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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/giraffe-kills-filmmaker-at-wildlife-facility-in-south-africa/

Giraffe Kills Filmmaker At Wildlife Facility In South Africa

A giraffe has killed a South African filmmaker who was on assignment at a wildlife facility northwest of Johannesburg.

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/oil-pops-above-70-for-first-time-since-2014/

Oil pops above $70 for first time since 2014

Rising oil prices just passed another milestone, jumping above $70 per barrel in Monday morning trade in Asia.

Oil prices have been climbing partly because of expectations that President Donald Trump will abandon the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, which allowed Iran to export more crude.

This is the first time the US crude benchmark has been above $70 since November 2014.

Prices have also gotten a lift from strong global demand and supply cuts by OPEC and Russia.

US oil prices have gained more than 16% since the start of the year.

— Matt Egan contributed to this report.

CNNMoney (Hong Kong) First published May 6, 2018: 11:10 PM ET

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/mount-taranaki-new-zealand-sciencedaily-2/

Mount Taranaki, New Zealand -- ScienceDaily

Volcanic hazard scenarios for Plinian eruptions at Mount Taranaki’s summit crater and Fanthams Peak vent. A-F: Scenario I. Close-conduits and conduit decompression by vent unroofing and dome collapse. G-K: Scenario II. Transient open and clogged conduits by repeated plugging-and-bursting of gas-depleted or chilled magma. L-O: Scenario III. Rapid progression into steady phases by open conduits. P: Possible upper conduit dynamics for each scenario based on data and interpretations of Torres-Orozco et al. (2017a, 2017b).

Credit: R. Torres-Orozco et al., GSA Bulletin, 2018.

Volcanic hazard scenarios for Plinian eruptions at Mount Taranaki’s summit crater and Fanthams Peak vent. A-F: Scenario I. Close-conduits and conduit decompression by vent unroofing and dome collapse. G-K: Scenario II. Transient open and clogged conduits by repeated plugging-and-bursting of gas-depleted or chilled magma. L-O: Scenario III. Rapid progression into steady phases by open conduits. P: Possible upper conduit dynamics for each scenario based on data and interpretations of Torres-Orozco et al. (2017a, 2017b).

Credit: R. Torres-Orozco et al., GSA Bulletin, 2018.

Close

Over the last 5000 years, Mount Taranaki volcano, located in the westernmost part of New Zealand’s North Island, produced at least 16 Plinian-scale explosive eruptions, the latest at AD 1655. These eruptions had magnitudes of 4 to 5, eruptive styles, and contrasting basaltic to andesitic chemical compositions comparable to the eruptions of Etna, 122 BC; Vesuvius, AD79; Tarawera, 1886; Pelée, 1902; Colima, 1910; Mount Saint Helens, 1980; Merapi, 2010; and Calbuco, 2015.

In this work, Rafael Torres-Orozco and colleagues combined geological mapping and lithostratigraphic analyses to define the possible hazard scenarios in case of Taranaki’s explosive reawakening.

The results indicate that, during a future Plinian event, bursting of both long-lasting, large-volume lava domes and transient, small-volume lava plugs from Taranaki’s andesitic summit crater would be typical, and these would produce different types of pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) flowing down the volcano flanks mainly due to gravity.

The most deadly “blast-type” PDCs would first explode and expand laterally, and then would flow downstream, reaching urban areas located at up to 18 km distance from the crater. Eruptive columns following or accompanying PDCs are ubiquitous to every scenario. These columns would inject ash and gas into the atmosphere, and could disperse 10-cm-thick layers of volcanic material over the most populated areas at 20-30 km from the crater. In the scenario of eruptions produced from vents different to the summit-crater, these would be expected to be basaltic and lack major PDCs.

These scenarios highlight the major role that PDCs must have in evaluating the hazardscape of Taranaki and of other similar volcanoes. The scenarios can be tailored to different sites around the world by localized studies, and can also be used to plan emergency management.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Geological Society of America. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Torres-Orozco et al. Volcanic hazard scenarios for multi-phase andesitic Plinian eruptions from lithostratigraphy: Insights into PDC diversity at Mount Taranaki, New Zealand. GSA Bulletin, 2018 DOI: 10.1130/G31850.1

Cite This Page:

Geological Society of America. “Volcanic hazard scenarios: Mount Taranaki, New Zealand.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 May 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180503142955.htm>.

