Tech | Page 1090 | Science Codex

Plus-sized models in advertising linked to rising obesity rates: Study

The increasing use of plus-sized models in advertising campaigns may be contributing to growing rates of obesity, a new study from Simon Fraser University's Beedie School of Business suggests.

The study, published by the American Marketing Association's Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, found that as advertising campaigns increasingly use fewer images of models that are underweight and aesthetically flawless--instead utilizing non-traditional models with larger body types--the tactic can have a detrimental effect on the public's lifestyle and eating behavior.

New understanding of how shape and form develop in nature

Researchers have developed a new method for generating complex shapes, and have found that the development of form in nature can be driven by the physical properties of materials themselves, in contrast with earlier findings. The results, reported in the journal Nature, could enable the construction of complex structures from simple components, with potential applications in pharmaceuticals, paints, cosmetics and household products such as shampoo.

Could metal particles be the clean fuel of the future?

Can you imagine a future where your car is fueled by iron powder instead of gasoline?

Metal powders, produced using clean primary energy sources, could provide a more viable long-term replacement for fossil fuels than other widely discussed alternatives, such as hydrogen, biofuels or batteries, according to a study in the Dec. 15 issue of the journal Applied Energy.

Nanostructured metal coatings let the light through for electronic devices

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Light and electricity dance a complicated tango in devices like LEDs, solar cells and sensors. A new anti-reflection coating developed by engineers at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, lets light through without hampering the flow of electricity, a step that could increase efficiency in such devices.

Flushed resource restores ecosystem

Every city has abandoned industrial sites. Encouraging life to return to these barren areas is a challenge. It requires a healthy topsoil for plants and animals to flourish. Cities, with their heavily compacted and often contaminated soils, often struggle to restore blighted spaces. Quality soil is necessary--but not abundant in cities. Enter biosolids.

The Lake Calumet Cluster Site (LCCS) was the home of five U.S steel plants on the southeast side of Chicago. Now it's an 87-acre wasteland of glassy slag--a rocky byproduct of steel manufacturing.

Genomic analysis sheds light on Ebola virus disease outbreak in Liberia

Scientists have performed the first comprehensive genomic analysis of Ebola virus sequences from Liberia, one of three countries widely affected by the devastating outbreak that began in 2013 in Western Africa. Their work, published today in Cell Host & Microbe, traces the introduction and spread of the virus in Liberia and also sheds light on how the virus moved between the neighboring countries of Guinea and Sierra Leone.

Students report high levels of hazardous drinking, CAMH survey finds

TORONTO, Dec. 9, 2015 - Alcohol remains the most popular drug of choice for Ontario students in grades 7 through 12, with 29 percent of 12th graders engaging in hazardous drinking, according to the 2015 Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS) released today by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). More than one-quarter of high school students are allowed to drink at home with friends.

Toward a faster, more efficient way to sniff out explosives

Explosives detection is important for ensuring the safety of public spaces, transportation and water systems, but it can be challenging to carry out. Now scientists report in the journal ACS Nano a new step toward a more efficient monitoring method that uses quantum dots to quickly sniff out and identify five dangerous compounds, including the powerful explosive hidden in 'shoe bomber' Richard Reid's footwear.

Detecting and identifying explosives with single test

A new test for detecting multiple explosives simultaneously has been developed by UCL scientists. The proof-of-concept sensor is designed to quickly identify and quantify five commonly used explosives in solution to help track toxic contamination in waste water and improve the safety of public spaces.

Call for police killings, police deaths to be reported as public health data

Boston, MA - Although no reliable official data currently exist on the number of law enforcement-related deaths each year in the U.S., counting these deaths can and should be done because the data constitute crucial public health information that could help prevent future deaths, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

NREL research advances understanding of photoelectrodes

Scientists at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have developed a new probe that could lead to a better photoelectrochemical cell.

A paper on the discovery, 'Semiconductor interfacial carrier dynamics via photoinduced electric fields,' was published in Science Magazine.

Ye Yang and Jing Gu are lead authors of the paper. NREL colleagues, James Young, Elisa Miller, John Turner, Nathan Neale and Matthew Beard also contributed to the research.

NREL estimates economically viable US renewable generation

Analysts at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are providing, for the first time, a method for measuring the economic potential of renewable energy across the United States.

A study applying this new method found that renewable energy generation is economically viable in many parts of the United States largely due to rapidly declining technology costs.

Portable device can quickly determine the extent of an eye injury

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- An engineer and an ophthalmologist are developing a portable sensor that can quickly and inexpensively determine whether an eye injury is mild or severe. The device, called OcuCheck, measures levels of vitamin C in the fluids that coat or leak from the eye. The sensor could speed efforts to determine the extent of eye injuries at accident sites, in rural areas lacking ophthalmology specialists or on the battlefield, the researchers said.

Fed. regulations should be strengthened to prepare for potential spills of diluted bitumen

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) needs to modify its regulations and planning in order to strengthen preparedness for accidental spills of diluted bitumen from pipelines, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

On-the-go ultrahigh vacuum storage systems

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 8, 2015 - The train to Tsukuba, Japan often carries workers with briefcases and travelers with overnight bags, but recently a group of scientists took an unusual bit of luggage on board: a suitcase with an ultrahigh vacuum chamber to store air-sensitive clusters of platinum metal.

The clusters are of special interest because they're expected to improve catalytic activities such as automotive exhaust reactions and electrochemical reactions.