181 articles from TUESDAY 3.9.2019

Scientists link 'hunger hormone' to memory in Alzheimer's study

Scientists have found evidence suggesting that resistance to the 'hunger hormone' ghrelin in the brain is linked to the cognitive impairments and memory loss associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The findings, based on observations of postmortem brain-tissue samples from Alzheimer's patients and on experiments with a mouse model of AD, also suggest a possible treatment strategy for the...

Terrawatch: warnings fail to prevent UK fracking quakes

Why didn’t a traffic-light scheme stop the recent fracking-induced tremors near Blackpool?In theory, the chances of your house being shaken by a fracking-related earthquake are incredibly slim. In the UK, a traffic-light system is designed to minimise the risk of larger quakes occurring, with fracking halted if a tremor of magnitude 0.5ML (local magnitude) or above is recorded. So last week’s...

Obesity pandemic shifting cancer to younger people

A new study looking at incidence of disease data nationwide from 2000 to 2016 found a shift in obesity-associated cancers (OACs) to younger individuals. Typically, these cancers are diagnosed at higher rates among people older than 65. The most notable findings pertain to increases in these OACs among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic women and men for whom certain cancers increased by 200-400%.

Slow-crawling Dorian a new kind of threat

After devastating the Bahamas, Dorian is continuing its long crawl toward the southeast US with slightly weakened winds. Hurricane Dorian stormed into the record books on Sunday when its maximum sustained winds of 185 miles (300 kilometers) per hour tied it in second place with 1998's Gilbert and 2005's Wilma as the most powerful Atlantic hurricane since 1950, according to Colorado State...

Receptor protein in brain promotes resilience to stress

Scientists have discovered that a receptor on the surface of brain cells plays a key role in regulating how both animals and people respond to stress. The research suggests that the receptor may represent an important biomarker of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in humans and may offer a new target for future, more effective treatments for stress and anxiety.

Prescription drug monitoring program mandates

States that require prescribers to register with and use prescription drug monitoring programs in most clinical circumstances saw notably fewer opioid prescriptions and reduced opioid-related hospital use by Medicaid patients compared to states with weak or no drug monitoring program mandates, according to a new study.

NASA Selects Proposals to Advance Understanding of Space Weather

Portal origin URL: NASA Selects Proposals to Advance Understanding of Space WeatherPortal origin nid: 451388Published: Tuesday, September 3, 2019 - 16:00Featured (stick to top of list): noPortal text teaser: NASA has selected three proposals for concept studies of missions that could help us better understand the dynamic space weather system driven by the Sun that...

How to meet student body diversity goals while still giving parents a say in where their child goes to school

All parents want their children to get the best education possible, so how do school districts allow parents/guardians to have a say in where their child goes to school while still meeting diversity goals for the student body? New research in an upcoming addition of the INFORMS journal Operations Research has a solution, just in time for children to return to school for the 2019-2020 year.

Do those retail apps increase customer engagement and sales in all channels?

Researchers from Texas A&M University published new research in the INFORMS journal Marketing Science, which shows that retailers' branded mobile apps are very effective in increasing customer engagement, increasing sales on multiple levels, not just on the retailer's website, but also in its stores. At the same time, apps increase the rate of returns, although the increase in sales outweighs the...

NASA infrared data reveals rainmaking potential in tropical depression 7

Another Atlantic Ocean basin depression formed while Hurricane Dorian is still wreaking havoc on the Bahamas and affecting the southeastern U.S. Infrared imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite shows that Tropical Depression 7 in the western Gulf of Mexico has developed powerful thunderstorms with heavy rain capabilities. That potential for heavy rainfall includes southern Texas and northeastern...

NASA's IMERG estimates hurricane Dorian's rain

In the early hours of Tuesday, September 3, Hurricane Dorian had been stationary over the island of Grand Bahama for 18 hours, most of the time as a category 5 hurricane. Storm-total rain accumulation over parts of Grand Bahama and Abaco Islands have exceeded 24 inches according to NASA satellite-based estimates.

Research finds a new way to reduce food waste

Pity the poor blemished banana. In a society that equates beauty with quality, the perception that blemished produce is less desirable than its perfect peers contributes to 1.3 billion tons of wasted food a year globally.

Using lasers to study explosions

An explosion is a complex event involving quickly changing temperatures, pressures and chemical concentrations. In a paper in the Journal of Applied Physics a special type of infrared laser, known as a swept-wavelength external cavity quantum cascade laser (swept-ECQCL), is used to study explosions. This versatile instrument has a broad wavelength tuning range that allows the measurement of...