THE TECH SCIENCE DIGEST
SEPTEMBER 2021 ISSUE
Table of Contents Introduction 03
Science Behind the
Astro/Physics 11
Mathematical Formula of an Egg
Measuring the Mass of Black Holes?
12
New Vortex-Like Atomic and Molecular Beams Discovery
Biology 12
Evidence of Cosmic Cannibalism?
05
Gut Bacteria as Treatment for Brain Damage?
05 06
Earth Science
A Lead on Fruit Fly Research Hummingbird's Shocking
14
Volcano Climate Effect
Sense of Smell
15
Greenland Ice Caps Climate Effect
Chemistry
16
Earliest Human Footprint Found in America
08
Replacement for Electrocardiogram
08
New and Improved Pandemic Fighting Disinfectant? E Facts
09
18
Technology AI Technology replacing cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging?
What Role did Climate Change Play in Hurricane Ida?
New Ethanol Catalyst for Improved Method of Travelling
21
Environmental Science
18
Environmental Impact on Clouds from Wildfires
19
Extinctions Reported
Science Behind the Mathematical Formula of Egg According to sci-news.com, “the egg has always been considered a major food source in human history and nutrition.” It’s one of the shapes in nature that is the most recognizable. The egg is also an example of evolutionary adaptation due to various conditions regarding the environment such as humidity, heat, and so on. To analyze the egg shape, four geometric shapes have to be used: sphere, ovoid, ellipsoid, and pyriform. Each of these shapes except for the pyriform have a mathematical definition that is clear. “This new universal mathematical formula for egg shape is based on four parameters: egg length, maximum breadth, shift of the vertical axis, and the diameter at one quarter of the egg length.” The formula created from these parameters can be used in research projects as well as industries regarding food and poultry.
INTRODUCTION| 03
Biology News
DESIGN
A LEAD ON FRUIT FLY RESEARCH “Fruit fly research is already pointing to a new anti-cancer strategy distinct from the conventional goal of destroying the tumor or cancerous cells. Instead, the research suggests, launching an attack against the destructive chemicals the cancer is throwing off could increase survival rates and improve patients' health.” Recently, it was discovered that a chemical is released by tumors in fruit flies which actually compromises the bloodstream and brain barrier. This is “a recipe for disaster in numerous diseases”. The chemical (which is also the same in mice) is known as interleukin-6 (IL6) which is a cytokine. The cytokine effect was able to be blocked and the lifespan was extended. Cytokine is responsible for inflammation and it causes the opening of the bloodstream and brain barrier. By dealing with the opening and not the tumor itself, lifespan was increased. “IL-6 plays other important roles in the body, so to benefit cancer patients, scientists would have to find a drug that blocks its action at the blood-brain barrier without altering its effects elsewhere.”
GUT BACTERIA AS TREATMENT FOR BRAIN DAMAGE? According to sciencedaily.com, “Extremely premature infants are at a high risk for brain damage.” Possible targets have been found for treatment for the brain damage affecting the infants: gut bacteria. Research has shown that the overgrowth of a certain bacteria (Klebsiella) in the gastrointestinal tract leads to the increase of immune cells’ presence but also neurological damage development. “The early development of the gut, the brain and the immune system are closely interrelated. Researchers refer to this as the gut-immune-brain axis.” The gut bacteria is in cooperation with the immune system. In return, the immune system monitors the microbes in the gut which will lead to the development of appropriate responses to them. The gut is also in contact with the brain through the immune system as well as the vagus nerve.
BIOLOGY| 05
HUMMINGBIRD’S SHOCKING SENSE OF SMELL To much disbelief, hummingbirds, like birds of prey, have olfactory bulbs that enable them to make decisions based on preference. It was completely out of the expectations of scientists mainly for two primary reasons. It was impossible to test the hummingbird’s ability to show preference over flowers with nectar and there is no strong odor to differentiate between pollinated flowers like insects do. In fact, according to UCR scientists, hummingbirds may also use this ability to avoid danger! By using smell as their source, hummingbirds are able to avoid flowers with no nectar but can avoid dangerous insects near a flower. With the support of the National Science Foundation’s Research Experience for Undergraduates program, scientist Ashley Kim and her team was able to test the hummingbird’s ability to react with different scenarios that exemplify real life situations. For example, a test with 100 hummingbirds test subjects was conducted between sugar water and sugar water with chemicals that replicates the scent of dangerous insects. The hummingbirds managed to avoid the sugar water with the scent of the insect with similar results for all experiment subjects. This new discovery has led scientists to have a better understanding of the overall ecosystem and how they interact with each other.
