease severity.

SourceDrexel University·JournalPLOS ONE·DateJul 25, 2017

Cosmologists produce new maps of dark matter dynamics

Researchers have produced new maps of dark matter dynamics in the Universe, revealing detailed information about matter streams and velocities. This study uses legacy survey data to build on previous research and provides insights into the nature of dark matter.

SourceUniversity of Portsmouth·JournalAstroparticle Physics·DateJul 25, 2017
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.

MRI may help predict cognitive impairment in professional fighters

A new study published in Radiology uses a combination of MRI techniques to identify brain regions associated with cognitive impairment in active professional fighters. The researchers found that lower gray matter volume and white matter tract integrity at baseline measurements were linked to increased risk of cognitive decline over time.

SourceRadiological Society of North America·JournalRadiology·DateJul 25, 2017

Psychopaths are better at learning to lie, say researchers

Individuals with high levels of psychopathic traits are better at learning to lie than those with few psychopathic traits, according to a study. After practicing a lying task, individuals with high psychopathic traits showed significant improvements in response time, whereas those with low psychopathic traits did not.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalTranslational Psychiatry·DateJul 25, 2017

Mediterranean-style diets linked to better brain function in older adults

Eating Mediterranean and MIND-style diets is linked to lower risks for memory difficulties and cognitive impairment in older adults. The studies found that participants who ate these healthy diets scored significantly better on cognitive function tests, with a 35% lower risk of poor performance.

SourceAmerican Geriatrics Society·JournalJournal of the American Geriatrics Society·DateJul 25, 2017
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.

Fungal spores harness physics to launch themselves

Researchers at Duke University discovered how fungal spores use the power of merging water droplets to launch themselves. The team used high-speed cameras and an inkjet printer to study the mechanism, which involves the release of energy from the merged drop causing the spore to break away.

SourceDuke University·JournalJournal of The Royal Society Interface·DateJul 25, 2017

Cooler cows have healthier calves

A new study found that calves born to cows experiencing heat stress during early pregnancy exhibit related effects throughout their lives. Milk production and fat yield are higher for winter-conceived calves compared to summer-conceived calves.

SourceElsevier·JournalJournal of Dairy Science·DateJul 25, 2017

Autism severity detected with brain activity test

Researchers at UCLA have discovered a link between brain wave frequency and nonverbal IQ in children with autism. The study found that lower peak alpha frequency corresponds to lower non-verbal IQ, suggesting a potential biomarker for detecting autism severity.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles·JournalEuropean Journal of Neuroscience·DateJul 25, 2017

Princeton researchers report new system to study chronic hepatitis B

Researchers at Princeton University have successfully tested a cell-culture system that allows for the long-term study of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. This breakthrough may aid in the development of antiviral drugs to cure chronic HBV, which can cause severe liver disease and cancer.

SourcePrinceton University·JournalNature Communications·DateJul 25, 2017
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.

Possible treatment for deadly weight loss

Cachexia, a deadly weight loss condition in cancer patients, is caused by systemic inflammatory reactions triggered by cancer cells. Researchers discovered that autophagic stimuling compounds and pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 are associated with muscle mass loss, providing potential treatment options.

SourceNorwegian University of Science and Technology·JournalScientific Reports·DateJul 25, 2017

QUT to use drones to find and protect koalas

A two-year project will use drones and high-resolution imagery to estimate koala abundance, providing a robust survey method for detecting the native fauna. The State Government has committed additional $12.1 million for koala conservation, including ongoing funding for protection.

SourceQueensland University of Technology·DateJul 25, 2017

Where there's smoke

UCSB researchers are evaluating urban wildfire patterns and resilience strategies using a $1.5 million National Science Foundation grant, integrating atmospheric, fire-spread, and transportation models to enhance the understanding of extreme fire weather regimes and wildfire behavior in the wildland-urban interface.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·DateJul 25, 2017
Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope combines portable Schmidt-Cassegrain optics with GoTo pointing for outreach nights and field campaigns.

