Curated News: Scientific Meetings

• share
• favorite_border

The hauntingly beautiful “wailing” sounds of early New Orleans jazz clarinets, often featured in brass bands or jazz funerals, are one of the most distinctive instrument styles in American music. The unique sound begs the question: What’s behind incredible their range of sound and tonal variety? During the 174th ASA Meeting, Dec. 4-8, 2017, in New Orleans, Michael G. White will deliver a special presentation about the distinguishing characteristics of the clarinet in early New Orleans jazz.

• share
• favorite_border

Listening requires sensitive hearing and the ability to process information into cohesive meaning. Add everyday background noise and constant interruptions, and the ability to comprehend what is heard becomes that much more difficult. Audiology researchers at Auburn University have found that in such demanding environments, both children and adults depend more on their right ear for processing and retaining what they hear. They will present their work at the 174th ASA Meeting, Dec. 4-8.

• share
• favorite_border

Two dazzling cell biology themed videos created by researchers who are members of the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) premiered on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the 2017 ASCB|EMBO Meeting in Philadelphia as part of ASCB’s Celldance program.

• share
• favorite_border

University of Washington engineers have developed the first 3-D printed plastic objects that can connect to other devices via WiFi without using any electronics, including a laundry bottle that can detect when soap is running low and automatically order more.

• share
• favorite_border

An interdisciplinary team is using a covert sound-based approach, worthy of an avian CSI, to study the link between crows' calls and their behavior.

• share
• favorite_border

The classic sparkling wine that has rung in countless new years with a bang may have more to its bubbles. Champagne is notable for its iconic cork popping, but the bubble acoustics also play a key role in determining how expensive that bottle should be. Investigators from the University of Texas at Austin, will be presenting their research the acoustical measurements of champagne bubbles during the 174th ASA Meeting, Dec. 4-8, 2017, in New Orleans.

• share
• favorite_border

Low-emission vehicles are considered too quiet for hearing-impaired pedestrians, so the European Union is mandating that they be equipped with acoustic vehicle alerting systems. With these alert systems would come a marked increase in the amount of noise on the roads across Europe. During the 174th ASA Meeting, Dec. 4-8, 2017, in New Orleans, researchers will present their work assessing the effectiveness of acoustic vehicle alerting systems and their downsides.

• share
• favorite_border

The National Science Foundation has awarded more than $446,000 for a new collaborative engineering project that will allow drivers to make more informed travel decisions and allow government organizations to better regulate travel within heavily congested major metropolitan areas.

• share
• favorite_border

Most volcanoes erupt beneath the ocean, but scientists know little about them compared to what they know about volcanoes that eject their lava on dry land. Researchers think that with improved monitoring, they can learn more about these submarine eruptions, which threaten travel and alter the ocean soundscape. During the 174th ASA meeting, held Dec. 4-8, 2017, in New Orleans, Gabrielle Tepp of the USGS will discuss the challenges and benefits of remote monitoring and what it can teach about submarine volcanoes.

• share
• favorite_border

UAH master’s student Ethan Hopping, who now works at Blue Origin, and UAH professor Dr. Gabe Xu partnered to design and test a Hall-effect thruster with a 3-D printed channel and propellant distributor.

• share
• favorite_border

When was the last time you took a close look at an orange, lime or lemon peel? Outer citrus peels are covered with tiny oil glands or cavities that can explode in an outward direction, often spraying toward you, if bent in an attempt to gain access to the inner fruit. Researchers at the University of Central Florida set out to explore how the material properties during this phenomenon enable the production of these high-speed jets that often go unnoticed or unappreciated, even by avid citrus consumers. They’ll discuss their work at the 70th meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, Nov. 19-21, 2017.

• share
• favorite_border

Acoustical waves and vibrations allow us to hear and experience the world with fuller sensory stimulation. Acoustics has applications that cover a broad spectrum of topics including anthropogenic noise in marine environments, the dangers of hospital noise, and auditory sensitivity after drinking. The Acoustical Society of America’s fall meeting this year will showcase the diversity of sound and its applications, held Dec. 4-8, 2017, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

• share
• favorite_border

Sinus infections, inflammation and nasal congestion constantly plague Americans, often leading to unpleasant symptoms and even missed days of work. Traditional nasal spray anti-inflammatory medications attempt to treat the symptoms noninvasively, but are not very efficient in transmitting the active drug ingredients directly into the sinus cavities. Researchers from the University of North Carolina will present their research on the anatomy-based flow physics in nasal cavities which generate “magical” streamlines for sinus drug delivery at the 70th meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, Nov. 19-21, 2017.