BIOLOGY| 06
Chemistry
REPLACEMENT FOR ELECTROCARDIOGRAM “Carbon nanotube thread woven into athletic shirts gathered electrocardiogram and heart rate data that matched standard monitors and beat chest-strap monitors. The fibers are flexible and the shirts are machine washable.” This “smart clothing” idea was developed in a lab (Rice University Lab). Matteo Pasquali, a chemical and biomolecular engineer at the Brown School of Engineer Lab reported that nanofibers were sewed in athletic wear monitoring heart rate as well as taking an EKG (electrocardiogram). “The fibers are just as conductive as metal wires, but washable, comfortable and far less likely to break when a body is in motion, according to the researchers.” In fact, the T Shirt is better at data gathering than the chest strap monitor.
NEW AND IMPROVED PANDEMIC FIGHTING DISINFECTANT? E FACTS Researchers at the University of Central Florida have discovered a new method that would disinfect COVID-19 virus infected objects for a prolonged period of time, which would extend to at least 7 days.
“Christina Drake, founder of Kismet Technologies, was inspired by her grocery trip after seeing a worker using disinfectant to attempt to develop an improved disinfectant that would improve the efficiency. And so, Drake collaborated with Dr. Sudipta Seal, a UCF materials engineer and nonsciences expert, and Dr. Griff Parks, a virologist, to create a nanoparticle-engineering disinfectant. By using cerium oxide, a regenerative antioxidant ingredient, and small proportions of silver to make the solution more potent against pathogens, the formula is able to successfully improve the efficacy of disinfectants previously used against COVID-19 pathogens. The success of this disinfectant has reached far out of the intended expectations. As a matter of fact, scientists conducting tests with this disinfectant noticed the virus being successful with the encounter of a wider range of viruses with different structures and complexities that scientists are hoping it would be a strong weapon against worsening viruses in the future. In addition, the disinfectant formula is said to be safe with no use of harmful chemicals that may possibly irritate the skin or eyes. Despite its success, this serum is far from completion. Scientists are hoping to verify its efficiency in real life scenarios before making the final call to the public. CHEMISTRY| 08
NEW ETHANOL CATALYST FOR IMPROVED METHOD OF TRAVELING The United States Department of Energy Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, with the assistance of Oregon State University and experts at LanzaTech, is able to develop a new method to convert renewable or industrial waste gases into diesel fuel. By using the “PNNL-patented catalyst”, biofuel is able to be converted into n-butene, a versatile chemical that can be used for any source. This would reduce the overall cost of the need to fuel working engines. In addition, the overall carbon dioxide emission would be reduced with renewable sources for commercial engines such as diesels and jet fuels. According to Vanessa Dagle, one of the primary participants of this research study, the complexity of biomass conversion to renewable energy has been reduced such that the cost of the entire process could be reduced as well by using 3D printing to create the technologies needed to combine microchannels with catalysts. According to Robert Dagle, a scientist assisting the development of this technology, the new modular design would “reduce the amount of time and risk necessary to deploy a reactor” and with the use of 3D printing technology, this process would be more efficient to complete.
There are multiple additional benefits along with the usage of this particular catalyst. Firstly, the catalyst is ensured to remain stable. According to research conducted, the catalyst can be easily regenerated after losing its activity, thus allowing the catalyst to be used for a prolonged period. This particular catalyst system is adjusted so that it is able to easily generate butadiene, a building block for synthetic plastic or nbutene, an important resource for jet fuels.
CHEMISTRY| 09
Astro/Physics
MEASURING THE MASS OF BLACK HOLES?
“An actively feeding black hole surrounds itself with a disk of hot gas and dust that flickers like a campfire. Astronomers have now found that monitoring changes in those flickers can reveal something that is notoriously hard to measure: the behemoth’s heft.” This is a new way to measure the weight of black holes and any other astrophysical objects containing an accretion disk. It is difficult to calculate the mass of a black hole because the dark behemoths are hard to see. However, when dust and gas fall into the black hole, they form a disk which “is heated to white-hot temperatures and can, in some cases, outshine all the stars in the galaxy combined.” Using the general relativity theory by Einstein, the mass can be calculated using the diameter. However, other black holes’ mass has been calculated using surrounding material. However, that takes up a lot of data and this method does not work on all black holes. The method using accretion disks is a simpler way to calculate mass of a black hole.
