Welcome to the Saturday, 29 December 2018, edition of “Hawaii Science Digest”–a Hawaii-based blog exploring science, technology, medicine, health, the environment, cyber security, and artificial intelligence (AI). Today’s articles come from “Spotlight Science News”, published by https://phys.org (The Science X Network). Views expressed in this science news summary are those of the reporters and correspondents. Here are the details:
Accessed on 29 December 2018, 1636 UTC.
Source: https://phys.org
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Spotlight Science News
Indonesian tsunami volcano lost two-thirds of its height
The Indonesian volcano which caused a tsunami that killed more than 400 people last week lost more than two-thirds of its height following the eruption which triggered the killer waves.
NASA spaceship closes in on distant world
NASA’s unmanned New Horizons spacecraft is closing in on its historic New Year’s flyby target, the most distant world ever studied, a frozen relic of the solar system some four billion miles (6.4 billion kilometers) away.
Using ablation to examine the structure of artificial neural networks
A team of researchers at RWTH Aachen University’s Institute of Information Management in Mechanical Engineering have recently explored the use of neuroscience techniques to determine how information is structured inside artificial …
Our universe: An expanding bubble in an extra dimension
Uppsala University researchers have devised a new model for the universe – one that may solve the enigma of dark energy. Their new article, published in Physical Review Letters, proposes a new structural concept, including …
Reactive optical matter: Light-induced motion
Newton’s third law dictates that forces between interacting particles are equal and opposite for closed systems. In a non-equilibrium environment, the third law can be defied, giving rise to “nonreciprocal” forces. Theoretically, …
Australia swelters in record-breaking heatwave
Australia’s vast continent is sizzling through extreme heatwave conditions this week, with temperatures reaching record highs and emergency services on high alert for bushfires.
Reliable tropical weather pattern to change in a warming climate
Every month or two, a massive pulse of clouds, rainfall and wind moves eastward around the Earth near the equator, providing the tropics their famous thunderstorms.
Rich people found to be more charitable if given a sense of control
A pair of researchers, one with Harvard Business School, the other with the University of British Columbia, found that when soliciting donations from wealthy people, it pays to offer them a sense of control. In their paper …
Scientists model Mercury’s glaciers
The processes that led to glaciation at the cratered poles of Mercury, the planet closest to the sun, have been modeled by a University of Maine-led research team.
Researchers investigate molecular gas emission from the galaxy NGC 3557
New optogenetic technique could help restore limb movement, treat muscle tremor
For the first time, MIT researchers have shown that nerves made to express proteins that can be activated by light can produce limb movements that can be adjusted in real-time, using cues generated by the motion of the limb …
Hybrid qubits solve key hurdle to quantum computing
Spin-based quantum computers have the potential to tackle difficult mathematical problems that cannot be solved using ordinary computers, but many problems remain in making these machines scalable. Now, an international group …
How dietary fiber and gut bacteria protect the cardiovascular system
The fatty acid propionate helps defend against the effects of high blood pressure, including atherosclerosis and heart tissue remodeling, a study on mice has found. Gut bacteria produce the substance—which calms the immune …
Synaptic protein regulates anxiety behaviour
Anxiety disorders are severe mental disorders in which patients suffer from intense fears and anxiety or from sudden, inexplicable panic attacks. In extreme cases, the affected individuals barely leave their homes, which …
Earliest records of three plant groups uncovered in the Permian of Jordan
A “hidden cradle of plant evolution” has been uncovered in Jordan. In Permian sedimentary rocks exposed along the east coast of the Dead Sea, a team led by palaeobotanists from the University of Münster discovered well-preserved …
Moderate drinking not harmful for older patients with heart failure
A new study suggests that people over age 65 who are newly diagnosed with heart failure can continue to drink moderate amounts of alcohol without worsening their condition.
When lithium-ion batteries are placed on best behavior
Amionx, the California company has won headlines for its explosion-free battery technology; the company expects to license its advance for use in commercial products by the end of 2019.
Research reveals machinery of a deadly childhood brain cancer
Gene variations linked to higher risk of diabetes and heart attacks
People who are less likely to put on excess fat around their hips due to their genes are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart attacks, according to a new study led by scientists from the Medical Research Council (MRC) …
Rings make Saturn shadier, bluer and less hazy in winter
On Saturn, changing seasons can mean changes in the haziness—and color—of the skies.
Plants have a plan for all seasons
Many plants need to avoid flowering in the autumn – even if conditions are favourable – otherwise they would perish in winter.
Study raises potential for development of skin microbiome-based acne treatments
Isotretinoin, a form of vitamin A, has been prescribed to treat acne for decades. It reduces oil production in the skin, which helps prevent acne from forming.
These nine measures reveal how forests are controlled by climate
Instead of blood pressure, temperature, and heart rate, the vital signs for a forest are captured in key traits such as the amount of nitrogen in a tree’s leaves, the leaf area, or the density of the wood. These “functional …
Clouds with a chance of warming
Researchers from Argonne’s Environmental Science division participated in one of the largest collaborative atmospheric measurement campaigns in Antarctica in recent decades.
Description of rotating molecules made easy
Feynman diagrams are applied in condensed matter physics. By turning highly complex equations into sets of simple diagrams, the method has established itself as one of the sharpest tools in a theoretical physicist’s toolbox. …
Study identifies genetic mutation responsible for tuberculosis vulnerability
If you live in the United States, you are unlikely to come into contact with the microbe that causes tuberculosis. Your odds of encountering the microbe are so low, in fact, that risk factors for the disease can easily go …
Study shows dementia care program delays nursing home admissions, cuts Medicare costs
New research shows that a comprehensive, coordinated care program for people with dementia and their caregivers significantly decreased the likelihood that the individuals would enter a nursing home. The study also shows …
A new roving biologger that travels along a sperm whale’s body surface
Pine needles from old Christmas trees could be turned into paint and food sweeteners in the future
Abandoned Christmas trees could be saved from landfill and turned into paint and food sweeteners according to new research by the University of Sheffield.
Bacteria found in ancient Irish soil halts growth of superbugs—new hope for tackling antibiotic resistance
Researchers analysing soil from Ireland long thought to have medicinal properties have discovered that it contains a previously unknown strain of bacteria which is effective against four of the top six superbugs that are …
Dec 27, 2018 in Cell & Microbiology
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