TECH & INNOVATION

Higher nurse-to-patient standard improves staff safety

TECH & INNOVATION A 2004 California law mandating specific nurse-to-patient staffing standards in acute care hospitals significantly lowered job-related injuries and illnesses for both registered nurses and licensed practical nurses, according to UC Davis research published online in the International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. The study is believed to be the first to evaluate the effect of the law on occupational health.

An apple a day could keep obesity away

Scientists at Washington State University have concluded that nondigestible compounds in apples - specifically, Granny Smith apples - may help prevent disorders associated with obesity.

Martian Dust Storm Is Social Media Gold Mine for India

After a doubtful entry into the Martian outer orbit, India’s Mars Orbiter Mission Mangalyaan also known as the Mars Orbiter Mission, has had all eyes tuned in from Earth to see what the newest Mars orbiter may reveal about the red planet. And after only a few days of live-coverage from Mars’ parts of space, it turns out that the Mars Orbiter Mission has revealed another red dust storm over the Northern hemisphere.

What Will We See in the Pacific Remote Islands Now That It’s Protected?

This past Thursday, Sept. 25 2014, United States Secretary of State John Kerry announced the expansion of a marine protected area (MPA), which in size is three times larger than the state of California. The new expansion an amendment to the Pacific remote Islands Marine National Monument covers nearly 490,000 square miles, and is six times larger than previously was. And it's a sign towards the U.S.'s greater efforts in conservation on a global scale. But the question remains: what can we expect to see in the remote atoll, and what species will we likely discover?

After-school exercise program enhances cognition in 7-, 8- and 9-year-olds

A nine-month-long, randomized controlled trial involving 221 prepubescent children found that those who engaged in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for at least 60 minutes a day after school saw substantial improvements in their ability to pay attention, avoid distraction and switch between cognitive tasks, researchers report in the journal Pediatrics.

Hand size appears to stay constant, providing natural 'ruler'

People tend to perceive their dominant hand as staying relatively the same size even when it's magnified, lending support to the idea that we use our hand as a constant perceptual "ruler" to measure the world around us. The findings are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Researchers identify early sign of pancreatic cancer

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and other institutions have discovered a sign of the early development of pancreatic cancer - an upsurge in certain amino acids that occurs before the disease is diagnosed and symptoms appear. The research is being published online today by the journal Nature Medicine.

Drilling On Mars Out of Curiosity—A Sharp Step Towards Answers

Continuing its mission to determine whether or not the atmosphere and environment of ancient Mars may have been a suitable host to cellular life forms, NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity bore into the crust to find its answers late last week, on Wednesday Sept. 24. Utilizing its accessory drill piece for the fourth time since it first arrived in August 2012, Curiosity was able to acquire its first samples of the powdered Martian rock, drilling only 2.6 inches into the crust of the towering Mount Sharp.

Stone Tool Making Wasn’t Just ‘Out of Africa’

While most of human existence still remains explainable by the evolutionary theory known as the “Out of Africa” theory, it turns out that our craftiness may have developed elsewhere as an invention necessary for survival. In a new study published in this week’s issue of the journal Science, researchers from the University of London along with an international team across most of the U.S. and Europe analyzed tools discovered in 2008 at the Nor Geghi site in the outskirts of Armenia.

Could Further Taxation on Fossil Fuels Complicate the Climate Change Issue?

While the conversation on the current and future changes in the climate are far from over, the United Nations (UN) has convened its discussion on the issue this week until the 2015 General Assembly that will be held in Paris. And as some nations felt unheard in their pleas at the Climate Summit held last Tuesday Sept. 23 in New York City, they’re turning up the heat on the global discourse looking for immediate solutions to the long-term problem.

Six Months of Ebola—Where the Virus has been and Where It’s Going

Six months ago, in a remote village of Guinea, a 2-year-old boy mysteriously fell ill of a hemorrhagic fever. Now, since the December 2013 outbreak, the disease has spread to the largest, most lethal Ebola epidemic in history. And it has yet to show any signs of cessation.

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