N OSMIAC D ISC | | 21 41 ASTRO/PHY
Evidence of Cosmic Cannibalism? In 2017, astronomers were hinted at the existence of a strange phenomenon from a radio telescope in the New Mexican desert, when a burst of radio energy that was brighter than a supernova, caught the attention of Dillon Dong and his colleagues at Caltech. It was predicted that a similar situation has occurred in the past, including 2014 when there was an abnormal xray burst detected by the Japanese Monitor of All Sky X-ray Image Telescope. At the time, the phenomenon was claimed to be a combination of one star dying with a supernova and another becoming a black hole. However, it was only until recently that astronomers were able to witness the rare occurrence of a star swallowing up a black hole, also known as a neutron star, causing it to explode with only the trace of a new black hole. This discovery would help develop scientists' understanding and improve the accuracy of the common envelope evolution by observing and collecting data for accurate simulations in the future for better understanding of our universe.
New VortexLike Atomic and Molecular Beams Discovery
Scientists have discovered the existence and creation process of spiraling beams of light, or electrons. This vortex beam has potential to improve microscopic images and information transmission with the help of quantum physics. However, there is still more to this phenomenon that has yet to be discovered. According to sciencenews.org, vortex beam waves travel in a straight beam of light throughout space, indicating that it carries an orbital angular momentum in terms of quantum physics. Through this, scientists are able to identify the travel efficiency of light and compare it to other orbital angular momentums to learn more about the limits of orbital angular momentums in general. It is a mystery of the impact that would occur if the vortex beams with orbital angular momentum were to collide with a beam of light and scientists are determined to find out more.
ASTRO/PHYSICS| 12
Earth Science
Volcano Climate Effect “Scientists at the University of Southampton have discovered that extensive chains of volcanoes have been responsible for both emitting and then removing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) over geological time. This stabilised temperatures at Earth's surface.” The impact from the processes of the Earth over the past 400 million years have been explored by researchers. Chemical weathering is when rocks break down and dissolve. This is important because the products of chemical weathering such as calcium and magnesium are flushed into bodies of water. These minerals are where carbon dioxide is trapped. The mechanism will regulate carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and global climate over a period of time. “The team found that continental volcanic arcs were the most important driver of weathering intensity over the past 400 million years.” The rocks of the volcano are fragmented and reactive to chemicals so the rocks will be flushed in the oceans. This is a “balancing act”. These volcanoes give out carbon dioxide while also getting rid of carbon dioxide.
EARTH SCIENCE| 14
GREENLAND ICE CAPS CLIMATE EFFECT “New collaborative research from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and five partner institutions (University of Arizona, University of Washington, Pennsylvania State University, Desert Research Institute and University of Bergen), published today in Nature Geoscience, reveals that during past periods glaciers and ice caps in coastal west Greenland experienced climate conditions much different than the interior of Greenland.” In fact, the ice caps got larger rather than shrank due to the periods of warming over the past 2,000 years. Analysis of these ice caps can lead to an examination of environmental change and climate history. Now, the ice caps have been melting which contributes to the rise of sea level. “...this phenomenon happens because of a "tug-of-war" between what causes an ice cap to grow (increased precipitation) or recede (increased melting) during periods of warming.”
EARTH SCIENCE| 15
EARLIEST HUMAN FOOTPRINT FOUND IN AMERICA
Recently, a human footprint has been found at White Sands
Archaeologists and
National Park in New Mexico, which is predicted to be over
other professionals
23,000 years old and the oldest evidence of human activity
would be able to
present in North America. Over the previous years, scientists
understand the
have attempted to guess the approximate time in which
changes in
humans have stepped foot in North America and this new
landscape and
discovery changes everything.
environment that individuals had Because this footprint
gone through at
correlates to a similar period with the existence of the Last Glacial Maximum, it is predicted
the time. In addition, finding evidence of the presence of
that this would be the
extinct animals
oldest human footprints that have been found. This
allows scientists to establish the
opportunity has allowed
connection that
scientists to get a basic understanding of the
humans had
social situation of the
coexisted and
footprint is way over the assumed
societies at the time
interacted with
period in which humans existed
period. For instance, the
multiple currently
made by scientists. Despite difficulty
footprints indicate that at
extinct animals at
in finding sites over approximately
the time, teenagers were
the time.