Geological Society of America. (2018, May 3). Volcanic hazard scenarios: Mount Taranaki, New Zealand. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 6, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180503142955.htm

Geological Society of America. “Volcanic hazard scenarios: Mount Taranaki, New Zealand.” ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180503142955.htm (accessed May 6, 2018).

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/mount-taranaki-new-zealand-sciencedaily/

Mount Taranaki, New Zealand -- ScienceDaily

Volcanic hazard scenarios for Plinian eruptions at Mount Taranaki’s summit crater and Fanthams Peak vent. A-F: Scenario I. Close-conduits and conduit decompression by vent unroofing and dome collapse. G-K: Scenario II. Transient open and clogged conduits by repeated plugging-and-bursting of gas-depleted or chilled magma. L-O: Scenario III. Rapid progression into steady phases by open conduits. P: Possible upper conduit dynamics for each scenario based on data and interpretations of Torres-Orozco et al. (2017a, 2017b).

Credit: R. Torres-Orozco et al., GSA Bulletin, 2018.

Volcanic hazard scenarios for Plinian eruptions at Mount Taranaki’s summit crater and Fanthams Peak vent. A-F: Scenario I. Close-conduits and conduit decompression by vent unroofing and dome collapse. G-K: Scenario II. Transient open and clogged conduits by repeated plugging-and-bursting of gas-depleted or chilled magma. L-O: Scenario III. Rapid progression into steady phases by open conduits. P: Possible upper conduit dynamics for each scenario based on data and interpretations of Torres-Orozco et al. (2017a, 2017b).

Credit: R. Torres-Orozco et al., GSA Bulletin, 2018.

Close

Over the last 5000 years, Mount Taranaki volcano, located in the westernmost part of New Zealand’s North Island, produced at least 16 Plinian-scale explosive eruptions, the latest at AD 1655. These eruptions had magnitudes of 4 to 5, eruptive styles, and contrasting basaltic to andesitic chemical compositions comparable to the eruptions of Etna, 122 BC; Vesuvius, AD79; Tarawera, 1886; Pelée, 1902; Colima, 1910; Mount Saint Helens, 1980; Merapi, 2010; and Calbuco, 2015.

In this work, Rafael Torres-Orozco and colleagues combined geological mapping and lithostratigraphic analyses to define the possible hazard scenarios in case of Taranaki’s explosive reawakening.

The results indicate that, during a future Plinian event, bursting of both long-lasting, large-volume lava domes and transient, small-volume lava plugs from Taranaki’s andesitic summit crater would be typical, and these would produce different types of pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) flowing down the volcano flanks mainly due to gravity.

The most deadly “blast-type” PDCs would first explode and expand laterally, and then would flow downstream, reaching urban areas located at up to 18 km distance from the crater. Eruptive columns following or accompanying PDCs are ubiquitous to every scenario. These columns would inject ash and gas into the atmosphere, and could disperse 10-cm-thick layers of volcanic material over the most populated areas at 20-30 km from the crater. In the scenario of eruptions produced from vents different to the summit-crater, these would be expected to be basaltic and lack major PDCs.

These scenarios highlight the major role that PDCs must have in evaluating the hazardscape of Taranaki and of other similar volcanoes. The scenarios can be tailored to different sites around the world by localized studies, and can also be used to plan emergency management.

Story Source:

Materials provided by Geological Society of America. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Torres-Orozco et al. Volcanic hazard scenarios for multi-phase andesitic Plinian eruptions from lithostratigraphy: Insights into PDC diversity at Mount Taranaki, New Zealand. GSA Bulletin, 2018 DOI: 10.1130/G31850.1

Cite This Page:

Geological Society of America. “Volcanic hazard scenarios: Mount Taranaki, New Zealand.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 May 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180503142955.htm>.

Geological Society of America. (2018, May 3). Volcanic hazard scenarios: Mount Taranaki, New Zealand. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 6, 2018 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180503142955.htm

Geological Society of America. “Volcanic hazard scenarios: Mount Taranaki, New Zealand.” ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180503142955.htm (accessed May 6, 2018).

