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Science News Archive August 2018 - Page 26


Page 26 of 41

Potent psychedelic DMT mimics near-death experience in the brain

Researchers at Imperial College London found that DTM can model near-death experiences in the brain, with participants scoring above a threshold for determining an NDE. The study suggests that DTM may be able to alter brain activity similarly to NDEs, but with different contexts.

SourceImperial College London·JournalFrontiers in Psychology·DateAug 14, 2018
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.

Oil palm cultivation in Africa

Researchers found significant overlap between areas suitable for oil palm production and primate conservation priorities in Africa, highlighting the need for sustainable practices to balance both interests. Only a few regions, like Madagascar, were identified as suitable for palm oil production with low conservation risks for primates.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 13, 2018
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.

Meteorite bombardment likely to have created the Earth's oldest rocks

Scientists found that ancient silica-rich felsic rocks in Canada formed at high temperatures and shallow crust depths, likely due to meteorite bombardment. The results suggest that these rocks are the only surviving remnants of a barrage of extraterrestrial impacts that shaped Earth's early history.

SourceGoldschmidt Conference·JournalNature Geoscience·DateAug 13, 2018

Switching anti-psychotic medications doesn't improve outcomes in first episode schizophrenia patient

A study published in The Lancet Psychiatry found that switching antipsychotic medications in patients with first-episode schizophrenia does not improve clinical outcomes. Instead, earlier treatment with clozapine, an effective antipsychotic medication, can be started earlier to potentially save time and reduce suffering.

SourceThe Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine·JournalThe Lancet Psychiatry·DateAug 13, 2018

NASA sees Tropical Storm Yagi after China landfall

Tropical Storm Yagi made landfall in China's Zhejiang Province on Aug. 12, causing heavy rainfall and strong thunderstorms. MODIS instrument detected cloud top temperatures as cold as minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating the storm's capability to create heavy rain.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateAug 13, 2018

Human response to ancient climate shifts

Researchers analyzed animal fat residues to link a 8,200-year-old climate shift in Greenland with changes in a human settlement. The study found correlations between the climate event and shifts from cattle herding to goat herding and changes in dwelling structures, ultimately leading to settlement abandonment.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 13, 2018
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

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

Study reveals broad 'genetic architectures' of traits and diseases

Scientists developed a method to characterize the genetic contributions to traits and diseases, revealing that cognitive traits and psychiatric disorders are influenced by tens of thousands of gene variants. The study provides a 'big picture' of genetic influences, useful for designing future genetic studies.

SourceJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health·JournalNature Genetics·DateAug 13, 2018

Intervention for young transgender women to reduce risk of HIV

A randomized clinical trial found an intervention reducing condomless sex acts among young transgender women, suggesting it is both feasible and effective. The project shared information about HIV, promoted condom use, and encouraged partner communication to reduce the risk of HIV transmission.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Pediatrics·DateAug 13, 2018
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.

New study reveals evidence of how Neolithic people adapted to climate change

Researchers have found that early farmers at Çatalhöyük turned to drought-resistant sheep and goats during a sudden climate event 8,200 years ago. The study used ancient animal fats in cooking pots to detect changes in precipitation patterns, providing new insights into past climate conditions.

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 13, 2018

Thermal switch discovered in engineered squid-based biomaterials

Scientists have developed a new class of materials inspired by squid DNA that can control thermal conductivity, which could lead to improved fabrics for athletic wear. The materials' thermal conductivity increases dramatically when wet, allowing them to 'flip' a switch and remove heat from the body.

SourcePenn State·JournalNature Nanotechnology·DateAug 13, 2018

Rare cancer could be caught early using simple blood tests

Researchers found a simple combination of two blood tests can diagnose myeloma in GPs, enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment. The study analyzed over 2,700 cases and suggested integrating a system to alert clinicians to relevant symptoms or changes in blood parameters.

SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalBritish Journal of General Practice·DateAug 13, 2018
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.