16,000 years ago, this discovery is
taking the roles of adults
one of the many pieces of evidence
by taking care of the
used to prove the existence of
children, feeding them,
people before the Clovis through the
and establishing an
use of radiocarbon dating.
organized system.
In fact, the predicted age of the
EARTH SCIENCE| 16
Environmental Science
What role did climate change play in Hurricane Ida? “By the time Hurricane Ida made landfall on Sunday morning, the storm had strengthened dramatically. Picking up intensity overnight as it moved over warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, it hit the Louisiana coast as a Category 4 hurricane.” Hurricane Ida started as an Atlantic Ocean Disturbance. However, the hurricane escalated leading to it being the worst hurricane hitting Louisiana since 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. Even though scientists are not sure whether or not the frequency of hurricanes is traced back to climate change. But, it is known that climate change is contributing to the level of destruction by these hurricanes. Climate change effects have contributed to the different levels of severity caused by the hurricanes. “Most obviously, rising sea levels have led to higher storm surges. Hotter temperatures create more water vapor in the atmosphere, which in turn means more rainfall.”
Environmental Impact on Clouds from Wildfires
Due to recent increase in heat temperatures, there have been greater wildfires throughout the western United States region. Because of the smoke from wildfires, clouds are covered with tiny airborne particles that would pummel to tiny ainborn physics. From data collected, scientists have discovered that clouds are able to store five times as much water without the use of water. According to the article, the water droplets from clouds would only fall when the water concentration has been enough for the rain to fall. As a result, there would be high chances of impact on the development of clouds due to the warming influence that would impact the cloud formation and development. The rain is assumed to be smaller under the influence of high concentration of carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, etc, since there has been countless news of Elizabeth and saving her from her pace including the increase of acid rain, caused by layers of smoke particles. With the continuation of excessive care for the burning of the environment, our next step is to increase the influence and acknowledgement of their accomplishment by analyzing the behavior in environmental environments.
E N V I R O N M E N T A L S C I E N C E | 1 8
EXTINCTIONS REPORTED According
to
woodpecker Kauai
O’o,
longer that
Illinois.” and
22
is
hope
Federal
biodiversity of
humans
creates
habitat
from
that
the
For
a
searching and to
for
2030,
to
In
2005,
video
of
what
However,
There
has
contributed
was
was
a
with to
the
by
well
will
lands
of
the
as
be
has
1
list
in
from
away
been
slower. is
the
to
the
created for
continue the
Fish
According
prioritize
protection.
the
ivory-billed
in
a
However,
capturing
regarding
of
plant
putting
scientists
tendency
an
to
oceans.
part,
need
no
of
future,
protection
and
is
This
taking
species.
do
increase
the
the
extinct,
decline
climate
from
that
Activity
controversy
heavy
Georgia
announced
extinct.
been,
be
from
and
mussels
extinction.
released to
there
freshwater
rivers
proposal
that
“And
time,
service’s
thought
been
correlation
for
species
there
A
the
has
the
the
as
warbler
throughout
declared
Service
protecting
was
be
of
there
of
decades
officials,
a
animal.
percent
Wildlife
the
the
species
risk
pollution
year
30
at
of
glimpse
worsening
species
birds.
removed
declared a
of
have
be
ivory-billed Bachman’s
types
and
officials
crisis
the
types
streams
should
the
as
several
provides
millions
minimum
also
species,
announcement
by
for
animals
Same
are
filtered
endangered
officials,
gone.
which
any
once
federal
blurry
sight
woodpecker. that.
population
mosquitoes.
that
This
has
a
is
change.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE| 19
Technology
AI TECHNOLOGY REPLACING CARDIOVASCULAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING?
“New artificial intelligence technology for heart imaging could allow doctors to examine a patient’s heart for scar tissue while eliminating the need for contrast injections typically required in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR).” Researchers at the University of Virginia Health System compared the AI Approach [Virtual Native Enhancement (VME)] and the CMR Approach and determined that the VME Approach produced images that were of higher quality as well as capturing evidence that was better. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a heart disease that is genetic (most common). This disease causes the thickening and stiffening of muscles which will lead to the heart’s ability to pump blood being reduced. “While the current research examined VNE’s potential in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the AI creators also envision the technology’s use in many other heart conditions.”