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/stormy-daniels-sends-message-to-trump-on-snl-storms-a-coming-baby/

Stormy Daniels Sends Message To Trump On 'SNL': 'Storm's A Coming, Baby'

Stormy Daniels made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” to deliver a message to President Donald Trump: “A storm’s a coming, baby.”

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Faith Hill Is In Love With Tim McGraw's Smooch Face

Faith Hill showed off one of her husband Tim McGraw’s most lovable qualities in honor of his birthday — his smooch face!

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/former-law-and-order-star-diane-neal-launches-congressional-campaign/

Former 'Law and Order' Star Diane Neal Launches Congressional Campaign

Former “Law and Order” actress Diane Neal is seeking a new gig as representative of a sprawling congressional district in upstate New York.

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/stormy-daniels-makes-cameo-on-snl-to-mock-president-trump/

Stormy Daniels makes cameo on 'SNL' to mock President Trump

“A storm’s a comin’, baby.”

That’s what the actual Stormy Daniels said to Alec Baldwin’s President Donald Trump on this week’s edition of “Saturday Night Live.” The actress appeared in the cold open alongside many other big names that surround Trump.

One such name was Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, played by Ben Stiller.

“What’s up, amigo? How are you holding up in prison?” Baldwin’s Trump said to Stiller’s Cohen over the phone.

“I’m not in prison,” said Stiller’s Cohen, who called Baldwin’s Trump from a pay phone.

“Oh well, give it a couple of weeks,” the faux president responded.

Baldwin’s Trump then said to call another one of his lawyers, Rudy Giuliani, played by Kate McKinnon, saying that he has “the sharpest mind since ‘My Cousin Vinny.'”

However, Cohen accidentally phoned Trump’s former personal doctor, Harold Bornstein, played by Martin Short.

“This is Harold Bornstein. Would you like to know any of patient’s medical history?” Short as Bornstein asked before Stiller’s Cohen called Giuliani, who was appearing on Fox News during the call.

Giuliani, who said he had other TV appearances lined up to give away secret information, was then looped by Cohen. But without his knowledge, FBI agents were also listening in on the phone call.

Trump and Cohen then connected others like Aidy Bryant’s Sarah Sanders, Beck Bennett’s Mike Pence, Cecily Strong’s Melania Trump, Leslie Jones’ Omarosa Manigault and Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, who were played by Scarlett Johansson and Jimmy Fallon.

Then Daniels got brought into the party line of calls as well.

“What do you need for all of this to go away?” Baldwin’s Trump asked Daniels.

“A resignation,” she responded to cheers from the audience.

Daniels and Baldwin’s Trump then opened the NBC variety show with its catch phrase, “Live from New York … It’s Saturday night!”

CNNMoney (New York) First published May 6, 2018: 12:46 AM ET

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/mitochondria-fight-toxoplasma-for-fat/

Mitochondria fight Toxoplasma for fat

Toxoplasma parasites (blue), shown here in their encysted stage within liver tissue, compete with mitochondria for lipids.

CREDIT: MOREDUN SCIENTIFIC LTD./SCIENCE SOURCE

Mitochondria provide platforms for innate immunity. The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii infects almost 50% of individuals in western countries and up to 90% in developing countries. Pernas et al. wanted to understand the role of mitochondrial morphology in the control of Toxoplasma growth. They discovered that parasite-infected cells displayed a marked reduction in host lipid droplets caused by Toxoplasma-induced droplet autophagy (lipophagy). Fatty acid flux analysis revealed the path of fatty acids from the droplets to the Toxoplasma-containing vacuole. Elongated mitochondria congregated around the vacuole and competed with Toxoplasma for the lipophagy-liberated fatty acids. When mitochondria could not fuse and elongate, or could not oxidize fatty acids, parasite growth was enhanced.

Cell Metab. 27, 886 (2018).

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/mandy-moores-most-hilarious-cringey-tbt-photos-ranked/

Mandy Moore's Most Hilarious & Cringey #TBT Photos Ranked

Before she was TV’s favorite mom on “This Is Us,” Mandy Moore was a reigning ’90s pop princess and teen movie starlet of the early-aughts.

