256 articles from WEDNESDAY 4.3.2020

NASA-Supported Techniques are "Best Practice" for UN Disaster Risk Reduction Guidelines

More than 925,000 Rohingya refugees currently reside in Bangladesh, but the camps they stay in are at risk from deadly landslides, especially during monsoon season. Decision makers there are using NASA Earth observations to inform which areas are most at risk – and now, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has incorporated these practices into a set of...

March Madness bracket analysis shows picking final four first leads to better brackets

Data science researchers at the University of Illinois have some March Madness advice based on new research: Pick top-seeded teams as the Final Four in your March Madness bracket and work backward and forward from there. If you are going to submit multiple brackets—as you can in the ESPN, CBS Sports and Yahoo Challenges—starting with the Final Four is still a good strategy, but make sure you...

Study find delta helps to decrease the impact of river flooding

Most coastal cities and ports face a double threat from storm surge and river flooding. Infrastructure development along waterways and sea-level rise increase vulnerability for these communities. In a recent publication, The Propagation of Fluvial Flood Waves Through a Backwater-Estuarine Environment, historical data is examined to determine how to reduce the risk of coastal river flooding to...

'Category Hell:' 6 months after Dorian, where do things stand?

Six months ago, Hurricane Dorian, one of the most destructive storms in recorded history and the worst storm in the history of the Bahamas, turned lives upside down.The Category 5 behemoth wasn't just devastating because of its size, but also its slow-moving nature. The storm sat for nearly two full days over the northern part of the archipelago, moving at a glacial speed of 1.3 mph. All the...

Climate Change Affected Australia's Wildfires, Scientists Confirm

Confirming what had been widely suspected, researchers have found that human-caused climate change had an impact on Australia's recent devastating wildfires, making the extremely high-risk conditions that led to widespread burning at least 30% more likely than in a world without global warming.The researchers said the full influence of climate change on the fires was probably much greater, but...

Scientists demonstrate first non-volatile nano relay operation at 200°C

Researchers have come up with a new type of nanoelectromechanical relay to enable reliable high-temperature, non-volatile memory. The work is an important development for all-electric vehicles and more-electric aircraft which require electronics with integrated data storage that can operate in extreme temperatures with high energy efficiency.

Robot uses artificial intelligence and imaging to draw blood

Engineers have created a tabletop device that combines a robot, artificial intelligence and near-infrared and ultrasound imaging to draw blood or insert catheters to deliver fluids and drugs. Their research results suggest that autonomous systems like the image-guided robotic device could outperform people on some complex medical tasks.

A talented 2D material gets a new gig

Scientists have designed a tunable graphene device for experiments in exotic physics, where superconducting, insulating, and magnetic properties can be observed in a single system. The technology could advance the development of next-generation memory devices and quantum computers.

Honeybee dance dialects

Honeybees use their waggle dance to tell their conspecifics where to find food. Depending on the honeybee species, there are different dance dialects.

Novel compound sparks new malaria treatment hope

A novel class of antimalarial compounds that can effectively kill malaria parasites has been developed. In preclinical testing, the compounds were effective against different species of malaria parasites, including the deadly Plasmodium falciparum, and at multiple stages of the parasite lifecycle. The compounds could overcome existing issues of parasite drug resistance. The researchers hope that...

Scorpions make a fluorescent compound that could help protect them from parasites

Most scorpions glow a blue-green color when illuminated by ultraviolet light or natural moonlight. Scientists aren't sure how this fluorescence benefits the creatures, but some have speculated that it acts as a sunscreen, or helps them find mates in the dark. Now, researchers have identified a new fluorescent compound from scorpion exoskeletons. The team says that the compound could protect these...

Micromotors get supercharged with three 'engines'

Someday, microscopic robots could perform useful functions, such as diagnostic testing in lab-on-a-chip sensors, micropatterning surfaces or repairing equipment in tight spaces. But first, scientists need to be able to tightly control the microbots' speed. Now, researchers have developed micromotors with three 'engines' that they can control separately with chemical fuel, magnets and light.

Expanding the plasmonic painter's palette

By blending paints in their palette, artists can create a broad spectrum of colors with subtly different hues. However, scientists who wish to create a similar range of structural colors, like those found on butterfly wings, are much more limited. Now, researchers have developed a new method for mixing plasmonic red, blue and green to yield a virtually unlimited number of colors that could be used...