ScienceDaily: All - May 15, 2024
Today's top research news
Virtual reality becomes more engaging when designers use cinematic tools
Cinematography techniques can significantly increase user engagement with virtual environments and, in particular, the aesthetic appeal of what users see in virtual reality.
90% of Floridians believe climate change is happening
The latest 'Florida Climate Resilience Survey' found that 90% of Floridians believe that climate change is happening. Belief in human-caused climate change has surged among Florida Independents while slipping among Republicans in the state since last fall. But despite these changes, the survey found enduring support among Floridians for increased government action to address the consequences of a warming planet. The survey found 68% of all respondents want state government to do more and 69% want the federal government to do more to address climate change.
Image: Bilanol/Shutterstock.com
Metalens expands Its reach from light to sound
Engineers achieve a wide field-of-hearing acoustic metalens free from aberrations.
WASP-193b, a giant planet with a density similar to that of cotton candy
Astronomers have just discovered WASP-193b, an extraordinarily low-density giant planet orbiting a distant Sun-like star.
Young whale's journey highlights threats facing ocean animals
A young whale's journey across the Mediterranean highlights the many threats facing ocean animals, researchers say.
Researchers are using artificial intelligence to perfect the design of the vessels surrounding the super-hot plasma, optimize heating methods and maintain stable control of the reaction for increasingly long periods. A new article explains how a researcher team used machine learning to avoid magnetic perturbations, or disruptions, which destabilize fusion plasma.
Speedy, secure, sustainable -- that's the future of telecom
A new device that can process information using a small amount of light could enable energy-efficient and secure communications.
Artificial intelligence tool to improve heart failure care
The powerful new AI tool can predict heart failure outcomes in specific patients, helping doctors improve care.
New technique improves finishing time for 3D printed machine parts
Researchers have demonstrated a technique that allows people who manufacture metal machine parts with 3D printing technologies to conduct automated quality control of manufactured parts during the finishing process. The technique allows users to identify potential flaws without having to remove the parts from the manufacturing equipment, making production time more efficient.
People without an inner voice have poorer verbal memory
The vast majority of people have an ongoing conversation with themselves, an inner voice, that plays an important role in their daily lives. But between 5-10 per cent of the population do not have the same experience of an inner voice, and they find it more difficult to perform certain verbal memory tasks, new research shows.
An easy pill to swallow -- new 3D printing research paves way for personalized medication
A new technique for 3D printing medication has enabled the printing of multiple drugs in a single tablet, paving the way for personalised pills that can deliver timed doses.
Some brain cells age faster and are more prevalent in Alzheimer's
Engineers have discovered that some brain cells age more rapidly than others, and they are disproportionately abundant in individuals afflicted with Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, researchers observed male-female-specific differences in the aging process of certain brain cells, with the female cortex exhibiting a higher ratio of 'old' oligodendrocytes to 'old' neurons compared to the male cortex. The discoveries were made possible by a new technique called MUSIC (multinucleic acid interaction mapping in single cells), which allows researchers to peek inside individual brain cells and map out interactions between chromatin--which is the tightly coiled form of DNA -- and RNA.
People with more copies of ribosomal DNA may have higher risks of developing disease
Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) is present in hundreds of copies in the genome, but has not previously been part of genetic analyses. A new study of 500,000 individuals indicates that people who have more copies of rDNA are more likely to develop inflammation and diseases during their lifetimes.
Researchers discover the universe's oldest stars in our own galactic backyard
Astronomers discovered three of the oldest stars in the universe, and they live in our own galactic neighborhood. The stars are in the Milky Way's 'halo' -- the cloud of stars that envelopes the entire main galactic disk -- and they appear to have formed between 12 and 13 billion years ago, when the very first galaxies were taking shape.
Newly identified PET biomarker predicts success of immune checkpoint blockade therapy
The protein galectin-1 (Gal-1) has been identified as a new PET imaging biomarker for immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, allowing physicians to predict the tumor responses before beginning treatment. Information garnered from Gal-1 PET imaging could also be used to facilitate patient stratification and optimize immunotherapy, enabling targeted interventions and improving patient outcomes.
Researchers have discovered a distinct, secondary population of platelets that appears with aging and have hyperreactive behavior and unique molecular properties, which could make them easier to target with medication.
2023 was the hottest summer in two thousand years
Researchers have found that 2023 was the hottest summer in the Northern Hemisphere in the past two thousand years, almost four degrees warmer than the coldest summer during the same period.
Mixed public opinion on polygenic embryo screening for IVF
Survey reveals nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults support using emerging technology to screen embryos during IVF for risk of developing certain health conditions or traits that arise from more than one gene. Only about one-third of respondents approved of using the technology to predict traits unrelated to disease. Nearly all expressed concerns about potential negative outcomes for individuals or society. Findings underscore need for public education about benefits, limitations, ethical hazards of polygenic risk scores for embryos.
Innovative 'mini-brains' could revolutionize Alzheimer's treatment
New research could revolutionize the way Alzheimer's and other brain-related diseases are diagnosed and treated -- by building tiny brains in a petri dish.
First case of highly pathogenic avian influenza transmitted from cow to human confirmed
in March a farm worker who reported no contact with sick or dead birds, but who was in contact with dairy cattle, began showing symptoms in the eye and samples were collected by the regional health department to test for potential influenza A. Experts have now confirmed the first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza transmission from a mammal (dairy cow) to a human.
Persistent strain of cholera defends itself against forces of change, scientists find
A longstanding mystery about the strain of Vibrio cholerae (V. cholerae) responsible for the seventh global cholera pandemic is how this lineage has managed to out-compete other pathogenic variants. The team identified a unique quirk of the immune system that protects the bacteria from a key driver of bacterial evolution.