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/kim-kardashian-hits-high-school-reunion-in-las-vegas-dressed-like-cher-leaves-kanye-west-in-wyoming-2/

Kim Kardashian Hits High School Reunion In Las Vegas Dressed Like Cher, Leaves Kanye West In Wyoming

Kim Kardashian jetted off from her vacation with Kanye West Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to hit her high school reunion in Las Vegas with a couple of her besties. Kim kicked off the weekend by posting th…

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/winter-can-be-hard-science/

Winter can be hard | Science

Changes in climate affect the abundance of red-legged kittiwakes.

PHOTO: NICK PECKER/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The largest breeding colony of the red-legged kittiwake, an Arctic seabird, has undergone drastic declines and recovery over the past 40 years. It has been assumed that these changes have been driven by climate-induced shifts in food supply during breeding. Will et al. examined feathers collected from living birds and museum specimens to characterize isotopic signatures (which give a picture of food intake) and corticosterone levels (which relate to stress) over a 100-year period. They found that birds were less stressed when oceanic conditions in the eastern Pacific were warmer in both summer and winter and when sea ice was less extensive in the winter. Further, during years with more extensive ice, nitrogen isotope levels were higher, potentially indicating a higher reliance on energy stores. These results suggest that climate variability can directly affect population size and persistence and that winter conditions are important to reproductive success.

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 10.3354/meps12509 (2018).

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/kim-kardashian-hits-high-school-reunion-in-las-vegas-dressed-like-cher-leaves-kanye-west-in-wyoming/

Kim Kardashian Hits High School Reunion In Las Vegas Dressed Like Cher, Leaves Kanye West In Wyoming

Kim Kardashian jetted off from her vacation with Kanye West Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to hit her high school reunion in Las Vegas with a couple of her besties. Kim kicked off the weekend by posting th…

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/anna-kournikova-shares-first-baby-bump-photo-months-after-welcoming-twins-2/

Anna Kournikova Shares First Baby Bump Photo Months After Welcoming Twins

Better late than never! New mom Anna Kournikova has given fans a long-awaited look at her baby bump – four months after giving birth.

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/why-getting-old-gives-you-itchy-skin-science-2/

Why getting old gives you itchy skin | Science

Scratch that. The loss of touch-sensing cells may make older skin prone to itching.

Alohaflaminggo/shutterstock

By Emily UnderwoodMay. 3, 2018 , 2:00 PM

Getting old can be a real itch. In addition to having memory and muscle loss, many elderly people develop supersensitive skin that gets itchy at the lightest touch. Scientists don’t know what causes this miserable condition, called alloknesis, or how to treat it. Now, however, a study in mice has revealed a counterintuitive mechanism for the disorder: a loss of pressure-sensing cells in the skin. Although the findings have yet to be replicated in humans, the study raises the possibility that boosting the function of these cells could treat chronic itch in people, both young and old.

Chronic itch is different from chemical itch, which occurs when the immune system reacts to a foreign substance, such as oil from a poison oak leaf or saliva in a mosquito bite. Instead, chronic—or mechanical—itch is usually triggered by light pressure, such as the brush of fibers from a sweater. The condition is maddening, and when people repeatedly scratch their fragile, dry skin, it can lead to major health problems, including infections, says study author Hongzhen Hu, an anesthesiology researcher at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri.

Like people, mice visibly itch more with age. To find out why, Hu and colleagues used a hair-thin nylon filament to apply a precise amount of pressure to a patch of shaved skin on young and old rodents’ necks. Young mice didn’t respond much to the gentle touch, but the older mice scratched furiously at the spot. Analyzing skin samples from mice of both ages, the team found that older mice had far fewer pressure-sensing Merkel cells than young mice did. The fewer Merkel cells a mouse had, the more their touch-related itch problems increased in response to the filament, the researchers report today in Science.

Next, the team tested how young mice genetically engineered to lack Merkel cells would respond to the nylon fiber. They scratched with fervor, confirming that the Merkel cells were necessary to put a brake on the itchy sensations. They also boosted the activity of Merkel cells that had been genetically engineered to fire when exposed to a chemical called clozapine N-oxide, and found that it reduced scratching in mice with an itchy skin condition. The finding suggests that increasing Merkel cell activity could help treat alloknesis in people, the team writes.

