337 articles from THURSDAY 3.9.2020

Treatment for canine ocular condition using turmeric

Researchers have produced a therapeutic derived from turmeric, a spice long-praised for its natural anti-inflammatory properties, that shows promise in decreasing ocular inflammation in dogs suffering from uveitis, an inflammation of the eye that leads to pain and reduced vision.

NASA eyes typhoon Haishen's 10 mile-wide eye

NASA's Terra satellite's visible image of Typhoon Haishen revealed a small "pinhole" eye surrounded by several hundred miles of thunderstorms spiraling around it as it continued moving north though the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.

Drone survey reveals large earthwork at ancestral Wichita site in Kansas

A Dartmouth-led study using multisensor drones has revealed a large circular earthwork at what may be Etzanoa, an archaeological site near Wichita, Kansas. Archaeologists speculate that the site was visited by a Spanish expedition, led by Juan de Oñate, a controversial conquistador, in 1601. The earthwork may be the remains of a so-called "council circle," as it is similar to several other...

To make a better sensor, just add noise

Adding noise to enhance a weak signal is a sensing phenomenon common in the animal world but unusual in manmade sensors. Now Penn State researchers have added a small amount of background noise to enhance very weak signals in a light source too dim to sense.

Wool-like material can remember and change shape

As anyone who has ever straightened their hair knows, water is the enemy. Hair painstakingly straightened by heat will bounce back into curls the minute it touches water. Why? Because hair has shape memory. Its material properties allow it to change shape in response to certain stimuli and return to its original shape in response to others.

NASA finds Maysak becoming extra-tropical

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite provided forecasters with a visible image of former Typhoon Maysak, now an extra-tropical storm. Wind shear continued pushing the bulk of the storm's clouds to the northwest.

Nasa to study impact of 'space weather' on Earth

Mission proposals include analysis of sun’s atmosphere and its unseen polar regionsNasa is to fund concept studies on five mission proposals that aim to study the dynamic nature of the sun and the changing space environment this causes around Earth.Such information will help understand how the “space weather” affects satellites in orbit, which provide navigation and communications;...

To make a better sensor, just add noise

Adding noise to enhance a weak signal is a sensing phenomenon common in the animal world but unusual in manmade sensors. Now researchers have added a small amount of background noise to enhance very weak signals in a light source too dim to sense.

Wool-like material can remember and change shape

Researchers have developed a biocompatible material that can be 3D printed into any shape and pre-programmed with reversible shape memory. The material is made using keratin, a fibrous protein found in hair, nails and shells, extracted from leftover Agora wool used in textile manufacturing. It could be used in anything from self-fitting bras to actuating textiles for medical therapeutics and could...

Researchers redesign the face mask to improve comfort and protection

Imagine a reusable face mask that protects wearers and those around them from SARS-CoV-2, is comfortable enough to wear all day, and stays in place without frequent adjustment. Based on decades of experience with filtration and textile materials, researchers have designed a new mask intended to do just that -- and are providing the plans so individuals and manufacturers can make it.

Helping teens with type 1 diabetes improve diabetes control with MyDiaText

Adolescence is a difficult period of development, made more complex for those with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The challenges of managing multiple doses of daily insulin administration, blood glucose monitoring, dietary and exercise requirements, can make self-care difficult and complicate outcomes. Adolescents with T1DM often have poorer diabetes outcomes than others, indicating that glucose...

In butterfly battle of sexes, males deploy 'chastity belts' but females fight back

Some male butterflies go to extreme lengths to ensure their paternity—sealing their mate's genitalia with a waxy "chastity belt" to prevent future liaisons. But female butterflies can fight back by evolving larger or more complex organs that are tougher to plug. Males, in turn, counterattack by fastening on even more fantastic structures with winglike projections, slippery scales or pointy...

NASA's Chandra Opens Treasure Trove of Cosmic Delights

Portal origin URL: NASA's Chandra Opens Treasure Trove of Cosmic DelightsPortal origin nid: 464148Published: Thursday, September 3, 2020 - 15:15Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: This selection of images of different kinds of light from various missions and telescopes have been combined to better understand the universe.Portal image: This selection...

Hearing loss in naked mole-rats is an advantage, not a hardship

If naked mole-rats were human, they would be prescribed hearing aids. With six mutations in genes associated with hearing, naked mole-rats can barely hear the constant squeaking they use to communicate with one another. This hearing loss, which is strange for such social, vocal animals, is an adaptive, beneficial trait, according to new findings published in the journal Current Biology.

Megafire does not deter Yosemite's spotted owls

In 2013 the Rim Fire—the largest fire on record in the Sierra Nevada—burned one third of the potential California Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) habitat in Yosemite National Park. The park provides prime habitat for this Spotted Owl subspecies, which is listed as a Species of Special Concern by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and concern grew regarding the fire's...

Peculiar planetary system architecture around three Orion stars explained

In our Solar System, the eight planets and many other minor objects orbit in a flat plane around the Sun; but in some distant systems, planets orbit on an incline -- sometimes a very steep one. New work could explain the architecture of multi-star systems in which planets are separated by wide gaps and do not orbit on the same plane as their host star's equatorial center.

Who should get the COVID-19 vaccine first?

Nineteen global health experts from around the world have proposed a new, three-phase plan for vaccine distribution -- called the Fair Priority Model -- which aims to reduce premature deaths and other irreversible health consequences from COVID-19.