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Science News Archive 2012 - Page 31


Page 31 of 333

Study suggests eliminating Medicare consultation payments associated with a net increase in spending

A study suggests that eliminating payments for consultations commonly billed by specialists led to a net increase in spending on visits to both primary care physicians and specialists. The change was intended to be budget neutral, but it ultimately resulted in higher fees paid for office visits and increased intensity of coding.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalArchives of Internal Medicine·DateNov 26, 2012

Crash landings

Swans are found to have more common hip joint problems than previously believed, with CT scans revealing lesions in all five examined birds. The injuries likely occur during landing on hard surfaces, and the study suggests that computerized tomography is a better diagnostic tool for avian patients.

New device hides, on cue, from infrared cameras

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a new device that can absorb 99.75% of infrared light on demand, using a tunable material with exceptional optical properties. The device has wide-ranging applications in thermal imaging, spectroscopy, and energy harvesting.

SourceHarvard University·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateNov 26, 2012

Personalities influence workforce planning

A new model developed by Concordia researcher Mohammed Othman takes into account workers' personality strengths and differences to create a more efficient workforce planning system. The result is a significant cost savings of 7.1% compared to traditional approaches.

SourceConcordia University·JournalComputers & Industrial Engineering·DateNov 26, 2012

Shrubs lend an insight into a glacier's past

Scientists have discovered a method using shrubs to create historical climate data on glaciers, providing more accurate predictions of future changes. The method allows researchers to extend the current record of glacier melting back by many decades, giving them a better understanding of how glaciers behave in the summer.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalEnvironmental Research Letters·DateNov 26, 2012

Deciphering bacterial doomsday decisions

A Rice University-led study has uncovered an elaborate mechanism allowing bacteria to begin preparing for survival even as it delays the decision to form a spore. The research found that nested 'feedforward' loops enable cells to process information while executing the program, making an accurate decision without delay.

SourceRice University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 26, 2012

Study advances use of stem cells in personalized medicine

Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine have successfully used human stem cells to test how diseased cells respond to drugs, paving the way for faster and cheaper drug development. The study identified a promising compound for treating Riley-Day syndrome and demonstrated the potential for tailored treatments for individual patients.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalNature Biotechnology·DateNov 26, 2012

Possible new treatment for Ewing sarcoma

Researchers at Huntsman Cancer Institute have discovered a new drug with high potential to treat Ewing sarcoma by targeting the EWS/FLI protein. The study found that an enzyme called lysine specific demethylase (LSD-1) interacts with EWS/FLI to turn off gene expression in Ewing sarcoma.

SourceUniversity of Utah Health·JournalOncogene·DateNov 26, 2012

Engineering plants for biofuels

Researchers successfully engineered Arabidopsis plants to reduce xylan content and improve breakdown of carbohydrate into simple sugars. The resulting plants exhibit improved saccharification properties, allowing for better production of biofuels from plant biomass.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalBiotechnology for Biofuels·DateNov 25, 2012

Sensor detects bombs on sea floor

The CSIRO sensor uses technology similar to mineral deposit detection, providing valuable geological information and avoiding unnecessary drilling. The device has the potential to help clear landmines and renew exploration efforts at abandoned sites.

New insights into a virus proteome

Researchers have identified over 700 novel proteins in the herpesvirus genome, many of which are surprisingly small and complex. This discovery provides new insights into the biology of the herpesvirus and highlights the importance of analyzing the products actually produced from the genome.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalScience·DateNov 23, 2012

Improving 3-D image capture in real time

A team of researchers from the Public University of Navarre has developed a new algorithm for improving the real-time capture of 3-D images, enabling applications in fields like 3-D video recording and intelligent systems. The technique uses stereoscopic vision to compare pairs of images and yields better results than previous algorithms.

SourceElhuyar Fundazioa·JournalIEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence·DateNov 23, 2012