Heavens

WASHINGTON, DC -- A solar storm that jammed radar and radio communications at the height of the Cold War could have led to a disastrous military conflict if not for the U.S. Air Force's budding efforts to monitor the sun's activity, a new study finds.

Soon after Tropical Depression 08W strengthened into Tropical Storm Conson, NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed overhead from space and provided a look at the storm, revealing it was battling wind shear.

One of the studies in the August issue of Health Affairs examines the critical role of primary care in promoting overall health system performance in Latin American countries. The study, by James Macinko of the University of California, Los Angeles, and coauthors, analyzed survey data from Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, and Panama for the year 2013. The authors found significant weaknesses in primary care, with more than half of respondents lacking a regular doctor. According to the study, there were high rates of skipping needed care and accessing care on weekends.

Advances in technology coupled with an increased use of social media and personal devices could offer new possibilities for treating patients and improving outcomes, but the new approaches must be rigorously evaluated, according to a column by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert M. Califf, M.D., MACC, published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Soft materials are great at damping energy -- that's why rubber tires are so good at absorbing the shock of bumps and potholes. But if researchers are going to build autonomous soft systems, like soft robots, they'll need a way to transmit energy through soft materials.

Now, researchers at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), in collaboration with colleagues at the California Institute of Technology, have developed a way to send mechanical signals through soft materials.

Tropical Depression Ivette continues to weaken in the Central Pacific Ocean and infrared data from NASA's Aqua satellite showed a small area of strong storms remaining in the system.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite looked at the weakening storms within Tropical Depression Ivette on Aug. 8 at 7:08 a.m. EDT (11:08 UTC). There was only one area with some strong storms remaining in the circulation and that was seen in the northeastern quadrant.

Tropical Storm Javier formed on Aug. 7, 2016 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean off Mexico's western coast. Javier formed partially from the remnants of Hurricane Earl. NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement core satellite found that Javier contained heavy rain. On Aug. 8, Javier triggered hurricane and tropical storm warnings.

Landslides caused by heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Earl caused the reported deaths of at least 39 people in eastern Mexico. That kind of rainfall was now seen in Tropical Storm Javier.

Researchers at the University of Maryland and Michigan Technological University have operated a tiny proposed satellite ion rocket under a microscope to see how it works.

NASA's Aqua satellite recently caught a look at the newly formed tropical depression in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean.

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite spotted Tropical Storm Omais just off-shore, and east of the big island of Japan.

On Aug. 7 at 11:05 p.m. EDT (Aug.8 at 3:05 a.m. UTC) the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible light image of Omais in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The VIIRS image showed that the bulk of Omais' thunderstorms were north and west of the center of circulation. Omais' center was visible in the image, and the southeastern quadrant seems to be devoid of thunderstorm development.

DENVER - Researchers have identified a simple intervention that may help reduce levels of violence in maximum security prisons. Inmates who viewed nature videos showed reduced levels of aggression and were less likely to be disciplined than those in similar cellblocks, according to research presented at the American Psychological Association's 124th Annual Convention.

Results provide evidence for long and varied history of water in Mars Gale Crater

Sulphur and iron rich groundwater in Gale Crater was habitable by Earth standards

On Aug. 4 at 3:20 p.m. EDT (1920 UTC), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard NASA's Terra satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Storm Ivette. The image showed strong storms surrounded the low-level center of circulation and a thick band of powerful thunderstorms extended south of the center, while a fragmented band was north of the center.

New research from North Carolina State University finds that major volcanic activity on the planet Mercury most likely ended about 3.5 billion years ago. These findings add insight into the geological evolution of Mercury in particular, and what happens when rocky planets cool and contract in general.

Infrared data from NASA's Aqua satellite showed powerful thunderstorms in Tropical Storm Omais are wrapping around the center as it continues to consolidate.