Pre-Hispanic macaw breeding in the American Southwest

Researchers found low genetic diversity among ancient macaw skeletons from Chaco Canyon and the Mimbres region in New Mexico, dating back to 900-1200 CE. This suggests a translocated breeding population of macaws based on a small founder population.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 13, 2018

Children's understanding of false beliefs

Research on false beliefs in young children reveals distinct patterns of understanding between infants and older children. Infants use social-cognitive abilities associated with great apes, whereas older children employ human social-cognitive abilities to coordinate mental states with cooperative partners.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 13, 2018

Hominin forefoot evolution

A study reveals early hominin forefoot evolution facilitated bipedal locomotion. The degree of dorsal doming in metatarsophalangeal joints correlated with MTPJ range of motion and was important for bipedalism, suggesting adaptations appeared over 4.4 million years ago.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 13, 2018

Weather and daily governance

A study analyzed weather data from various sources in the US from 2000 to 2017, revealing links between temperature and risk of fatal crashes, food safety violations, and police stops. Climate projections suggest future warming may impact regulatory oversight, with potential implications for governance.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 13, 2018

Doctor-patient discussions neglect potential harms of lung cancer screening, study finds

A study by researchers from the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center found that doctor-patient discussions about lung cancer screening are often brief and one-sided, failing to address potential harms. The conversation quality was rated as poor, with only a few minutes spent discussing the issue on average.

SourceUNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center·JournalJAMA Internal Medicine·DateAug 13, 2018
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.

Rethinking the stroke rule 'time is brain'

Neurologist Camilo R. Gomez argues that the effect of time on ischemic stroke outcomes varies greatly among patients, with collateral circulation playing a critical role in determining treatment efficacy. He proposes a new approach to stroke care, taking into account individual patient variability and blood circulation patterns.

SourceLoyola Medicine·JournalJournal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases·DateAug 13, 2018

Link between common 'harmless' virus and cardiovascular damage

Researchers found a close connection between Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and the accumulation of immune cells damaging cardiovascular tissue. The study suggests that CMV infection may be an important clinical factor in coronary heart disease, and treatment of the virus could be effective in preventing or managing the condition.

SourceUniversity of Sussex·JournalTheranostics·DateAug 13, 2018
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.

Fission products from natural nuclear reactor

Scientists have found significant concentrations of fission products, including barium isotopes, within ruthenium metal and sulfide aggregates at the Oklo reactor site. The discovery suggests that these aggregates formed approximately five years after reactor shutdown, with potential implications for nuclear waste storage.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 13, 2018
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.

A new artificial quantum material essential in developing high-efficiency computers

Researchers have developed a new artificial quantum material that can control internal resistance in multilayered magnetically doped semiconductors, enabling the creation of high-efficiency computers. The material exploits the Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect, allowing for faster computation speeds and improved energy efficiency.

SourceInstitute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences·JournalChinese Physics Letters·DateAug 13, 2018

VOX pops cereal challenge

A new carrier to transfer genes into plants has enabled crop scientists to study traits and diseases in wheat and maize more quickly and easily. The Foxtail mosaic virus (FoMV) has overcome limitations of existing carriers, allowing for the expression of a wide range of proteins in host plants.

SourceRothamsted Research·JournalPLANT PHYSIOLOGY·DateAug 13, 2018

Policy changes can help ease roadblocks to a healthy diet

Research suggests that policy strategies such as nutrition labeling, taxing sugar sweetened beverages, and promoting healthy environments can improve diets. The American College of Cardiology recommends these policies to address the complex dietary risk factor modification needed to reduce cardiovascular disease prevalence.

SourceAmerican College of Cardiology·JournalJournal of the American College of Cardiology·DateAug 13, 2018

Multimodel ensemble prediction of summer droughts over the Yellow River Basin

Researchers improved soil moisture drought forecasting over the Yellow River Basin by combining climate and land surface hydrology models, achieving higher probabilistic drought forecasting skill and reliability. The multimodel ensemble approach provides valuable information for drought adaptation in this region.

SourceInstitute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences·JournalAtmospheric and Oceanic Science Letters·DateAug 13, 2018
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.

Another step forward on universal quantum computer

Researchers at Yokohama National University have demonstrated fault-tolerant universal holonomic quantum gates, paving the way for fast and reliable quantum computing. The team achieved this breakthrough by manipulating a geometric spin qubit in an NV center, enabling precise control over long-lived quantum memories.

