186 articles from THURSDAY 1.12.2022
Down syndrome research should look at the whole cell not just the extra chromosome, scientists say
- ScienceDaily
- 22/12/1 18:30
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...
Recently found 'neanderthal footprints' in the South of Spain could be 275,000 years old
A little over a year ago we reported on a large area at the foot of the Asperillo cliff, on the coast of the Doñana Natural Area in Huelva, Spain. There, along with numerous animal footprints, other footprints had been found—those of hominids.
Basho in the machine
- ScienceDaily
- 22/12/1 18:29
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....
Shining a new light on oil-slick rainbows and other thin-layer physics
When sunlight reflects on an oily puddle of water in a parking lot, it creates a rainbow of swirling colors. That's because of the thin film interference principle, which explains how light reflects off of different layers, or films, in a mixture of liquids.
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.
Could the Netherlands crack the secret of language learning using this approach?
From the UK government's latest post-Brexit language-learning reforms to France's eternal debates over the supposed linguistic inadequacy of its youth, governments regularly scratch their heads over how to improve how languages are taught.
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...
Managers exhibit bias based on race, gender, disability and sexual orientation, study finds
In a study that examined bias in the workplace, a UF researcher found that those in management positions demonstrate explicit and implicit bias toward others from marginalized groups and often express more implicit bias than people who are not in management.
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.
New visualization tool helps weather forecasters and researchers more easily identify and study bands of heavy snow
Predicting snowfall from winter storms is tricky, in no small part because heavy snow and regions of mixed precipitation look very similar in weather radar imagery. Mixed precipitation falls as a blend of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow and can be mistaken for heavy snow on radar imagery, while translating to less snow accumulation on the ground.
'Earth's empty quarter': Many Pacific nations now have falling populations
In 1989, distinguished Australian geographer Gerard Ward wrote that the Pacific was emptying out. As people on smaller islands left to seek opportunity elsewhere, the region risked becoming Earth's empty quarter. He wrote:
Gig platforms help immigrant care workers find jobs, but they are only a temporary solution
For internationally trained healthcare professionals faced with unemployment and underemployment in the Canadian labor market, digital platforms offer the possibility of finding jobs in the industry they are trained in.
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...
Researchers solve 20-year-old optical light mystery
It was believed that it was impossible to differentiate the enantiomers of a chiral molecule using helical light beams—until now that is, thanks to a group of uOttawa researchers.
Atmospheric transport modeling study: When the Aral Sea dried up, Central Asia became dustier
Winds kick up large amounts of dust from the desert that has formed as the world's fourth largest lake has disappeared, spreading it around the region and raising concerns about public health.
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...
More than 52 million birds in the US have been affected by an outbreak of avian influenza
A form of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been causing widespread disruption and illness in birds since first being detected roughly a year ago. Last March, a bald eagle found dead in Pennsylvania's Chester County became the first confirmed case in the state.
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...
One step closer to tackling drug resistant parasites in Brazil
Researchers at the University of York are a step closer to identifying ways to support clinicians in predicting drug treatment outcomes for patients with visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil.