Researchers have discovered how certain cells transform to help control blood pressure by producing renin, a substance usually made by specialized kidney cells. This breakthrough could lead to new treatments for high blood pressure and vascular diseases by targeting the genomic “switch” that regulates renin production. Researchers at…
The chapter summarizes the current information available from a variety of scientifically based guidelines and resources on dietary advice for those with diabetes. It is a practical overview for health care practitioners working in diabetes management. The chapter is divided into sections by content and includes sources for further reading. A primary message is that nutrition plans should meet the specific needs of the patient and take into consideration their ability to implement change. Often starting with small achievable changes is best, with larger changes discussed as rapport builds. Referral to medical nutrition therapy (MNT) provided by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) and a diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) program is highlighted. For complete coverage of all related areas of Endocrinology, please visit our on-line FREE web-text, WWW.ENDOTEXT.ORG.
“We now need to continue observing this star to confirm the other candidate signals,” said Dr. Alejandro Suárez Mascareño. “But the discovery of this planet, along with other previous discoveries such as Proxima b and d, shows that our cosmic backyard is full of low-mass planets.”
How close are Earth-sized exoplanets to Earth? This is what a recent study published in Astronomy & Astrophysics hopes to address as a large international team of researchers have announced the discovery of Barnard b, which orbits Barnard’s star approximately 6 light-years from Earth. This discovery is profound because Barnard’s star is the closest single star to Earth but also because Barnard b is estimated to be approximately just over one-third the mass of the Earth, or approximately three times the mass of the planet Mars.
Barnard’s star is approximately 16 percent the mass of our Sun with approximately 19 percent of its diameter. While the size of Barnard b poses the possibility that it might be Earth-like, its 3.15-day orbit puts it well inside its star’s habitable zone (HZ).
Continue reading “Discovery of Barnard b: A New Exoplanet Orbiting Our Nearest Stellar Neighbor” »
Yet despite the attraction of OAM monopoles for orbitronics, until this latest study, they have remained a theoretical dream.
Hedgehogs hide between theory and experiment.
To observe them experimentally, hope has lain with a technique known as Circular Dichroism in Angle-Resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy, or CD-ARPES, using circularly polarised X-rays from a synchrotron light source. Yet a gap between theory and experiment has in the past hindered researchers from interpreting the data. “Researchers may have had the data, but the evidence for OAM monopoles was buried in it,” says Schüler.
As President, Jimmy Carter established several science-related initiatives and policies.
Carter also sought to promote scientific research and development in a number of areas. He increased funding for basic science research in fields such as physics and chemistry, and established the National Commission on Excellence in Education to promote improvements in science and math education in American schools.
Continue reading “Looking back at President Jimmy Carter’s science policy” »
Researchers have recently observed a fascinating effect in the behavior of twisted light when it reflects off surfaces.
Everyday experience tells us that light reflected from a perfectly flat mirror will give us the correct image without any deformation. Interestingly, this is not the case when the light field itself is structured in a complex way. Tiny deformations appear.
Dr Shannon Curry said she believes humans will first land on Mars — at the earliest — in 2040, but more realistically 2050. And 2075 before Mars colonization! Very realistic prediction, and I enthusiastically agree.
NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft, led by scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder, was supposed to operate for one year when it entered orbit on September 21, 2014. Ten years later, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution orbiter has been a boon to scientists studying the red planet and they hope it will remain in operation for years to come.
In May, MAVEN researchers got to watch as a huge solar storm hit the planet along with a massive dose of radiation. The MAVEN spacecraft is an orbiter, so it won’t ever land on the surface of Mars like the Curiosity and Perseverance rovers. Instead, it’s designed to examine the Martian atmosphere, which principal investigator Shannon Curry said “holds a number of secrets in terms of our past, present, and future.”
“No one knows how the moon was formed,” said Dr. Darren Williams. “For the last four decades, we have had one possibility for how it got there. Now, we have two. This opens a treasure trove of new questions and opportunities for further study.”
How did the Moon form? Was it from a collision, as has been the longstanding theory, or could it have been captured by the Earth early in our planet’s formation? This is what a recent study published in The Planetary Science Journal hopes to address as two researchers from Penn State investigated a new model for how our Moon came to reside within its present orbit around the Earth. This study holds the potential to help researchers better understand the origin of our Moon, which could help explain how some moons throughout our solar system came to be orbiting their respective planets, as well.
For the study, the researchers performed a series of calculations aimed at ascertaining if a simulated binary object could end up in the Moon’s orbit. The argument the researchers make is that if the Moon was formed from a collision, then it would orbit above the Earth’s equator. In contrast, the Moon’s orbit follows a different orbit.
Continue reading “Revisiting the Moon’s Origin: A New Capture Theory” »
