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Science News Archive October 2018


Page 25 of 47

Sound, vibration recognition boost context-aware computing

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University developed two approaches to improve smart devices' understanding of their environment: Ubicoustics, which uses microphone-based sound recognition, and Vibrosight, a vibration-detection system using laser vibrometry. These methods enhance context-aware computing capabilities.

The state of the early universe: The beginning was fluid

Researchers at the Niels Bohr Institute have obtained new results using Xenon-ions in the LHC, recreating the initial conditions of the universe at extremely high temperatures. The experiments reveal that the primordial matter behaves like a liquid, with quarks and gluons being quasi-free, challenging theoretical models.

How beetle larvae thrive on carrion

Researchers found that burying beetles use their gut symbionts to transform decaying carcasses into nutritious nurseries for their young, promoting larval growth and development. The symbionts suppress the growth of microbial pathogens and toxic substances, allowing the larvae to thrive.

NASA finds Tropical Storm Tara affecting Western Mexico

Tropical Storm Tara formed on Oct. 14 over the eastern Pacific, moving west-northwest towards Mexico's Michoacan and Jalisco states. The storm is expected to slow down, strengthening in the next few days with maximum sustained winds near 45 mph.

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.

Attacking RNA with small-molecule drugs

Researchers at Yale University have made significant breakthroughs in targeting RNA with small-molecule drugs, identifying unique pockets within self-splicing ribozymes found in fungi. This discovery opens up new avenues for treating fungal infections and drug-resistant bacteria.

Early sleep loss accelerates Alzheimer's pathology in mice

A study of male and female mice found that chronic short sleep and chronic fragmentation of sleep accelerate Alzheimer's disease-related tau pathology. Healthy sleep habits during adolescence and early adulthood may help prevent progression of neurodegenerative diseases.

Cellular 'tuning mechanism' builds elegant eyes

Researchers at OIST Graduate University have discovered a molecular 'tuning mechanism' that helps control eye lens development in zebrafish. By studying the impact of a mutated gene, they found that a signaling pathway called TGF-ß became enhanced, leading to abnormal lens development.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

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

Physics: Not everything is where it seems to be

Physicists at University of Innsbruck and TU Wien demonstrate that elliptical polarization causes a spiral shape in light wavefronts, leading to a distorted image of actual structures. This systematic error can affect biomedical research, super-resolution microscopy, and even astronomical object position estimation.

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.

Announcing the discovery of an atomic electronic simulator

Researchers at the University of Alberta and Quantum Silicon Inc. have developed an atomic ultra-efficient electronics technology, enabling bespoke atomic patterns to control electrons. This innovation simulates neural networks, potentially training AI models more rapidly and accurately.

Discovery of a simplest mechanism for color detection

Researchers from Osaka City University found a single kind of opsin in a photoreceptor cell achieves UV and visible light discrimination in the fish pineal organ. This discovery challenges the long-held belief that multiple kinds of color opsins are required for color detection.

How communication among cells affects development of multicellular tissue

A study published in Nature Communications sheds light on how intercellular communication influences the differentiation of embryonic stem cells. Researchers discovered a potential mechanism to control the rate of differentiation without affecting the overall patterning of resulting multicellular tissues.

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.

Invention of ionic decision-maker capable of self-learning

Researchers at NIMS Japan developed an ionic device that can make decisions quickly and adapt to changing situations without relying on computer memory. The technology has the potential to develop novel AI systems processing analog information using hardware, addressing issues with current digital-based systems.

Function of neutrophils during tumor progression unraveled

Neutrophils isolated from bone marrow of mouse models and patients with early stage tumors exhibit increased spontaneous migration to tissues and promote tumor cell seeding. These neutrophils lack immunosuppressive characteristics, but display potent ability to spontaneously migrate and facilitate metastasis.

Aging and vitamins

Scientists identify 10 compounds that protect against age-related diseases by safeguarding proteins from damage. These compounds, known as putative longevity vitamins, may help prolong healthy aging and prevent the acceleration of insidious diseases associated with vitamin deficiencies.

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.

Blue phosphorus -- mapped and measured for the first time

Blue phosphorus has been successfully mapped and measured by a team from HZB around Evangelos Golias, revealing a unique honeycomb structure and large semiconducting band gap of seven times larger than black phosphorus. The material's properties are influenced by the substrate, making it an essential parameter for optoelectronic applic...

Oldest evidence for animals found by UCR researchers

Researchers at UCR discovered the oldest clue yet of animal life, found in molecular fossils of sponges that lived on ancient ocean floors. The discovery pushes back the known history of animal life by 100 million years.

Perovskites -- materials of the future in optical communication

Researchers have developed inorganic perovskite-based photodetectors that transfer both text and music, offering a promising material for future rapid optical communication. The new materials have rapid response times, are simple to manufacture, and are extremely stable.

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.

Scientists find missing piece in glacier melt predictions

Researchers found evidence of liquid water stored within solid ice in Store Glacier, which may explain complex flow behavior and improve predictions of sea-level rise. The discovery uses new data analysis techniques to reveal the presence of meltwater from surface melting that gets trapped in glacier ice.

Arsenic for electronics

Scientists have successfully modified arsenene with chloromethylene groups, improving its semiconducting properties. The modified material exhibits strong luminescence and electronic properties, making it attractive for optoelectronic applications.

People donate more when they sense they are being watched

A field study found that exposure to eyes increases donations by an average of $0.01 per patron, with a significant increase of $12 per week. The presence of eyes enhances people's reputational concern and motivates self-presentational behaviors.

