Head-turning Cassie Cal makes campus moves on hovershoes

A bipedal robot called Cassie Cal is in the news, thanks to a video from its home at the Hybrid Robotics group at University of California Berkeley.

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The power of a love song: Dopamine affects seasonal hearing in fish and facilitates mating

Many people associate dopamine with reward or attention. Some might think of the part it plays in addiction, or Parkinson's disease, which kills off dopamine-making neurons.

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Research finds pre-pregnancy weight affects infant growth response to breast milk

In the first study of its kind, LSU Health New Orleans researchers report that women's pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity produces changes in breast milk, which can affect infant growth. The research findings are published in PLOS ONE, available online here.

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Novel denoising method generates sharper photorealistic images faster

Monte Carlo computational methods are behind many of the realistic images in games and movies. They automate the complexities in simulating the physics of lights and cameras to generate high-quality renderings from samples of diverse image features and scenes. But the process of Monte Carlo rendering is slow and can take hours—or even days—to produce a single image, and oftentimes the results are still pixelated, or "noisy."

* This article was originally published here

Fermi mission reveals its highest-energy gamma-ray bursts

For 10 years, NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has scanned the sky for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the universe's most luminous explosions. A new catalog of the highest-energy blasts provides scientists with fresh insights into how they work.

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MRI plays a role in diagnosis of cocaine-related damage to the heart

Cardiac MRI has a pivotal role to play in the diagnosis of cocaine-induced cardiovascular diseases, according to an article published in the journal Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging.

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Study finds over a quarter of adults aged 50+ are deficient in vitamin D

Over a quarter of adults aged 50+ are deficient in vitamin D according to researchers from Trinity College Dublin who announced their findings today (Thursday, June 13th). Over half (57%) had inadequate serum vitamin D levels, of which 26% were classed as vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D has a known role in bone health, with growing evidence for beneficial effects on muscle strength and other non-skeletal outcomes. The study was recently published in the international, peer-reviewed journal Nutrients.

* This article was originally published here

Parrot world's endangered heavyweight faces new threat

An unprecedented disease outbreak has pushed the critically endangered kakapo, the world's fattest parrot, closer to extinction, New Zealand scientists said Thursday.

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Researchers conduct new diet study using MRI to map internal fat

A research team led by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) Prof. Iris Shai has published a significant long-term study on the impact of Mediterranean and low-carb diets and exercise, measuring their impact with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to map body fat.

* This article was originally published here

Physicists take a step closer to building a graphene-based topological insulator

In 2005, condensed matter physicists Charles Kane and Eugene Mele considered the fate of graphene at low temperatures. Their work led to the discovery of a new state of matter dubbed a "topological insulator," which would usher in a new era of materials science.

* This article was originally published here