Heavens

Special nerve cells cause goose bumps and nipple erection

The sympathetic nerve system has long been thought to respond the same regardless of the physical or emotional stimulus triggering it. However, in a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in the Nature Neuroscience, scientists show that the system comprises different neurons that regulate specific physiological functions, such as erectile muscle control.

Hunt for ninth planet reveals new extremely distant solar system objects

Washington, DC-- In the race to discover a proposed ninth planet in our Solar System, Carnegie's Scott Sheppard and Chadwick Trujillo of Northern Arizona University have observed several never-before-seen objects at extreme distances from the Sun in our Solar System. Sheppard and Trujillo have now submitted their latest discoveries to the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center for official designations. A paper about the discoveries has also been accepted to The Astronomical Journal.

Milky Way had a blowout bash 6 million years ago

The center of the Milky Way galaxy is currently a quiet place where a supermassive black hole slumbers, only occasionally slurping small sips of hydrogen gas. But it wasn't always this way. A new study shows that 6 million years ago, when the first human ancestors known as hominins walked the Earth, our galaxy's core blazed forth furiously. The evidence for this active phase came from a search for the galaxy's missing mass.

Forming Atlantic Tropical Depression 8 seen by NASA

The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite passed over Tropical Depression 8 as it formed off the coast of North Carolina in the Atlantic Ocean. GPM measured rainfall rates and analyzed the heights of storm cloud tops to assess the storm's strength.

NASA eyes powerful Hurricane Gaston almost 600 miles from Bermuda

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Hurricane Gaston as it was strengthening into a major hurricane, almost 600 miles away from Bermuda in the Atlantic Ocean. Aqua provided a visible look at the powerful hurricane.

NASA sees Lester strengthening into fourth major Eastern Pacific hurricane

When NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over hurricane Lester it was on the verge of becoming a major hurricane. That happened less than 12 hours later.

20 cent school intervention stops unhealthy weight gain in children

Rome, Italy - 27 Aug 2016: A school intervention costing less than 20 cents per child has stopped unhealthy weight gain. The randomised study is presented at ESC Congress 2016 today by Ms Daniela Schneid Schuh, a nutritionist at the Institute of Cardiology of Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil.1

"Obesity has reached a plateau in developed countries but continues to rise in many developing countries, such as Brazil," said Ms Schneid Schuh. "Thus, it is necessary to develop low-cost methods to prevent people become overweight, starting in childhood."

Sunflowers move from east to west, and back, by the clock

It's summertime, and the fields of Yolo County, Calif., are filled with rows of sunflowers, dutifully facing the rising sun.

At the nearby University of California, Davis, plant biologists have now discovered how sunflowers use their internal circadian "clocks," acting on growth hormones, to follow the sun during the day as they grow.

Allergy research: Response to house dust mites is age-dependent

In adults with a house dust mite allergy, a cascade of inflammatory signals on the surface of the airways leads to airway remodeling. This process cannot be influenced by standard cortisone therapy. Researchers at Helmholtz Zentrum München and the Technical University of Munich have reported these findings in the latest issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

NASA's GPM examines Tropical Storm Lester

The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite analyzed Tropical Storm Lester after it became the 12th named storm of the 2016 eastern Pacific Ocean on Aug. 25.

GPM, a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, analyzed Lester's rainfall rates and cloud heights.

Lester was far away from the Mexican coast and headed toward the west-northwest. Low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures are expected to assist in Lester's intensification to hurricane status today, Aug. 26.

NASA examines System 99L over Hispaniola in infrared light

When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the tropical low pressure area known as System 99L it was located over Hispaniola. The AIRS instrument aboard Aqua analyzed the low pressure area in infrared light.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard Aqua provided temperature data on System 99L on Aug. 25 at 1:47 p.m. EDT (1747 UTC) . AIRS infrared data showed that the depression had some powerful thunderstorms with high cold cloud tops (as cold as -63F/-53C). NASA research has shown that storms with cloud top temperatures that cold can generate heavy rainfall.

Typhoon Lionrock threatening Japan

Depending on the intensity track of Typhoon Lionrock, it could pass over Japan with the strength of a lion or or the weakness of a lamb. The intensity track is not clear as yet and some forecasters have it remaining a stronger storm while others have it downgrading significantly in intensity. Lionrock is still a distance away from Japan, currently 307 miles southeast of Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan, and is moving east northeast at 9 knots per hour. Maximum sustained winds are 105 knots gusting to 130 knots. Further movement will definitely lock in the forecast in the next 24 hours.

Structural, regulatory and human error were factors in Washington highway bridge collapse

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- When an important bridge collapsed on Interstate 5 near Mount Vernon, Washington, in 2013, questions were raised about how such a catastrophic failure could occur. A new analysis by a team of civil engineering faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign outlines the many factors that led to the collapse, as well as steps that transportation departments can take to prevent such accidents on other bridges of similar design.

Sensor systems identify senior citizens at risk of falling within 3 weeks

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Each year, millions of people--especially those 65 and older--fall. Such falls can be serious, leading to broken bones, head injuries, hospitalizations or even death. Now, researchers from the Sinclair School of Nursing and the College of Engineering at the University of Missouri found that sensors that measure in-home gait speed and stride length can predict likely falls. This technology can assist health providers to detect changes and intervene before a fall occurs within a three-week period.

Two NASA satellites take a bead on Gaston's movements

Gaston is currently sitting smack in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean churning away. Currently it is not near any landmasses and is at tropical storm status having weakened slightly from hurricane force.