TECHNOLOGY| 21
Sources “A Recent Reversal in the Response of Western Greenland's Ice Caps to Climate Change.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 9 Sept. 2021, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210909162229.htm. “Can Fruit Fly Research Help Improve Survival of Cancer Patients?” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 16 Sept. 2021, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210916131326.htm. Clark, Caitlin. “Climate Change Helped Intensify Hurricane Ida: A Potential Preview of What's to Come.” Phys.org, 7 Sept. 2021, phys.org/news/2021-09-climate-hurricane-ida-potential-preview.html. ….
Conover, Emily. “New 'Vortex Beams' of Atoms and Molecules Are the First of Their Kind.” Science News, 2 Sept. 2021, www.sciencenews.org/article/vortex-beam-atom-molecule-quantum-physics? utm_source=Latest_Headlines&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest_Headlines. preview.html. Crowell, Rachel. “Clouds Affected by Wildfire Smoke May Produce Less Rain.” Science News, 9 Sept. 2021, www.sciencenews.org/article/clouds-wildfire-smoke-rain-climate? utm_source=Latest_Headlines&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest_Headlines. Einhorn, Catrin. “Protected Too Late: U.S. Officials Report More than 20 Extinctions.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Sept. 2021, www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/climate/endangered-animals-extinct.html.
Grossman, Lisa. “Measuring a Black Hole's Mass Isn't Easy. A New Technique Could Change That.” Science News, 12 Aug. 2021, www.sciencenews.org/article/black-holes-mass-measure-new-technique-accretion-disk. “Gut Bacteria Influence Brain Development.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 3 Sept. 2021, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210903132656.htm. “Hummingbirds Can Smell Their Way out of Danger.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 6 Sept. 2021, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210906091001.htm. “Long-Lasting Disinfectant Promises to Help Fight Pandemics.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 2 Sept. 2021, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210901142713.htm. Mann, Adam. “Astronomers May Have Seen a Star Gulp down a Black Hole and Explode.” Science News, 2 Sept. 2021, www.sciencenews.org/article/astronomy-star-swallow-black-hole-supernova-cosmology? utm_source=Latest_Headlines&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest_Headlines. McNemar, Erin. “Artificial Intelligence Technology Advances Heart Imaging.” HealthITAnalytics, 2 Sept. 2021, healthitanalytics.com/news/artificial-intelligence-technology-advances-heart-imaging. Mittan, Kyle. “23,000-Year-Old Human Footprints Are Oldest in the Americas.” Futurity, 30 Sept. 2021, www.futurity.org/oldest-human-footprints-americas-2635322/. O'Neill, Mike. “Chemistry Breakthrough: Faster and Cheaper Ethanol-to-Jet-Fuel on the Horizon.” SciTechDaily, 28 Aug. 2021, scitechdaily.com/chemistry-breakthrough-faster-and-cheaper-ethanol-to-jet-fuelon-the-horizon/. “Researchers Find Universal Formula for Egg Shape.” SciNews, 1 Sept. 2021, www.sci-news.com/biology/eggshape-universal-mathematical-formula-10019.html. “'Smart' Shirt Keeps Tabs on the Heart.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 30 Aug. 2021, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210830123233.htm. Steff, Brittany. “Researchers Discover a Gene That Controls the Severity of Colon Cancer.” Medical Xpress, 7 Sept. 2021, medicalxpress.com/news/2021-09-gene-severity-colon-cancer.html. “Volcanoes Acted as a Safety Valve for Earth's Long-Term Climate.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 23 Aug. 2021, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210823125827.htm.
Executive Board President: Mariya Meleganich Co-Vice Presidents: Ethan Kwok & Nitya Patel Secretary: Eric Osipov Treasurer: Hannah Gong Media Manager: Tina Li
Our Committee Head(s): Magazine: Nicole Huang & Lauren Tsui Career Advancement: John Niewinski Events: Upama Hasan & Srewashi Mondal Recognition: Jacklin Xie & Jaden Flach Outreach: Ruby Perkis & Shanika Paul
Executive Council: Can Jiang, Tina Chen, & Philip Zitser