Tech
Boulder, Colo., USA: Yosemite National Park contains some of the world's most iconic landforms, including Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and El Capitan. Although the cliffs of Yosemite Valley may appear static, rockfalls from these cliffs are common, with a rockfall occurring every four to five days on average. Rockfalls are key to shaping this iconic landscape but also pose risk to the four- to five-million visitors to the park annually.
A ground-breaking study has concluded that patients who see the same doctor over time have lower death rates.
The study, a collaboration between St Leonard's Practice in Exeter and the University of Exeter Medical School, is published today in BMJ Open. It is the first ever systematic review of the relationship between death rates and continuity of care - seeing the same doctor over time. The study analyses all the available evidence in the field to draw its conclusions.
Speed limits apply not only to traffic. There are limitations on the control of light as well, in optical switches for internet traffic, for example. Physicists at Chalmers University of Technology now understand why it is not possible to increase the speed beyond a certain limit - and know the circumstances in which it is best to opt for a different route.
People with diabetes could be able to monitor their blood sugar without drawing blood using a system now being developed at the University of Waterloo.
In a recent study, researchers combined radar and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to detect changes in glucose levels without the need for painful finger pricks several times a day.
EVANSTON, Ill. -- A new study from Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic Garden has found that climate change may drive local extinction of mason bees in Arizona and other naturally warm climates.
In a two-year, in situ field experiment that altered the temperature of the bees' nests to simulate a warmer, future climate, 35 percent of bees died in the first year and 70 percent died in the second year. This is compared to a 1-2 percent mortality rate in the control group.
Many popular online games include the option of paying small fees (microtransactions) to access additional features or content that enhance the player's experience. An editorial published today by Addiction argues that some online games use in-game purchasing systems that disguise or withhold the long-term cost of microtransactions until the player is already financially and psychologically committed. Such purchasing systems push free-to-play online gaming closer to gambling and may present financial risks for vulnerable players.
SOLOMONS, MD (June 27, 2018)--A new study shows that dead zones in the lower Chesapeake Bay are beginning to break up earlier in the fall, which may be an indication that efforts to reduce nutrient pollution to the Bay are beginning to make an impact. Scientists from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science examined 30 years of data on dead zones and nutrient levels in the Chesapeake Bay.
Analysis of outpatient records of large number of British patients reveals that those believed to be allergic to penicillin have significantly increased risks of contracting the dangerous infections MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). The study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators finds that much of that increased risk can be attributed to the use of broad-spectrum alternative antibiotics, which are known on contribute to the growth of antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
To aid in the discovery and understanding of lncRNA biology, newly published work from Richard and Eichhorn in SLAS Technology features the technological platforms and methodology presently used to identify the roles of lncRNA in biology. This work highlights the databases and tools used to study lncRNA and techniques used to study their function.
Nerve agents are scary stuff. They are among the most deadly substances on earth, yet can be odorless, tasteless and difficult to detect. But researchers now report in ACS Central Science that they have adapted building materials normally associated with children's toys and a cell phone to help sense these compounds. The new method can sensitively detect these poisons, quantify the amount and distinguish between different classes present at contaminated sites.
Hunters don camouflage clothing to blend in with their surroundings. But thermal camouflage - or the appearance of being the same temperature as one's environment - is much more difficult. Now researchers, reporting in ACS' journal Nano Letters, have developed a system that can reconfigure its thermal appearance to blend in with varying temperatures in a matter of seconds.
When it comes to the "smell test," the nose isn't always the best judge of food quality. Now in a study appearing in ACS' journal Nano Letters, scientists report that they have developed a wireless tagging device that can send signals to smartphones warning consumers and food distributors when meat and other perishables have spoiled. They say this new sensor could improve the detection of rotten food so it is tossed before consumers eat it.
Synthetical chemicals are ever-present in modern life--in our medications, cosmetics and clothing--but what happens to them when they enter our municipal water supplies?
Because these chemicals are out-of-sight, out-of-mind, we assume they cannot harm us after we flush them down the sink. However, most water treatment infrastructures were not designed to remove synthetic organic chemicals like those found in opioids, personal care products and pharmaceuticals.
Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have designed a way to sense dangerous chemicals using, in part, a simple rig consisting of a smartphone and a box made from Lego bricks, which could help first responders and scientists in the field identify deadly and difficult-to-detect nerve agents such as VX and sarin.
Scientists at Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina have found that human lung cancer cells resist dying by controlling parts of the aging process, in results published online May 10th in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The discovery could help us better understand aging and eventually could lead to new treatments for cancer.