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Science News Archive March 2022


Page 19 of 44

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.

Polygenic embryo testing: understated ethics, unclear utility

As polygenic embryo testing becomes more accessible, experts raise concerns about profound ethical implications and unclear benefits. The use of polygenic risk scores during in vitro fertilization raises questions about social outcomes like educational attainment and justice issues.

Survey of pollinators

The SPRING project is establishing an EU-wide census of pollinators, building on existing butterfly monitoring schemes. The project will use a variety of methods, including standard routes for counting wild bees and hoverflies, to gather data on the diversity and abundance of pollinators.

Investment in culture and nature to boost the nation’s health

Twelve new research projects aim to level up health and wellbeing across the UK through cultural and natural interventions. The programme, funded by AHRC and partners, will generate evidence for place-based approaches to creative health, generating insights into local cultural activities and natural spaces.

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.

Wind, solar could replace coal power in Texas

A new study by Rice University engineers suggests that wind and solar projects could eliminate the need for coal in Texas, drastically reducing pollution. The research uses optimization modeling to identify the least-cost combinations of proposed wind and solar projects that can replace coal-fired power generation.

Striking lane-like patterns found in bacteria populations

Researchers from OIST found that Escherichia coli bacteria form lanes of genetically similar individuals when constrained to a channel, aligning parallel to the barriers. The study, published in PNAS, used microfluidic platforms and simulations to observe population dynamics over several generations.

Astronomers reveal best image yet of mysterious ORCs in space

Researchers have captured a detailed image of odd radio circles (ORCs), which are enormous rings of faint radio emissions surrounding galaxies with active black holes. The new image provides more information to help narrow down theories on what causes ORCs, with three leading explanations including galactic shockwaves and wormholes.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

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

NCI launches program to offer molecular characterization of childhood cancers

The NCI has launched a program to provide molecular characterization of childhood cancers, allowing for accurate diagnoses and personalized treatment. The program will expand to include soft tissue sarcomas and other rare tumors, and data collected will be shared among researchers to accelerate the development of new treatments.

Opioid abuse treatment begun in emergency departments is rarely sustained

A study found that fewer than one-third of patients who fill buprenorphine prescriptions written by emergency physicians subsequently fill prescriptions from other clinicians. Researchers emphasize the need for improved systems to seamlessly transition patients from emergency settings to community treatment providers.

New screening tool IDs 95 percent of stage 1 pancreatic cancer

A novel screening platform has successfully detected over 95% of stage 1 pancreatic cancers using artificial intelligence-enabled protein marker analysis, outperforming current liquid biopsy tests in accuracy. This technology holds promise for early cancer detection and reducing mortality from this deadly disease.

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.

The impact of extinction

New research links high levels of stratospheric sulfur to the Chicxulub impact, which ignited widespread fires and global cooling. The unique fingerprints in sulfur aerosols provide direct evidence for catastrophic climate change and cooling.

Sponges, not just their microbes, make biologically potent compounds

Researchers have discovered that sea sponges themselves produce biologically active compounds, including terpenes with potential malaria-fighting properties. This finding represents a 'fundamental shift' in the field and opens up new avenues for drug discovery using animals as vessels.

Chef’s kiss: Research shows healthy home cooking equals a healthy mind

Researchers at Edith Cowan University found that a 7-week healthy cooking course improved participants' general health, mental health, and self-perceived mental well-being. Cooking confidence also increased significantly, particularly among women, who reported improved mental health benefits despite no changes in diet quality.

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.

Call to preserve hidden water

Groundwater supplies half of world's drinking water and is vital to agriculture and industry; poor management threatens global water security. A study in Australia highlights the benefits of collective action in groundwater management.

New ways to improve urban wetlands

Researchers found a wetland plant capable of reducing PFAS in soil and water, improving filtration efficiency. The study suggests using floating reed beds to increase PFAS removal rates, highlighting the potential for phyto-extraction as a remediation strategy.

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.

Study finds soil erosion and wildfire another nail in coffin for Triassic era

A recent study has identified soil erosion and wildfire activity as significant contributors to the mass extinction event that occurred at the end of the Triassic period. The research found that soil erosion was a more prominent terrestrial ecological stress than intensive wildfire activity, with fire events likely being localized rath...

