Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Science News Archive January 2017 - Page 5


Page 5 of 35

The link between growth of retail-based clinics & nurse practitioner scope-of-practice reform

A University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing study finds that retail-based clinic growth is linked to scope-of-practice reform for nurse practitioners in states like Pennsylvania. The reform led to increased accessibility and convenience for patients, as nurse practitioners were able to provide a wider range of services

Absorbing electromagnetic energy while avoiding the heat

Electrical engineers at Duke University have created a metal-free metamaterial that can absorb electromagnetic energy, opening doors for applications in imaging, sensing, and lighting. The device's ability to absorb energy without heating up has direct implications for thermal imaging devices and efficient lighting systems.

SourceDuke University·JournalOptics Express·DateJan 27, 2017

A way out of the junk-food eating cycle

Researchers used lab rats to demonstrate how environments shape eating habits, finding that pairing junk food with specific sound cues can reverse habitual behavior. Simple interventions like reminders or interrupting automatic processing of junk-food cues may also be effective in stymieing unhealthy food consumption.

SourceFrontiers·JournalFrontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience·DateJan 27, 2017

Oral devices reduce sleep apnea but may not affect heart disease risk factors

A randomized controlled trial found that oral appliances significantly improved sleep quality and symptoms in patients with severe sleep apnea, but had no effect on endothelial function or blood pressure. The study suggests further research is needed to determine the impact of oral devices on cardiovascular health.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateJan 27, 2017

Where the wild things are

Researchers at Colorado State University challenged traditional theories by showing that evolutionary changes influence organism movement during range expansion. Using flour beetles, they found shuffled populations moved more slowly and predictably than structured ones.

SourceColorado State University·JournalNature Communications·DateJan 27, 2017

New 'needle-pulse' beam pattern packs a punch

Researchers at the University of Rochester have developed a new beam pattern, dubbed the 'needle-pulse' beam, which can create incredibly thin and intense beams that expand outward again after a mere nanosecond. This innovation has the potential to revolutionize fields such as ultrasound, radar, and microscopy.

SourceUniversity of Rochester·JournalOptics Express·DateJan 27, 2017

Earth's orbital variations and sea ice synch glacial periods

A new study by Brown University researchers shows that the 100,000-year orbital cycle and the 21,000-year precession cycle work together to drive the glacial cycle. The team found that sea ice in the Southern Hemisphere plays a crucial role in modulating the effects of precession on global temperature, leading to an expansion of sea ic...

SourceBrown University·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateJan 26, 2017

Antioxidants get small

Researchers at Rice University have created single-molecule compounds that quench damaging reactive oxygen species, offering a new basis for antioxidant therapies. The molecules, called PEG-PDI, are true mimics of superoxide dismutase enzymes and show promise for treating cancer, traumatic brain injuries, and chronic diseases.

SourceRice University·JournalACS Nano·DateJan 26, 2017

Cosmic lenses support finding on faster than expected expansion of the universe

Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have made an independent measurement of the universe's expansion rate, consistent with earlier findings but in disagreement with measurements from the early Universe. The study uses galaxies as giant gravitational lenses to determine the Hubble constant to a high precision.

SourceESA/Hubble Information Centre·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateJan 26, 2017