Tech | Page 1053 | Science Codex

Parents' binge eating, restrictive feeding practices may be reactions to kids' emotions

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A new study of more than 440 parents and their preschoolers offers insight into why some parents who binge eat also may try to restrict their children's food intake, placing their children at higher risk for unhealthy eating habits and weight problems.

Parents who reported feeling distress when their child was angry, crying or fearful were more likely to engage in episodes of binge eating - and to limit the amounts or types of food they provided to their children, University of Illinois researchers found.

Transparent wood could one day help brighten homes and buildings

When it comes to indoor lighting, nothing beats the sun's rays streaming in through windows. Soon, that natural light could be shining through walls, too. Scientists have developed transparent wood that could be used in building materials and could help home and building owners save money on their artificial lighting costs. Their material, reported in ACS' journal Biomacromolecules, also could find application in solar cell windows.

Hydride-ion conduction makes its first appearance

Ionic transport has been studied extensively over the years for energy devices such as fuel cells and batteries using Li+, H+, Ag+, Cu+, F-, and O2-. Yet as Genki Kobayashi and Ryoji Kanno point out in a recent report, hydride ions (H-) may be particularly useful for high-energy-density storage and conversion devices. Using an oxyhydride solid state cell they have now demonstrated pure H- conduction in an oxide for the first time.

Scientists explain evolution of some of the largest dinosaurs

Scientists from the University of Liverpool have developed computer models of the bodies of sauropod dinosaurs to examine the evolution of their body shape.

Sauropod dinosaurs include the largest land animals to have ever lived. Some of the more well-known sauropods include Diplodocus, Apatosaurus and Brontosaurus. They are renowned for their extremely long necks, long tails as well as four thick, pillar-like legs and small heads in relation to their body.

Separating charge and discharge in measuring next-generation car batteries

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 29, 2016 -- Lithium ion phosphate batteries are widely used to power the batteries in electric cars, but, unlike the amount of gas in a fuel tank, their state of charge can't be measured directly by a physical quantity. Instead, they use an algorithm based on measurements of battery voltage and current, which are in turn influenced by conditions such as weather, electrovoltaic state and traffic conditions. However, the algorithms currently used to measure state of charge each carry drawbacks when used in real-time applications.

Automated Ebola blood test performs well in field evaluation

An automated "sample-to-answer" system could provide Ebola virus disease (EVD) diagnosis more quickly and easily than the current standard test, according to research published this week in PLOS Medicine. In a field evaluation study, Nira Pollock of Boston Children's Hospital and colleagues from Public Health England and Partners In Health found that the Cepheid GeneXpert Ebola assay provided results in near agreement with the standard laboratory test for both whole blood (WB) and cheek swab (buccal swab, BS) samples.

Just 50p a week could decide the UK's future in Europe, study finds

If people feel Brexit will reduce their income - even by as little as £25 a year, or 50p a week - then a majority will vote to remain. If people think they'll be better off out, then a majority will vote to leave.

The findings are from a YouGov poll of 15,000 people, commissioned by Philip Cowley, Professor of Politics at QMUL.

New harmonized test protocols for PEM fuel cells in hydrogen vehicles

A lack of standards for testing polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells - the most attractive type of fuel cells for powering vehicles - has hampered objective comparative assessment of their performance and durability under operating conditions and hence of their technological progress. By proposing a test methodology including a set of representative operating conditions and getting European industry and research stakeholders to agree on it, the JRC has helped fill the gap.

New scrolling technique accelerates skim reading

The amount of data that we take in from screens each day through documents, email chains, web pages and social media flows is enormous. The continuous scrolling technique we typically use to browse this data is, however, far from perfect.

Sweet, tasty and healthy -- the new essence of juice?

Sweet, tasty and healthy - the new essence of juice?

Lime, fibre and stevia provide a cocktail of ingredients that can be added to fruit juice to increase its nutritional value and promote the sensory experience of the juice.

Is HUD housing affordable? New FAU study says not when you factor in costs to commute

Where to live can be a dilemma for many Americans. Do you pay more for housing located near work and other destinations or do you pay less for housing that requires extensive driving? What about families with housing subsidies? Does this tradeoff on housing and transportation expenses hold true for them?

Researchers developed manufacturing method for batteries with organic electrode materials

With people wanting to use smaller electronic devices, smaller energy storage systems are needed. Researchers of Aalto University in Finland have demonstrated the fabrication of electrochemically active organic lithium electrode thin films, which help make microbatteries more efficient than before. Researchers used a combined atomic/molecular layer deposition (ALD/MLD) technique, to prepare lithium terephthalate, a recently found anode material for a lithium-ion battery.

A sensitive subject

Type an email on your computer. Raise a glass to your lips. Feel for the light switch in a dark room. Simple, everyday tasks can demand subtle interactions between our hands and our surroundings, but, surprisingly, much remains unknown about the mechanics of the sense of touch.

The non-driving millennial? Not so simple, says new research

It's a well worn media trope. 21st century millennials are leading the way to a green transportation future, moving to cities, riding public transit, biking and walking -and often delaying car purchases indefinitely, to Detroit's growing dismay.

Mount Sinai researchers assess accuracy of commercially available lab tests

Scientists from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai performed an in-depth comparison of basic blood tests run by commercial laboratories to assess comparability of the tests among the different laboratories, finding that testing service and time of collection significantly influenced results. Given that lab tests are used to help decide everything from disease diagnosis to whether a patient needs medicine or whether that medication is working, this study highlights the importance of knowing the accuracy and variability of test results.