Bluesky Facebook Reddit Email

Science News Archive September 2019


Page 21 of 43

Pros and cons of genetic scissors

The Crispr method enables researchers to monitor proteins' function live under natural conditions, eliminating the need for overproduction. This facilitates analysis of genes and gene products, allowing for more accurate results.

Synthetic cells capture and reveal hidden messages of the immune system

The study reveals that ectosomes, tiny vesicles containing key immune messages, can be intercepted and deciphered using super resolution microscopy. This breakthrough understanding of cellular communication has significant implications for developing therapies that shape the immune response to specific diseases.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

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

Feeling depressed? Mahjong might be the answer

A new study from the University of Georgia suggests that playing mahjong can reduce rates of depression among middle-aged and older adults in China. The study found that urban residents who played mahjong were less likely to feel depressed, while rural Chinese overall tended to report poor mental health.

Here's what you need to rise to the top

A new scale assessing passion in relation to a skill has been presented in the journal New Ideas in Psychology. Passion, grit, positive mindset, and mentors are key factors in achieving success. Men tend to rely on passion and grit, while women emphasize grit and a positive mindset.

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.

Ethanol fuels large-scale expansion of Brazil's farming land

A University of Queensland-led study models future ethanol demand scenarios, forecasting potential expansion of sugarcane farming land in Brazil to 5 million hectares by 2030. The high demand scenario could lead to doubling current ethanol demand and necessitate additional 5 million hectares of land for sugarcane crops.

Shark pups lose gains in stressed environments

A study found that shark pups born in stressed environments, like those with climate change and overfishing, lose their initial physical advantages. This means they start foraging later and have lower body conditions, affecting their survival rates.

Novel mechanism of electron scattering in graphene-like 2D materials

Scientists have identified an unusual electron scattering phenomenon in hybrid systems of Bose-Einstein condensates and 2D electron gases. This discovery opens up new possibilities for designing high-temperature superconductors by exploiting the unique interactions between electrons and Bogoliubov quanta.

Stroke patients relearning how to walk with peculiar shoe

The iStride Device, a patented therapeutic shoe, helps stroke patients relearn how to walk by strengthening the affected leg. Clinical trials show improved gait symmetry and functional walking in six participants, with four achieving double limb support.

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.

Community policing and police legitimacy: A field experiment

A field experiment found that positive, nonenforcement contact between police and residents improved attitudes towards the police. The study's findings suggest that community-oriented policing can increase public trust and police legitimacy, especially among minority communities.

The stellar nurseries of distant galaxies

Molecular clouds in distant galaxies have higher mass, density, and internal turbulence than those in nearby galaxies, producing more stars. The international team used ALMA to detect clouds in a Milky Way progenitor 8 billion light-years away.

Vitamin E found to prevent muscle damage after heart attack

A pre-clinical study published in Redox Biology reveals that vitamin E may help preserve heart function after a heart attack by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. The findings suggest that vitamin E could be an effective and inexpensive therapy for patients with heart attacks, providing new hope for cardiovascular health.

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.

Study finds human hearts evolved for endurance

A study found that human hearts have evolved to handle sustained endurance activity, while sedentary lifestyles lead to more 'ape-like' hearts and increased hypertension. Researchers compared heart function in apes and four groups of humans with varying activity levels.

Gene-targeted cancer drugs, slow release overcome resistance

Biomedical engineers at Duke University developed a method to overcome limitations of gene-targeted cancer drugs by combining CRISPR/Cas9 targeting with sustained release drug delivery. This strategy effectively addressed potency, elimination, and resistance issues, demonstrating improved efficacy in mice with colorectal cancers.

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.

Are existing laws enough to cope with accelerating environmental change?

A team of scholars finds that existing environmental and natural resources management statutes have sufficient flexibility to cope with changing conditions, allowing for adaptation and transformation within a legislative framework. By leveraging agency discretion and flexibility in the laws themselves, governments can respond to comple...

Cause of rare, fatal disorder in young children pinpointed

Researchers prove the psychosine hypothesis correct by showing that mice with genetic mutations causing both Krabbe and Farber diseases do not develop Krabbe disease. They then test a drug known to inhibit acid ceramidase, carmofur, which modestly extends the lives of mice with a model of Krabbe disease.

Deaths halved among infarct patients attending Heart School

A new study by researchers at Uppsala University found that attending Sweden's 'Heart School' program significantly lowers mortality risk for patients with a first heart attack. The program focuses on lifestyle-related risks and teaches patients the importance of healthy habits.

Palmer amaranth's molecular secrets reveal troubling potential

Researchers have discovered that Palmer amaranth has evolved multiple mutations to resist herbicides, including the gly-210 deletion and an arginine substitution, allowing it to evade control methods. The plant appears to be naturally tolerant to post-emergence PPO-inhibitor application.

Study finds community-oriented policing improves attitudes toward police

A study conducted in New Haven found that community-oriented policing improves attitudes toward police with brief, friendly door-to-door visits. The research showed that a single positive nonenforcement-related encounter enhanced the legitimacy of police officers and increased people's willingness to cooperate with the police.

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.

In mice: Transplanted brain stem cells survive without anti-rejection drugs

In a breakthrough, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers successfully transplanted protective brain cells into mice without the need for lifelong anti-rejection drugs. The innovative approach exploits the immune system's natural tendencies to accept transplanted cells as 'self', allowing them to thrive and protect brain tissue long-term.

