Welcome to a science and technology update from Hawaii Science Digest.
Views expressed in this news summary are those of the reporters and correspondents.
Content provided by “Phys.org”, an official publication of the Space X Network.
Accessed on 17 March 2019, 0420 UTC.
Source: https://phys.org
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Spotlight Science News
Rock, scissors, flower, box. Lookout informs blind
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In study, TAVR is superior to surgery for low-risk patients with aortic valve stenosis
A multicenter clinical trial has found that transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) performed better than open-heart surgery in low-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. The study found that one year after the …
Apple Watch may spot heart problem but more research needed
A huge study suggests the Apple Watch can detect a worrisome irregular heartbeat at least sometimes—but experts say more work is needed to tell if using wearable technology to screen for heart problems really helps.
Study reveals how motivation affects nutrition and diet
New research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) suggests that people with a positive attitude are more likely to eat healthily.
Children’s noses hold clues to serious lung infections, study shows
Tiny organisms in a child’s nose could offer clues to improving the diagnosis and treatment of severe lung infections, research shows.
New 3-D map will help solve long-standing cosmic mysteries
A new study led by ANU has created a 3D map of the magnetic field in a small wedge of the Milky Way galaxy, paving the way for future discoveries that will improve our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Universe.
Researchers measure near-perfect performance in low-cost semiconductors
Tiny, easy-to-produce particles, called quantum dots, may soon take the place of more expensive single crystal semiconductors in advanced electronics found in solar panels, camera sensors and medical imaging tools. Although …
Dormant viruses activate during spaceflight
Herpes viruses reactivate in more than half of crew aboard Space Shuttle and International Space Station missions, according to NASA research published in Frontiers in Microbiology. While only a small proportion develop symptoms, …
A NASA spacecraft may have explored the edges of an early Mars sea in 1997
NASA’s first rover mission to Mars, the Pathfinder, imaged an extraterrestrial marine spillover landscape 22 years ago, according to a new paper by Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist Alexis Rodriguez.
With single gene insertion, blind mice regain sight
It was surprisingly simple. University of California, Berkeley, scientists inserted a gene for a green-light receptor into the eyes of blind mice and, a month later, they were navigating around obstacles as easily as mice …
Sea quark surprise reveals deeper complexity in proton spin puzzle
New data from the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) add detail—and complexity—to an intriguing puzzle that scientists have been seeking to solve: how the building blocks that make up a proton …
4-D printing multi-metal products with a desktop electrochemical 3-D printer
Four-dimensional (4-D) printing can create complex 3-D geometries that react to environmental stimuli, opening new design opportunities in materials science. A vast majority of 4-D printing approaches use polymer materials, …
SDSS J1430+1339: Storm rages in cosmic teacup
Fancy a cup of cosmic tea? This one isn’t as calming as the ones on Earth. In a galaxy hosting a structure nicknamed the “Teacup,” a galactic storm is raging.
Higher egg and cholesterol consumption hikes heart disease and death risk: study
Cancel the cheese omelet. There is sobering news for egg lovers who have been happily gobbling up their favorite breakfast since the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans no longer limited how much dietary cholesterol …
Quantum sensing method measures minuscule magnetic fields
A new way of measuring atomic-scale magnetic fields with great precision, not only up and down but sideways as well, has been developed by researchers at MIT. The new tool could be useful in applications as diverse as mapping …
Wolves cooperate with humans
Wolves lead, dogs follow—and both cooperate with humans. The statement is a bold one, especially as wolves have received a lot of negative attention in recent years. A recent study conducted by behavioural researchers at …
New robot hand is soft and strong
50 years ago, the first industrial robot arm called Unimate assembled a simple breakfast of toast, coffee, and champagne. While it might have looked like a seamless feat, every movement and placement was coded with careful …
A possible cure for river blindness and elephantiasis
An international team of researchers has found what might be a cure for river blindness and elephantiasis. In their paper published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the group describes their search for a drug …
Cooking up alien atmospheres on Earth
Researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, are cooking up an alien atmosphere right here on Earth. In a new study, JPL scientists used a high-temperature “oven” to heat a mixture of hydrogen …
Nitrogen pollution’s path to streams weaves through more forests (and faster) than suspected
Nitrogen in rain and snow falls to the ground where, in theory, it is used by forest plants and microbes. New research by a scientific collaboration led by the USDA Forest Service shows that more nitrogen from rain and snow …
Boeing upgrades software on crisis-hit 737 MAX after deadly crash
Boeing is upgrading the stall prevention software on its 737 MAX, industry sources said Friday, as French investigators scoured black box data from the latest of two deadly crashes involving the aircraft in recent months.
Sweat holds most promise for noninvasive testing
Making a revolutionary biosensor takes blood, sweat and tears.
Seeing through a robot’s eyes helps those with profound motor impairments
An interface system that uses augmented reality technology could help individuals with profound motor impairments operate a humanoid robot to feed themselves and perform routine personal care tasks such as scratching an itch …
Nanocrystal ‘factory’ could revolutionize quantum dot manufacturing
North Carolina State University researchers have developed a microfluidic system for synthesizing perovskite quantum dots across the entire spectrum of visible light. The system drastically reduces manufacturing costs, can …
Precision medicine for pediatric cancer—considering the implications for diagnosis and treatment
Research performed over the last several decades has led to an increased understanding of the genetics of cancer. The clinical application of this knowledge for pediatric cancer has lagged behind studies performed for adults. …
Cheesy listening: study says tunes change Emmental’s taste
It may be grating for some, but hip-hop is music to the ears of Switzerland’s most famous cheese.
DNA of sperm taken directly from testicles of infertile men is as good as sperm from fertile men
Scientists have found that sperm DNA from the testicles of many infertile men is as good as that of ejaculated sperm of fertile men. This may explain a major cause of male infertility and opens the possibility of using sperm …
Cause of cathode degradation identified for nickel-rich materials
A team of scientists including researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory have identified the causes of degradation in a cathode material for …
Ocean sink for man-made CO2 measured
An international research project led by scientists from ETH Zurich has determined the amount of man-made CO2 emissions taken up by the ocean between 1994 and 2007. Not all of the CO2 generated during the combustion of fossil …
Uncovering uncultivated microbes in the human gut
A tree’s growth is dependent on nutrients from the soil and water, as well as the microbes in, on, and around the roots. Similarly, a human’s health is shaped both by environmental factors and the body’s interactions with …
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