• share
• favorite_border

Pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses or fungi, cause harmful plant disease and often lead to the destruction of agricultural fields. With many possible dispersal methods, it can often be difficult to assess the damage of a pathogen’s impact before it’s too late. At the 70th meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, Nov. 19-21, researchers from Virginia Tech will present their work on rain drop dispersal mechanisms of rust fungus on wheat plants.

• share
• favorite_border

The fluffy dandelion seed head infuriates gardeners, but delights physicists. That’s because those seeds may lend key insights into the physics of parachutes, useful for designing small drones, or micro air vehicles. An interdisciplinary collaboration at the University of Edinburgh will present their findings on the topic at the 70th meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, Nov. 19-21. Investigators reveal why, at low Reynolds numbers, the rules for big parachutes don’t apply to small dandelions.

• share
• favorite_border

Plesiosaurs, who thrived during the early to middle Jurassic Period, used four paddlelike flippers of nearly equal size and musculature to swim. Despite the seemingly subpar engineering, the fossil record reveals that plesiosaurs were widespread and prolific. This inspired a team in the U.K. to explore how swimming with four flippers might be advantageous compared to two. They’ll present their work during the 70th meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, Nov. 19-21, 2017.

• share
• favorite_border

The star-nosed mole has several unusual abilities. One of them is “sniffing” underwater by blowing bubbles and quickly re-inhaling them, detecting odors of its prey through the water. The moles’ “star” nose features a ring of tiny, pink tentacles and is the most sensitive known touch organ of any mammal. Researchers will present their work exploring the star-nosed moles’ unusual underwater sniffing ability during the 70th meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, Nov. 19-21, 2017.

• share
• favorite_border

If you’ve poured a stout beer into a pint glass, you may have wondered about the or physics behind the rapid rise of bubbles and three-color shift when dark, medium and light shades are all clearly visible, before it transitions to simply beer and foam. During the 70th meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, Nov. 19-21, 2017, researchers from will present their work exploring the fluid dynamics behind this type of bubble clustering in stout and nitrogenized stout beers and carbonated drinks.

• share
• favorite_border

The stinging cells of jellyfish, called nematocytes, have evolved to be one of the world’s most efficient predation tools. The nematocysts consist of a capsule and folded tubule, and use high pressure and acceleration for defense and locomotion and, more importantly, to capture prey. Inconsistencies in a previous conceptual explanation of the stinging cell mechanism were identified using a microfluidic system and mathematical models. Researchers will share their mathematical model of nemotocytes at the 70th meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, Nov. 19-21, 2017. The model demonstrates how environmental modifications can reduce the impact of jellyfish stinging capacity.

• share
• favorite_border

Cooking in a frying pan with oil can quickly become dangerous if “explosive” hot oil droplets jump out of the pan, leading to painful burns. But these droplets may be doing something even more damaging: contributing to indoor air pollution. A group of researchers exploring these “explosive droplets” will present their work to uncover the fluid dynamics behind this phenomenon during the 70th meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, Nov. 19-21, 2017.

• share
• favorite_border

Industry and science are searching for answers to the challenges of digitization – including in production. In order to supply Switzerland with the necessary expertise for the future, the ETH Domain initiated the Strategic Focus Area (SFA) Advanced Manufacturing. The launch took place in Bern on Monday 13 November 2017 in the presence of Federal Councilor Johann Schneider-Ammann.

• share
• favorite_border

A faster collision detection algorithm could enable robots to work more fluidly in the operating room or at home for assisted living. The algorithm, dubbed “Fastron,” runs up to 8 times faster than existing collision detection algorithms. It uses machine learning to help robots avoid moving objects and weave through complex, rapidly changing environments in real time.

• share
• favorite_border

In new research presented at the HFES 2017 International Annual Meeting, a team of human factors/ergonomics researchers discussed how a supplemental Web-based driver training approach using realistic scenarios and visual effects could help reduce the risks associated with teen driving.

• share
• favorite_border

A new machine learning tool analyzed language in 800 Hollywood movie scripts found subtle but widespread gender bias in degree of power and agency given to and female and male characters.