NASA finds Humberto strengthening off the Florida Coast

Tropical Storm Humberto strengthened off the Florida coast, becoming a hurricane on September 15 at 11 p.m. EDT. NASA's Aqua satellite revealed strongest thunderstorms were as cold as -63 degrees Fahrenheit, indicating heavy rainfall.

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.

Ecologist revives world's longest running succession study

Researchers revive 103-year-old succession plots in Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park, finding stable communities rather than predictable trajectories. The findings challenge traditional chronosequence studies and highlight the importance of early events in shaping long-term ecosystem dynamics.

Dartmouth research advances noise cancelling for quantum computers

Researchers from Dartmouth College and MIT successfully detect and characterize complex non-Gaussian noise processes in superconducting quantum computing systems. This breakthrough advances the development of more precise qubit systems, which is essential for building scalable and high-performing quantum computers.

Anemia may contribute to the spread of dengue fever

Research suggests that anemia, characterized by low levels of iron in the blood, can facilitate the colonization and multiplication of the dengue virus in mosquitoes. Iron supplementation may potentially reduce the transmission of dengue fever to mosquitoes in affected areas.

Celestron NexStar 8SE Computerized Telescope

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

Algae and bacteria team up to increase hydrogen production

Researchers from the University of Córdoba have successfully combined microalgae and bacteria to increase hydrogen production by 60% compared to individual production. The synergy is facilitated by acetic acid, which allows algae to produce more hydrogen, reducing waste and promoting bioremediation.

A novel tool to probe fundamental matter

Researchers propose and validate a novel experimental approach to study matter interactions and novel states of matter. They successfully implement a lattice gauge theory using ultracold gas of atoms manipulated by lasers.

Most massive neutron star ever detected, almost too massive to exist

Astronomers using the Green Bank Telescope have discovered a millisecond pulsar with a massive neutron star at its center, packing 2.17 times the mass of our Sun into a sphere only 30 kilometers across. This finding approaches the limits of how massive and compact an object can become without crushing itself down into a black hole.

Can sex trafficking be prevented?

A new study evaluated the impact of a child CSE prevention program, My Life My Choice, on young teenagers. The results show that participants reported half as many episodes of sexually explicit behavior and were 24% less likely to experience dating abuse after completing the curriculum.

New observations help explain the dimming of Tabby's Star

Researchers propose that Tabby's Star is experiencing long-term dimming due to a disk of debris from an exomoon accumulating around it, blocking its light. The exomoon's outer layers are being torn apart by stellar radiation, creating dust clouds that periodically pass between the star and Earth.

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.

Lack of sleep affects fat metabolism

A study published in the Journal of Lipid Research found that just a few days of sleep deprivation can affect how the body metabolizes fat from food. The researchers gave participants a high-fat dinner while they were sleep-restricted, and found that their bodies cleared the fat faster than those who had plenty of sleep.

At-home blood pressure tests more accurate for African Americans

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center found that at-home measurements are more accurate and less expensive than clinic readings, especially for African Americans. This approach can help identify high-risk hypertensive patients earlier, potentially preventing heart disease.

Governance and environmental change

A study suggests that existing laws in the US and EU have adaptive and transformative capacities to respond to environmental changes. Innovative cooperation between government and nongovernment entities is necessary to leverage these capacities and keep up with environmental change.

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

Taking evolution to heart

A study analyzing humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas reveals the human heart adapts to endurance activities by becoming larger, longer, and more elastic. However, there is a trade-off between these adaptations, making it harder for individuals with one type of adaptation to cope with the other.

KATRIN cuts the mass estimate for the elusive neutrino in half

The KATRIN experiment has narrowed the estimated mass range of the elusive neutrino to 1 electron volt (eV), cutting it in half from a previous upper limit of 2 eV. This breakthrough allows scientists to answer fundamental questions about the universe's evolution and physics beyond the Standard Model.

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.

Meatballs might wreck the anti-cancer perks of tomato sauce

A new study from Ohio State University found that eating iron-rich foods with tomato sauce can decrease lycopene uptake by twofold. This could have significant implications for individuals consuming high amounts of lycopene and iron, such as those eating Bolognese sauces or fortified cereals.

NASA finds Kiko weakening in the Eastern Pacific

Hurricane Kiko is being disrupted by wind shear from the northeast, preventing a closed eyewall circulation and allowing the storm to weaken. Cloud top temperatures indicate strong storms with the capability to create heavy rain.

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Radiation therapy effective against deadly heart rhythm

A phase one/two study found that a single high dose of radiation significantly reduces ventricular tachycardia episodes, with a 72% overall survival rate at one year and 52% at two years. The noninvasive procedure is a last line of defense for patients who have exhausted other treatments.

Catch-22 in graphene based molecular devices resolved

A research team has found a way to overcome the limitations of graphene-based molecular devices, creating structures that are both electrically and mechanically stable at room temperature. The breakthrough, published in Nature Nanotechnology, uses a combination of covalent binding and large ۆ-conjugated head groups to achieve stability.

Tomorrow's coolants of choice

Researchers at HZDR and TU Darmstadt developed a systematic magnetocaloric material library to assess promising materials for magnetic cooling. The study highlights the need for sustainable access to suitable materials, with iron-rhodium alloys showing potential as alternatives to rare-earth metals like gadolinium.

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.