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Science News Archive June 2014 - Page 8


Page 8 of 33

A collaboration of minds and metal

Researchers at Princeton University have made a groundbreaking collaboration between two areas of research, enabling the formation of previously impossible bonds. The breakthrough uses photoredox catalysis and nickel catalysis to create powerful new reactions with unprecedented efficiency and scalability.

SourcePrinceton University·JournalScience·DateJun 24, 2014

New technology: The goose bump sensor

A team of researchers at KAIST has developed a flexible, wearable sensor that can directly measure goose bumps on the skin, which is caused by sudden changes in body temperature or emotional states. The sensor uses a coplanar capacitor and detects piloerection through a simple linear relation between deformation and capacitance change.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateJun 24, 2014

The National Health Service -- committed to failure?

A recent study by Marianna Fotaki and Paula Hyde reveals how organizations, like the NHS, can become trapped in unrealistic policies and defensive behavior. The authors argue that unconscious social demands and the pressure to demonstrate success drive escalation of commitment, leading to greater material losses.

SourceSAGE·JournalHuman Relations·DateJun 24, 2014

Air pollution controls linked to lower death rates in North Carolina

A study by Duke University researchers found a strong association between improved air quality and declining death rates from emphysema, asthma, and pneumonia in North Carolina. The study analyzed data from 1993-2010 and found that reductions in sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and fine particulates were significantly correlated with l...

SourceDuke University Medical Center·JournalInternational Journal of COPD·DateJun 23, 2014

Study finds minimum payment warnings nudge credit card payments up AND down

A study by Boston College Marketing Professor Linda Salisbury found that minimum payment warnings had little impact on repayment decisions, but showing a three-year payoff time frame with accompanying lower interest costs led to both positive and negative effects. Some consumers were encouraged to pay more, while others were nudged tow...

SourceBoston College·JournalJournal of Public Policy & Marketing·DateJun 23, 2014

UK supermarkets minimise price rises for the cheapest alcohol when taxes are increased

A study found that UK supermarkets respond to tax increases on alcohol by under-shifting cheaper products and over-shifting more expensive ones, leading to smaller reductions in excessive consumption. This could hinder efforts to reduce harmful drinking, particularly among high-risk drinkers who favor cheaper supermarket products.

SourceUniversity of Sheffield·JournalAddiction Research & Theory·DateJun 23, 2014

People who are obese or former smokers more likely to follow recommended statin therapy

A new study suggests that individuals who are overweight, obese, or former smokers are more likely to follow recommended statin therapy for high cholesterol. Nonadherence to prescribed medication can lead to a significant risk of cardiovascular events, with studies indicating that nonadherence rates as high as 46% have been observed.

SourceCanadian Medical Association Journal·JournalCanadian Medical Association Journal·DateJun 23, 2014

Emergence of bacterial vortex explained

Researchers have explained the emergence of a bacterial vortex by understanding its relation to physical mechanisms like collisions, boundary interactions, and fluid flow. Computer modeling and experimentation confirm that bacteria align themselves in the same direction due to their flagellar motion, creating a two-way fluid flow.

SourceBrown University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 23, 2014