Heavens

Research finds parents can play a role in preventing teen fighting

LOS ANGELES - Nearly one-fourth of all teens reported being involved in a physical fight in the past year, with higher rates of violent altercations among African American and Latino adolescents. In the first study of its kind, researchers conducted focus groups with African American and Latino parents regarding teen violence.

Findings from their study suggested that addressing the parents' attitudes about fighting, involving them in violence prevention programs and tailoring programs to different racial/ethnic groups may improve the effectiveness of prevention programs.

NASA looks at deadly weather over the US

NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement or GPM mission core satellite analyzed extreme weather that affected the U.S. over the course of five days. Heavy rainfall, flooding and tornado outbreaks affected areas of the United States from the Southwest through the Midwest from Dec. 23, 2015 to Dec. 27, 2015.

GPM is an international satellite mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to provide next-generation observations of rain and snow worldwide every three hours.

James Webb Space Telescope mirror halfway complete

Inside NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center's massive clean room in Greenbelt, Maryland, the ninth flight mirror was installed onto the telescope structure with a robotic arm. This marks the halfway completion point for the James Webb Space Telescope's segmented primary mirror.

The James Webb Space Telescope team has been working tirelessly to install all 18 of Webb's mirror segments onto the telescope structure.

Description of mechanism that halts solar eruptions

Among the most feared events in space physics are solar eruptions, massive explosions that hurl millions of tons of plasma gas and radiation into space. These outbursts can be deadly: if the first moon-landing mission had encountered one, the intense radiation could have been fatal to the astronauts. And when eruptions reach the magnetic field that surrounds the Earth, the contact can create geomagnetic storms that disrupt cell phone service, damage satellites and knock out power grids.

Exeter scientists call for reduction in plastic lab waste

Three researchers at the University of Exeter are calling for action to cut down on the five and a half million tonnes of plastic being generated globally in the course of scientific research.

In a Correspondence article entitled 'Labs should cut plastic waste too' published in the journal Nature this week, they estimate that bio scientific research is responsible for 1.8 per cent of total global plastic production, waste which weighs the equivalent of 67 cruise ships a year.

A mathematical model for animal stripes

The back of a tiger could have been a blank canvas. Instead, nature painted the big cat with parallel stripes, evenly spaced and perpendicular to the spine. Scientists don't know exactly how stripes develop, but since the 1950s, mathematicians have been modeling possible scenarios. In Cell Systems on December 23, Harvard researchers assemble a range of these models into a single equation to identify what variables control stripe formation in living things.

Vitamin D deficiency does not increase risk and severity of OSA

A recent study of elderly men found no evidence that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) increased in severity (or prevalence) as a result of vitamin D deficiency.

"The link between obesity and vitamin D deficiency can be explained a number ways, one of which is that obese individuals are less likely to be physically active, thereby limiting their sun exposure," said senior investigator Ken Kunisaki, MD, MS, Medical Director of the Sleep Apnea Program at the Minneapolis VA and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota.

Algorithm helps turn smartphones into 3-D scanners

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] -- While 3-D printers have become relatively cheap and available, 3-D scanners have lagged well behind. But now, an algorithm developed by Brown University researchers my help bring high-quality 3-D scanning capability to off-the-shelf digital cameras and smartphones.

Opioid dependency peaks among younger age group

EAST LANSING, Mich. - A Michigan State University study shows that 14- and 15-year-olds are at a higher risk of becoming dependent on prescription drugs within a 12-month period after using them extra-medically, or beyond the prescribed amount.

Meta-analysis finds evidence for nalmefene in the treatment of alcohol dependence is weak

Currently available evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCT) does not support the use of nalmefene for harm reduction for people with alcohol dependence, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis (SRMA) published this week in PLOS Medicine. The study, conducted by Florian Naudet at INSERM, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes, France also indicates that evidential support for the use of nalmefene to reduce alcohol consumption among this population is limited.

Forensic seismology tested on 2006 munitions depot 'cook-off' in Baghdad

On Oct. 10, 2006, a mortar round hit the ammunition supply depot at the U.S. Forward Operating Base Falcon south of Baghdad. The round started a smoldering fire punctuated by whizzing skyrockets, a rain of incandescent fragments, and massive explosions that bloomed into mushroom clouds. Soldiers who videotaped the "cook-off" can be heard wondering what exactly was in the dump and how much longer the explosions would continue.

ORNL achieves milestone with plutonium-238 sample

OAK RIDGE, Tenn., Dec. 22, 2015 - With the production of 50 grams of plutonium-238, researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have restored a U.S. capability dormant for nearly 30 years and set the course to provide power for NASA and other missions.

Heavens

Research finds parents can play a role in preventing teen fighting

NASA looks at deadly weather over the US

James Webb Space Telescope mirror halfway complete

Description of mechanism that halts solar eruptions

Exeter scientists call for reduction in plastic lab waste

A mathematical model for animal stripes

Vitamin D deficiency does not increase risk and severity of OSA

Algorithm helps turn smartphones into 3-D scanners

Opioid dependency peaks among younger age group

Meta-analysis finds evidence for nalmefene in the treatment of alcohol dependence is weak

Forensic seismology tested on 2006 munitions depot 'cook-off' in Baghdad

ORNL achieves milestone with plutonium-238 sample

Findings suggest increased number of IVF cycles can be beneficial

Chinese rover analyzes moon rocks: First new 'ground truth' in 40 years

Are you a 'harbinger of failure'?