SourceYokohama National University·JournalNature Communications·DateAug 13, 2018

UMass Amherst computational biophysicist receives grant to study 'floppy' proteins

Jianhan Chen is studying intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) with flexible 3D structural properties, which account for about one-third of all eukaryotic proteins. His project aims to develop computational methods to simulate flexible proteins and explore the fundamental principles of their structural disorder's effect on function.

SourceUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst·DateAug 13, 2018

Scarlet macaw DNA points to ancient breeding operation in Southwest

Researchers found that scarlet macaws sequenced from Chaco Canyon and Mimbres areas in New Mexico shared the same haplogroup, indicating a single breeding population. This contradicts previous theories that ancestral Puebloan people brought birds back from Mexico, as transporting adolescent birds would be logistically difficult.

SourcePenn State·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 13, 2018

MIT mathematicians solve age-old spaghetti mystery

Researchers at MIT have found a way to break dry spaghetti into exactly two pieces by twisting and then slowly bending it. The team developed an apparatus to control the twist and bend, and used it to test hundreds of sticks, finding that this method works consistently across different types of spaghetti.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 13, 2018
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.

'Undruggable' cancers slowed by targeting growth signals

A novel approach targeting the RAS / MAP Kinase pathway slows cancer growth in lung, skin, colon, and pancreatic cancers. Researchers have identified a compound that effectively decouples the entire pathway from external growth signals, leading to significant inhibition of cancer growth.

SourceUniversity of California - San Francisco·JournalNature Cell Biology·DateAug 13, 2018

Video-based ethics program increases moral awareness, study finds

A video-based behavioral ethics curriculum called Ethics Unwrapped has been shown to increase student understanding of ethics and human behavior. The program, which uses open-access videos, improves comprehension of complex moral concepts such as conflict of interest and relativism.

SourceUniversity of Texas at Austin·DateAug 13, 2018

The behavior of water: scientists find new properties of H2O

Researchers at New York University find that water's density increases above freezing point and cooling it down reveals asymmetry in ion transport. This discovery could lead to new materials for clean energy applications and deeper understanding of water's properties.

SourceNew York University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateAug 13, 2018
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.

When these flies want to sniff out food and mates, they wing it

Researchers found that fruit fly wings are not optimized for aerodynamics but rather help detect scents, which is crucial for survival. The wings' unique motion 'scoops' streams of odor right to the insect's antennae, enabling it to find food and mates.

SourceOhio State University·JournalNature Communications·DateAug 13, 2018

Duke team finds missing immune cells that could fight lethal brain tumors

A team of researchers at Duke University Medical Center has identified missing immune cells that could potentially fight lethal brain tumors. The study found that these cells are locked away in the bone marrow due to a mechanism triggered by the brain, which is also employed by other diseases such as metastasized tumors and injuries.

SourceDuke University Medical Center·JournalNature Medicine·DateAug 13, 2018

How birds learn

Zebra finches learn to distinguish between birdsongs using trial and error or observation. Trial-and-error methods are more robust for generalization, while observation is faster but less effective.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalNature Communications·DateAug 13, 2018
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.

Community-based conservation management has positive effect on wildlife

A study by Penn State researcher Derek E. Lee found that community-based conservation management in Tanzania increases wildlife densities and giraffe population growth. The research demonstrates the effectiveness of transferring wildlife management rights to local communities.

SourcePenn State·JournalJournal of Wildlife Management·DateAug 13, 2018

Novel optics for ultrafast cameras create new possibilities for imaging

MIT researchers developed novel optics that capture images based on the timing of reflecting light inside the optics. This allows for new capabilities in time- or depth-sensitive cameras, such as capturing a trillion-frame-per-second video. The new optics architecture includes semireflective parallel mirrors that reduce focal length by...

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalNature Photonics·DateAug 13, 2018

NIH to host Artificial Intelligence and Medical Imaging Workshop

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) at NIH will convene experts in academia, industry, and government to discuss the state-of-the-art of AI applications for medical imaging. The workshop aims to improve quality, reproducibility, and reliability of AI in medical imaging.

SourceNIH/National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering·DateAug 13, 2018
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.

Long-sought carbon structure joins graphene, fullerene family

Scientists at UC Berkeley have discovered a long-sought carbon structure called schwarzite, which has unique electronic, magnetic, and optical properties. The negatively curved schwarzites were formed inside zeolite pores and have potential applications in supercapacitors, battery electrodes, and gas storage.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 13, 2018