Waste coffee grounds could someday help detect brain waves

Scientists have created electrodes from recycled coffee grounds that can detect trace levels of biomolecules in vitro, offering a more sensitive surface for neurochemistry detection. The researchers hope to boost their neurochemical detection abilities by fabricating entire electrodes with carbon from coffee grounds.

Astronomers closer to unlocking origin of mysterious fast radio bursts

Astronomers have found clues to the origin of fast radio bursts (FRBs) by analyzing polarization patterns. The team's findings suggest that every repeating FRB source is surrounded by a highly magnetized dense plasma, producing different rotation of the polarization angle as a function of frequency.

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.

Unexplored dimensions of porous metamaterials

By slicing a block of elastomer with a periodic array of holes at a 45-degree angle, researchers discovered new properties and opened up new applications for this long-studied group of materials. This change in surface morphology can alter friction between the material and an underlying surface.

Mini2P – an open-source miniature brain microscope

The Mini2P allows for live imaging of thousands of neurons, recording complex behavior and cognitive functions in a naturally behaving animal. By mapping neural landscapes across the cortex, researchers can gain insights into high-resolution brain activity and function.

Better understanding superconductors with Higgs spectroscopy

Physicist Stefan Kaiser's ERC Consolidator Grant project uses terahertz lasers to measure superconductor properties, shedding light on Cooper pairs and Higgs oscillations. The new spectroscopy method aims to characterize superconductors and discover new ones.

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.

When the brain sees a familiar face

When the eyes land on a face, certain cells in the amygdala react and trigger memory-making activity. Theta wave activity is also reset or restarted, preparing the hippocampus to receive new socially relevant information.

Mine or ours: The brain’s choice

A study by HSE University and University of Basel found that the brain's pleasure centre is suppressed when resources are depleted, but responds differently to private and public resources. This understanding may help identify measures to preserve common natural resources.

Huntington's disease: Astrocytes to the rescue!

A recent study found that stimulating reactive astrocytes promotes the elimination of toxic protein aggregates in Huntington's disease. This cooperative mechanism between neurons and astrocytes holds promise for potential treatments.

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.

Researchers map human sensory neurons, pursue chronic pain cure

A UT Dallas team analyzes how pain is generated by nociceptors in human dorsal root ganglia neurons using spatial transcriptomics. This provides neuroscientists with a better understanding of which genes are expressed in DRG neurons, helping to clarify why proposed treatments struggle to produce results in humans.

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.

Gene regulation at its brightest

Researchers at Tohoku University create a novel method to quantify transcription factor activity in live organisms using viruses. This breakthrough enables scientists to understand how diseases develop and potentially treat them.

Third-party tracking on medical journal websites

Researchers found that many medical journal websites use third-party tracking, which could facilitate targeted pharmaceutical advertising. This study highlights the need for transparency and regulation in this area.

Visible ocean plastics just the tip of the iceberg

A new study suggests that the majority of ocean plastics are on the seafloor or difficult to monitor, with an estimated 540 million metric tons trapped on land. The research estimates that large plastics and microplastics account for only a small percentage of total ocean plastic waste.

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.

Turning any camera into a polarization camera

Researchers developed a metasurface attachment that can turn any camera into a polarization camera, capturing light's polarization at every pixel. This innovation benefits various fields like face recognition, self-driving cars and remote sensing, revealing hidden details and features.

Wildfires devastate the land they burn, and they are also warming the planet

Researchers found that brown carbon from biomass burning contributes significantly to Arctic warming, exceeding previous estimates. The study highlights the importance of wildfire mitigation and suggests a positive feedback loop where increased wildfires emit more brown carbon aerosols, further heating the earth.

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.

High suicide rates in American Indian/Alaska Native veterans

A recent study found that age-adjusted suicide rates among American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) veterans receiving care in the VHA system increased by nearly 150% over two decades. The youngest age group, aged 18-39 years, had the highest suicide rate of 66.0 per 100,000 person-years.

The colored skeletons of Çatalhöyük

The study provides the first analysis of pigment use in funerary and architectural contexts at Çatalhöyük, a Neolithic site in Turkey. The findings show that red ochre was commonly used on adults and children, while cinnabar and blue/green were associated with males and females, respectively.

Marijuana for medical use may result in rapid onset of cannabis use disorder

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that medical marijuana users were more likely to develop cannabis use disorder (CUD) than expected, particularly those seeking relief from anxiety and depression. The study suggests that the current system of dispensing and using medical marijuana may be contributing to this issue.

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.