Past studies have shown that Merkel cells in the skin are reduced in elderly people and people with dry skin conditions. Hu and colleagues are now analyzing skin biopsies from human patients with touch-related itch problems to determine whether their Merkel cells are also depleted. The study “nicely explains why people with dry skin conditions or [the elderly] tend to have elevated itch sensitivity,” says Xinzhong Dong, a neuroscientist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, who was not involved in the study.

Still unresolved, however, is the question of where the mechanical itch signals come from in the first place, notes Mark Hoon, a neuroscientist at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in Bethesda, Maryland. Although the evidence suggests Merkel cells help tamp down mechanical itch, the mechanism for producing the signals is still not clear, he says. “One is left wondering how it all fits together.”

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/meghan-markles-dad-thomas-will-walk-her-down-the-aisle-at-royal-wedding-2/

Meghan Markle's Dad Thomas Will Walk Her Down The Aisle At Royal Wedding

Meghan Markle’s parents will be attending her May 19 wedding and her dad, Thomas Markle, will have the special job of walking his daughter down the aisle!

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New Post has been published on https://usviraltrends.com/top-stories-a-disgraced-surgeon-ancient-human-voyages-and-an-antibody-coated-bacterium-science-5/

Top stories: a disgraced surgeon, ancient human voyages, and an antibody-coated bacterium | Science

(Left to right): ITAR-TASS NEWS AGENCY/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; ISTOCK.COM/DANILOVI; G. DONALDSON ET AL., SCIENCE VOL 360, (2018)

By Katie LanginMay. 4, 2018 , 1:50 PM

Disgraced surgeon is still publishing on stem cell therapies

Paolo Macchiarini, an Italian surgeon, has been fired from two institutions and faces the retraction of many of his papers after findings of scientific misconduct and ethical lapses in his research. Yet this hasn’t prevented him from publishing again in a peer-reviewed journal. Macchiarini appears as senior author on a paper investigating the viability of artificial esophagi “seeded” with stem cells, work that appears strikingly similar to the plastic trachea transplants that ultimately left most of his patients dead. The journal’s editor says he was unaware of Macchiarini’s history before publishing the study.

Ancient humans settled the Philippines 700,000 years ago

In what some scientists are calling a “one-in-a-million find,” archaeologists have discovered a cache of butchered rhino bones and dozens of stone tools on the Philippines’s largest island, Luzon. The find pushes back the earliest evidence for human occupation of the Philippines by more than 600,000 years, and it has archaeologists wondering who exactly these ancient humans were—and how they crossed the deep seas that surrounded that island and others in Southeast Asia.

By wrapping itself in antibodies, this bacterium may become a stable, beneficial part of the gut

Antibodies are one of the body’s most effective defenses against microbial pathogens. But at least one of these immune system proteins helps an apparently harmless bacterium make itself a lasting home in the human gut. The bacterium seems to coax immunoglobulin A, one of the most abundant antibodies produced by mammals, to cover its surface, helping it stick to the mucus lining of the gut and become a stable part of the microbiome, the constellation of microbes inhabiting our gut. The finding, in germ-free mice, could one day help researchers trying to treat a variety of conditions by adding microbes to the human body.

AI researchers allege that machine learning is alchemy

Ali Rahimi, a researcher in artificial intelligence (AI) at Google in San Francisco, California, took a swipe at his field last December—and received a 40-second ovation for it. Rahimi charged that machine learning algorithms, in which computers learn through trial and error, have become a form of “alchemy,” unable to decipher why some algorithms work and others don’t. Now, in a paper presented on 30 April at the International Conference on Learning Representations in Vancouver, Canada, Rahimi and his collaborators document examples of what they see as the alchemy problem and offer prescriptions for bolstering AI’s rigor.

This ocean path will take you on the longest straight-line journey on Earth

If you want to go on the longest boat ride in the world, but you don’t have a rudder, what route would you take? Five years ago, a reddit user proposed that traveling overseas from southern Pakistan to northeastern Russia would yield a trip of 32,090.3 kilometers—the longest straight-line journey on Earth. Now, a team of scientists has finally proved him right.