• share
• favorite_border

Research to Prevent Blindness and the American Academy of Ophthalmology today announced that they have created a new category of grant to support researchers who want to use the Academy’s IRIS® Registry database to conduct population-based studies in ophthalmology and blindness prevention.

• share
• favorite_border

Due to the complex interdependencies that exist between the electricity sector and all other critical infrastructures, disruption in the electric power sector can adversely affect our national security, public health, and the environment, and have adverse socio-economic impacts on our society. Without the ability to mitigate extreme weather, we must address these threats and their effects head-on. These risks will be examined during several presentations at the 2017 Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Annual Meeting.

• share
• favorite_border

Regulators claim that the value of the energy savings to consumers exceeds the incremental costs to manufacturers for delivering greater energy efficiency. This energy paradox challenges fundamental notions of how markets work. Four studies presented at the 2017 Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Annual Meeting will present new evidence relating to this paradox.

• share
• favorite_border

Four studies presented at the 2017 Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Annual Meeting will conduct a critical review of approaches scientists are using to characterize the impacts of climate change and assess the resulting economic damages. Ultimately, these researchers conclude that the current state of climate policy needs to be revaluated based on most recent research. The presentations will take place during the Modeling the Economic Aspects of Climate Change: A Critical Review of the State of the Science Symposium on Monday, Dec. 11, from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.

• share
• favorite_border

As part of a symposium presented by the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA) Applied Risk Management Specialty Group, five studies on cultural property risk analysis will be presented to help decision-makers from museums and other institutions ensure proper protocols are in place to preserve valuable cultural property. These include proper risk analysis models and emergency management plans in the face of environmental risks, chemical and physical degradation and armed conflict.

• share
• favorite_border

An overabundance of the bacteria Veillonella in the digestive tract may increase pain in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD). Researchers from Howard University will present their findings today at the American Physiological Society’s Physiological and Pathophysiological Consequences of Sickle Cell Disease conference in Washington, D.C.

• share
• favorite_border

The fluid properties of liquid, gases and even particles are constantly at work in our lives and around us. Covering topics including citrus fruit microjets, sinus pathways for drug delivery, the spread of pathogens by rain, and even beer bubbles, the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics meeting, held Nov. 19-21, 2017, in Colorado, will uncover unique and puzzling mysteries of fluids and their applications.

• share
• favorite_border

The ruddy flakes of a rusted nail are a sure sign that an undesirable chemical reaction has occurred at the surface. Understanding how molecules and atoms behave with each other, especially at surfaces, is central to managing both desirable chemical reactions, such as catalysis, and undesirable reactions, like a nail’s corrosion. Yet the field of surface chemistry has been challenged for nearly 100 years to develop predictive theories for these reactions. Now there’s progress, thanks to some new approaches.

• share
• favorite_border

Nanosensors are incredible information-gathering tools for myriad applications, including molecular targets such as the brain. Neurotransmitter molecules govern brain function through chemistry found deep within the brain, so University of California, Berkeley researchers are developing nanosensors to gain a better understanding of exactly how this all plays out, and will discuss their work at the AVS 64th International Symposium & Exhibition, Oct. 29-Nov. 3, 2017, in Tampa, Florida.

• share
• favorite_border

The eye is more than a window to the soul; it is a window to the brain. To highlight the important connection between vision science and neuroscience, the NIH’s National Eye Institute is kicking off its 50th anniversary celebration with the symposium “Vision and the Brain,” Friday, November 10, 2017, at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. The event takes place in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and is the first in series of symposia scheduled through 2018.

• share
• favorite_border

Dazzling dragonfly wings may send poets rhapsodizing, but scientists yearn for a better understanding. In particular, they want to know the chemistry of the different layers giving rise to natural photonic crystals that help create color. Now, a collaboration of Brazilian researchers have teamed up with Minnesota experts to puzzle out the color mechanism of the male Amazonian glitterwing dragonfly.

• share
• favorite_border

Researchers at the University of Maine have studied fungi, researching how these smallest of life forms break down giant trees, some of the few organisms able to do so. The team now focuses on generating new technology based on how living systems such as these do what they do. They will present their work during the AVS 64th International Symposium and Exhibition, in Tampa, Florida.

• share
• favorite_border

Spanning two years, from March 2015 to February 2017, CAIDA researchers and collaborators found that about one-third of the IPv4 address space was subject to some kind of DoS attacks, where a perpetrator maliciously disrupts services of a host connected to the internet.

