186 articles from THURSDAY 1.12.2022

Down syndrome research should look at the whole cell not just the extra chromosome, scientists say

Research on understanding the effect of extra chromosomes for conditions like Down syndrome typically involves examining what genes play a role in the symptoms of these conditions. However, researchers propose a new way of looking at these conditions, suggesting that when an extra chromosome is present, the impact on the cell depends less on which chromosome is duplicated and more on the presence...

Basho in the machine

AI shows potential in creating literary art rivaling that of humans without human help. AI-generated haiku without human intervention was compared with a contrasting method. The evaluators found it challenging to distinguish between the haiku penned by humans and those generated by AI. Evaluators showed algorithm aversion when unconsciously giving lower scores to those they felt were AI-generated....

Homelessness researchers get real-time data from mobile phone surveys

Few laws from Los Angeles City Hall spark as much debate as those dealing with homelessness. Look no further than the city's controversial ordinance banning camping in certain public places, which became a hot-button issue ahead of the municipal election. Yet missing from many policy discussions are the perspectives of those most affected: people experiencing homelessness.

The good and the bad of COVID-19 response in multi-level governance

How did multi-level governance in Europe influence the overall effectiveness of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and what was its impact? A recent study carried out as part of the PERISCOPE project analyzes the COVID-19 response of governance by different levels and highlights some best practices and aspects requiring improvement.

Food early warning systems could stave off famines

As reliable sources of quality food diminish and record numbers of people are driven to hunger due to conflicts, climate change and economic downturns, feeding the global population of eight billion poses a major challenge that demands better food early warning information systems.

What's Up: December Skywatching Tips from NASA

What to look for: Mars disappears, and Pegasus rides to adventure Viewers in most of the U.S. and Europe can watch Mars slip behind the Moon on Dec. 7, and everyone can find the winged horse constellation Pegasus. Additional information about topics covered in this episode of What's Up, along with still images from the video, and the video transcript, are available...

NASA researcher's AI 'eye' could help robotic data-gathering

When it comes to making real-time decisions about unfamiliar data—say, choosing a path to hike up a mountain you've never scaled before—existing artificial intelligence and machine learning tech doesn't come close to measuring up to human skill. That's why NASA scientist John Moisan is developing an AI "eye."

Hubble captures the stars of globular cluster NGC 6440

Looking like a glittering swarm of buzzing bees, the stars of globular cluster NGC 6440 shine brightly in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope image. The cluster is located some 28,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius, the Archer.

Hot-button political issues are having a chilling effect on public schools

Researchers at UCLA and UC Riverside today released a nationally representative survey of 682 high school principals, making clear that political conflicts impacting schools are pervasive and growing, with more than two-thirds of principals surveyed reporting substantial political conflict over hot- button issues. Almost half (45%) of principals said the amount of community level conflict during...

Novel complex may help to modulate lipid metabolism

A research team led by Prof. Wang Guangce from the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has discovered that the complex of phycobiliproteins, fucoxanthin, and krill oil (PFK) can modulate lipid metabolism and improve obesity.

Brains of post-pandemic teens show signs of faster ageing, study finds

Study also found poorer mental health but it is unclear whether this is linked to brain age differenceThe brains of teenagers who lived through the Covid pandemic show signs of premature ageing, research suggests.The researchers compared MRI scans of 81 teens in the US taken before the pandemic, between November 2016 and November 2019, with those of 82 teens collected between October 2020 and...

Making sense of coercivity in magnetic materials with machine learning

Soft magnetic materials, i.e., materials that can be easily magnetized and demagnetized, play an essential role in transformers, generators, and motors. The ability of a magnetic material to resist an external magnetic field without changing its magnetization is known as "coercivity," a property closely linked to the energy loss. In applications such as electric cars, low-coercivity materials are...