Dragonfly brains predict the path of their prey

Researchers at the University of Adelaide and Lund University have discovered brain cells that enable dragonflies to predict the movement of their prey, allowing them to hunt successfully. This knowledge could lead to advances in fields like robot vision and artificial intelligence.

SourceUniversity of Adelaide·DateJul 25, 2017

When should the police use confrontational tactics?

A new model suggests that police should use confrontational tactics in areas with high gang violence to deter crime, while avoiding them in areas with low community trust. The model also highlights vast racial disparities in police stops and arrests.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 25, 2017

Chemical route towards electronic devices in graphene

Researchers at Aalto University developed a chemical method to create graphene nanoribbons with embedded electronic components, including diodes and tunnel barriers. The precision of the structures was achieved through atomic-level control over the chemical reaction process.

SourceAalto University·JournalNature Communications·DateJul 25, 2017

A new synthesis route for alternative catalysts of noble metals

Researchers at Tohoku University have created a new synthesis route for alternative catalysts of noble metals, overcoming stability issues with organic-based and carbonaceous materials. This breakthrough could lead to more efficient and cost-effective eco-friendly technologies, including fuel cell vehicles and CO2 reduction.

SourceTohoku University·JournalNature Communications·DateJul 25, 2017
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.

NASA looks at Hurricane Irwin in infrared light

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite gathered data on Tropical Storm Irwin, revealing a large area of strong storms with cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit. This suggests that the storm has the potential to generate heavy rainfall and strengthen into a hurricane.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateJul 25, 2017

Pinpointing sources of water pollution with a robotic eel

The Envirobot robot uses chemical, physical and biological sensors to map variations in water conductivity and temperature, detecting heavy metals like mercury. Biological sensors comprising bacteria, crustaceans and fish cells indicate water toxicity.

SourceEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne·DateJul 25, 2017

Ramesh Raskar of MIT to receive Computer Graphics Achievement Award

Ramesh Raskar has made significant impact in computational imaging, light transport and augmented reality with techniques like femto-photography. His work has led to applications such as EyeNetra, a low-cost technique to measure human refractive error and prescribe eyeglasses.

SourceAssociation for Computing Machinery·DateJul 25, 2017

Study: Yoga helps back pain among veterans

A 12-week yoga program significantly improves disability scores and reduces pain intensity in military veterans with chronic low back pain. Notably, these benefits persist even after six months, suggesting long-term potential for yoga as a non-drug treatment.

SourceVeterans Affairs Research Communications·JournalAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine·DateJul 25, 2017
Meta Quest 3 512GB

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

Measured soil moisture improves wildfire prediction

Researchers in Oklahoma compared measured soil moisture with the Keetch-Byram Drought index and found that high-quality soil moisture data consistently outperformed KBDI. Soil moisture conditions conducive to large wildfires were more narrowly defined, providing earlier warnings of extreme wildfire potential.

SourceAmerican Society of Agronomy·JournalSoil Science Society of America Journal·DateJul 25, 2017

Coral gardening is benefiting Caribbean reefs, study finds

A new study found that Caribbean staghorn corals are benefiting from 'coral gardening,' which involves planting laboratory-raised coral fragments on reefs. The research provides important benchmarks for the long-term survival of coral reefs worldwide, which have been declining due to climate change and ocean pollution.

SourceUniversity of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science·JournalCoral Reefs·DateJul 25, 2017
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.

Scientists identify gene mutations in smoking-related cancers

Researchers found an increased mutation rate in genes, including TP53, among African-American patients with smoking-related cancers. The study suggests that these genetic differences may contribute to resistance to chemotherapy and poorer outcomes.

SourceAtrium Health Wake Forest Baptist·JournalTheranostics·DateJul 25, 2017

New phase change mechanism could lead to new class of chemical vapor sensors

Researchers at the Naval Research Laboratory have discovered a new phase change mechanism in monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides (TMDs) that can be used to create highly sensitive chemical vapor sensors. The sensors can detect nerve agents and explosives with high selectivity and sensitivity.

SourceNaval Research Laboratory·JournalScientific Reports·DateJul 25, 2017