Kids' sleep may suffer from moms' tight work schedules

Researchers found that when mothers reported less flexibility in their work schedules, their children got less sleep. However, consistent bedtimes may be the key to offsetting damage done by tight work schedules. Employers can create policies to give employees more flexibility, which could help promote sleep health from childhood.

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.

Reusable software for high performance computing

Sunita Chandrasekaran is designing frameworks to adapt code to increasingly powerful systems, focusing on complex patterns like wavefronts. She aims to improve performance and portability while keeping scientists in mind, enabling them to concentrate on science rather than software.

Arctic sea ice decline driving ocean phytoplankton farther north

New research reveals Arctic phytoplankton blooms are expanding northward at a rate of 1 degree of latitude per decade. The decline in sea ice creates open water areas where phytoplankton can thrive, leading to increased primary productivity and potential changes to the food web.

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.

Beta blockers safe for use in early pregnancy

Researchers studied 3.6 million pregnancies and found beta-blockers not associated with a large increase in cardiac or general birth defects. The risk estimates were generally consistent across Nordic and US data.

Ultra-light gloves let users 'touch' virtual objects

A new ultra-light haptic glove enables users to interact with virtual objects in a highly realistic way, generating forces of up to 40 Newtons. The device has potential applications in gaming, healthcare and augmented reality.

Hurricane Michael's heavy rainfall measured by NASA

Heavy rainfall totals over 20 inches were estimated in less than a week along Hurricane Michael's track, with the heaviest accumulation occurring off the Yucatan Peninsula. IMERG data revealed frequent rainfall totals greater than 10 inches along the storm's path from October 7 to 12, 2018.

Beetle microbiome turns carcass into nursery

A study reveals that bacteria associated with a carrion-eating beetle help slow carcass decomposition and support the growth of beetle larvae. The beetles' microbial flora facilitate the preservation of carcasses by outcompeting microbes associated with decomposition.

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.

When light, not heat, causes melting

Scientists observed a material's phase change when triggered by ultrafast laser light instead of temperature change. The process generates topological defects and affects electron dynamics. Researchers can potentially use this phenomenon for data storage systems using controlled light pulses.

New immunotherapy targeting blood-clotting protein

Scientists have developed an antibody that blocks the inflammatory and oxidative activity of fibrin, a blood protein that contributes to neurodegeneration in the brain. The treatment has shown promise in reducing inflammation and neurodegeneration in both mouse models of multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease.

Memristive device as an active synapse

Researchers from Lobachevsky University have developed a memristive device that mimics the behavior of synapses in biological neurons. The device uses pulse signals to create a simulated connection between neuron-like generators, demonstrating reproducible bipolar switching between low and high resistance states.

The easy way may not be the best

A new study reveals that cells take an approach of 'purposeful inefficiency' in responding to diseases, offering new pathways for understanding and treating conditions like cancer and Parkinson's. The research team discovered surprising genetic responses to misfolded proteins, including increased protein production and wasteful processes.

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.

Tracking the movement of the tropics 800 years into the past

Researchers used tree rings to track the northern boundary of the tropics from 1203 to 2003, finding that periods of expansion coincided with severe droughts. The study suggests climate change was a contributing factor to these societal disruptions.

Continuous blood pressure monitoring

Researchers have developed an analytical model linking blood pressure to pulse wave velocity, validated by human participant experiments. This method could enable future development of continuous blood pressure monitoring systems.

Scientists discover new properties of uranium compounds

Researchers predict and experimentally identify new uranium hydrides that exhibit superconductivity, including UH7 which displays superconducting capability at -219° C. High pressure produces an unexpectedly rich collection of these compounds, many of which do not fit classical chemistry.

Meta Quest 3 512GB

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

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.

Biological diversity in tropical rain forests

A 10-year remote sensing analysis reveals that rare canopy trees are more likely to increase in population size than common ones, supporting the Janzen-Connell hypothesis. However, constraints on population growth do not stabilize the tree population, leading to increased size over time.

Big award enables study of small surfaces

Matt Jones will use the grant to develop techniques in liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to view chemical processes in real time at the atomic scale. He aims to capture video of nanocrystal synthesis, protein biofouling and catalysis itself.

Study exposes security vulnerabilities in terahertz data links

A new study reveals that terahertz data links are not as secure as previously thought, and can be intercepted by clever eavesdroppers. Researchers found ways to steal signals without being detected, even with directional beams, by using objects like metal plates or cylinders to scatter the signal.

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.

Bioavailable iron in glacial dust

Bioavailable iron in glacial dust supports phytoplankton growth and enhances climate feedback by removing carbon dioxide. During glacial periods, 25-45% of iron is bioavailable, whereas interglacial periods have only 5-10%.

Earl Miller wins George A. Miller Prize in Cognitive Neuroscience

Earl Miller, a renowned expert in working memory, has developed a new model known as Working Memory 2.0, which recognizes the interplay between two distinct rhythms in the cortex. The Cognitive Neuroscience Society awarded Miller the prize for his groundbreaking research with potential to revolutionize the field.

Study reveals how climate change could cause global beer shortages

A new study warns that climate change could lead to significant decreases in global beer consumption, ranging from 4% to 16%, and price increases by 15%. The research suggests that countries with smaller beer consumption would face larger reductions, while those where beer is currently expensive may not be affected as much.

'Universal' blood test for earlier diagnosis of cancer moves closer to market

Researchers at the University of Bradford have developed a universal blood test that can detect cancer in patients under suspicion of the disease with high accuracy. The test measures DNA damage caused by ultraviolet light and uses Artificial Intelligence to analyze thousands of cells, improving predictability beyond 93%.