News – Page 73 – PossibleThreat Articles

Hydrologic simulation models that inform policy decisions are difficult to interpret

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Climate, Computer Modeling, Environmental Policies, Land Management, Mathematical Modeling, Mathematics, Resource Shortage, Water, Weather

Hydrologic models that simulate and predict water flow are used to estimate how natural systems respond to different scenarios such as changes in climate, land use, and soil management. The output from these models can inform policy and regulatory decisions regarding water and land management practices. Numerical models have become increasingly easy to employ with advances in computer technology and software with graphical user interface (GUI). While these technologies make the models more accessible, problems can arise if they are used by inexperienced modelers.

News Science

Brain protein promotes maintenance of chronic pain

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Brain Injury, Caregiving, Fibromyalgia, Joint Pain, Neuropathy, neuroscience, Pain Control, PTSD

Study results illuminate the potential of novel approach for the treatment of chronic pain.

News Science

Contextual engineering improves success of projects in non-industrial societies

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Civil Engineering, Construction, Engineering, Engineering and Construction, Environmental Policies, Security and Defense, STEM Education, surveillance

Humanitarian engineering projects often focus on bringing western technologies to non-industrialized societies. But environmental and cultural factors in these locations may be very different from conditions in the West, and the projects may not meet client needs if engineers do not fully understand the context in which they are operating.

News Science

Black holes stunt growth of dwarf galaxies

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Astronomy, Astrophysics, Black Holes, Eris (Xena), Galaxies, Kuiper Belt, Pluto, Stars

Astronomers have discovered that powerful winds driven by supermassive black holes in the centers of dwarf galaxies have a significant impact on the evolution of these galaxies by suppressing star formation.

News Science

How preprocessing methods affect the conversion efficiency of biomass energy production

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Agriculture and Food, Ecology Research, Energy and the Environment, Environmental Science, Extreme Survival, Food and Agriculture, Renewable Energy, Sustainability

Research on energy production from biomass usually focuses on the amount of energy generated. But it is also important to consider how much energy goes into the process, a component that is often neglected. A study from the University of Illinois takes a look at the bioconversion efficiency of two products often used as biomass for energy production, miscanthus giganteus and sugarcane bagasse.

News Science

New tool enables Nova Scotia lobster fishery to address impacts of climate change

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Climate, Environmental Awareness, Fish, Fisheries, Global Warming, Marine Biology, Nature, Oceanography

Researchers use long-term survey data sets and climate models to help fishing communities plan for a warmer ocean. Researchers have developed a tool that incorporates projected changes in ocean climate onto a geographic fishery management area. Now fishermen, resource managers, and policy-makers can use it to plan for the future sustainability of the lobster fishery in Nova Scotia and Canadian waters of the Gulf of Maine.

News Science

Nanoscale manipulation of light leads to exciting new advancement

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Materials Science, Nanotechnology, Nature of Water, Optics, Physics, Quantum Physics

Controlling the interactions between light and matter has been a long-standing ambition for scientists seeking to develop and advance numerous technologies that are fundamental to society. With the boom of nanotechnology in recent years, the nanoscale manipulation of light has become both, a promising pathway to continue this advancement, as well as a unique challenge due to new behaviors that appear when the dimensions of structures become comparable to the wavelength of light.

News Science

'Electroadhesive' stamp picks up and puts down microscopic structures

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Electronics, Graphene, Mobile Computing, Nanotechnology, Neural Interfaces, Robotics, Spintronics Research, technology

New technique could enable assembly of circuit boards and displays with more minute components.

News Science

Coffee bean extracts alleviate inflammation, insulin resistance in mouse cells

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Biology, Biotechnology, Genetics, Immune System, Molecular Biology, Obesity, Staying Healthy, Stem Cells

Food science and human nutrition researchers are interested in the potential of inflammation-fighting compounds found in the silverskin and husk of coffee beans, not only for their benefits in alleviating chronic disease, but also in adding value to would-be 'waste' products from the coffee processing industry.

News Science

Opioid Rx dosages drop with state law changes

October 11, 2019 0 Comments Bioethics, Caregiving, Child Development, Government Regulation, Opium, Pain Control, Personalized Medicine, Public Health, Today's Healthcare

The total amount of opioids dispensed per new opioid prescription decreased by 22% in Penn Medicine outpatient practices in New Jersey after the state passed a law limiting prescriptions to a five-day supply for new opioid prescriptions. Penn Medicine implemented an electronic health record (EMR) alert, or 'nudge,' to notify clinicians if that limit had been reached.