• share
• favorite_border

While the creation of a paper swan using origami may be intriguing, the idea of creating 3-D circuits based on similar design principles is simply mindboggling. Researchers at the University of Chicago have focused on large scale synthesis and device fabrication using ultra-thin materials, which has led to improvements in 2-D models and the introduction of 3-D vertically integrated devices. They will present the details of their circuit construction and its potential applications at the AVS 64th International Symposium & Exhibition.

• share
• favorite_border

Sbarro Health Research Organization President Antonio Giordano introduces program at National Italian American Foundation 42nd Anniversary Gala Weekend In Washington D.C.

• share
• favorite_border

Accurate and accessible detection technologies are necessary to ensure continuous water quality control and early warning capabilities to avoid public safety catastrophes like the ongoing Flint water crisis in Michigan. During the AVS’s 64th International Symposium & Exhibition, in Tampa, Florida, researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will present work about inventing a graphene-based sensing platform for real-time, low-cost detection of various water contaminants. The new sensor detects heavy metals, bacteria, nitrates and phosphates.

• share
• favorite_border

University of Washington computer scientists have created fabrics and fashion accessories that can store data — from security codes to identification tags — without needing any on-board electronics or sensors.

• share
• favorite_border

In a presentation during the AVS 64th International Symposium and Exhibition, in Tampa, Florida, astrophysicists Rai Weiss and Michael Zucker will describe how LIGO scientists and engineers designed and constructed LIGO’s ingenious, ultra-high vacuum system. The system is an integral part of what makes it possible to identify gravitational waves, minute distortions in the fabric of space and time that propagate at the speed of light.

• share
• favorite_border

In 2014, the Rosetta probe became the first spacecraft to orbit the nucleus of a comet and later land on its surface. The mission ended in 2016 with the probe’s dive into the comet but its close-up studies of the comet continue to yield scientific insights. In a presentation at the AVS 64th annual International Symposium and Exhibition, researchers will describe findings from Rosetta’s ROSINA instrument, which obtained the first detailed, in situ measurements of the chemical composition of a comet’s atmosphere, or coma.

• share
• favorite_border

Solid-state batteries, which eschew the flammable and unstable liquid electrolytes of conventional lithium-ion batteries, could be a safer option. Now, researchers have demonstrated a new way to produce more efficient solid-state batteries. This proof-of-principle study may lead to safer and more compact batteries useful for everything from sensor networks to implantable biomedical devices. Researchers at the University of Maryland will present this work during the AVS 64th International Symposium and Exhibition, in Tampa, Florida.

• share
• favorite_border

Among the diverse research studies being presented at this year’s 64th AVS International Symposium and Exhibition are two biomaterial interfaces sessions that feature some highly unusual applications of engineering. The first describes the use of stress forces -- more commonly employed to evaluate the failure mechanisms of materials and devices made from them -- to discover how barnacles stick to surfaces. The second explores the development of two novel mechanical systems, both smaller than the eye can see, for use with gas molecules: one to detect them with ultra-high sensitivity and the other to precisely measure their molecular weights.

• share
• favorite_border

“Good, good, good, good vibrations” goes the catchy Beach Boys song, a big hit in 1966 and beyond. Now Rutgers engineers have created VibWrite, a smart access system that senses finger vibrations to verify users. The low-cost security system could eventually be used to gain access to homes, apartment buildings, cars, appliances – anything with a solid surface.

• share
• favorite_border

Until now, assessing the extent and impact of network or computer system attacks has been largely a time-consuming manual process. A new software system being developed by cybersecurity researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology will largely automate that process, allowing investigators to quickly and accurately pinpoint how intruders entered the network, what data they took and which computer systems were compromised.

• share
• favorite_border

To guard against unknowingly visiting malicious websites, computer users have been taught to double-check website URLs before they click on a link. But attackers are now taking advantage of that practice to trick users into visiting website domains that contain familiar trademarks — but with additional words that change the destination to an attack site.

• share
• favorite_border

The San Francisco State University biology professor will be recognized for her work in evidence-based teaching and biology education research.

• share
• favorite_border

New research by computer scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago have identified numerous browser functionalities rarely used or needed by websites, but which pose substantial security and privacy risks to web surfers. Blocking website access to unnecessary browser functionality would help reduce these risks