(Press-News.org) The sun emitted a mid-level solar flare, peaking at 1:32 pm EDT on May 3, 2013. Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel. This disrupts the radio signals for as long as the flare is ongoing, and the radio blackout for this flare has already subsided.
This flare is classified as an M5.7-class flare. M-class flares are the weakest flares that can still cause some space weather effects near Earth. Increased numbers of flares are quite common at the moment, as the sun's normal 11-year activity cycle is ramping up toward solar maximum, which is expected in late 2013.
Updates will be provided as they are available on the flare and whether there was an associated coronal mass ejection, another solar phenomenon that can send solar particles into space and affect electronic systems in satellites and on Earth.
INFORMATION:
NASA sees sun emit mid-level flare
2013-05-04
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Birth of a black hole
2013-05-04
A new kind of cosmic flash may reveal something never seen before: the birth of a black hole.
When a massive star exhausts its fuel, it collapses under its own gravity and produces a black hole, an object so dense that not even light can escape its gravitational grip. According to a new analysis by an astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), just before the black hole forms, the dying star may generate a distinct burst of light that will allow astronomers to witness the birth of a new black hole for the first time.
Tony Piro, a postdoctoral ...
Identifying inhibitors of human proteins that promote tumor formation
2013-05-04
New Rochelle, May 2, 2013–Tumor repressor genes, which inhibit tumor formation, can be "turned off" due to undesirable molecular changes affecting the chromosomes on which the genes reside. Understanding and being able to control these alterations could lead to new approaches for activating or inactivating genes linked to cancer. A novel, high-throughput screening method used to identify agents that can block one chemical modifier that plays a key role in some forms of cancer is described in ASSAY and Drug Development Technologies, a peer-reviewed journal published from ...
Predicting the path to death and helping patients cope with end-stage heart failure
2013-05-04
New Rochelle, NY, May 1, 2013—Congestive heart failure affects more than 5.3 million Americans, is increasing in prevalence, and is ultimately fatal, but the duration and quality of life leading up to death can be unpredictable and vary greatly. Patients and caregivers could better plan for this difficult time if they knew what to expect. Five of the most common scenarios for the last 12 months of life in end-stage heart failure are clearly described in the article "Trajectory of Illness for Patients with Congestive Heart Failure," published in Journal of Palliative Medicine, ...
Preordering lunch increases healthy entree selection in elementary schools
2013-05-04
We all know that buying food when we are hungry is a recipe for disaster. When we are hungry, we can be especially sensitive to sights and smells of foods that will satiate, but may lack in nutrient content. What if we could make our meal choices when we are full, and not anticipating the feeling of satiation we all enjoy? Would we make healthier choices? Researchers at the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (B.E.N. Center) set out to test whether or not preordering lunch would nudge students make healthier entrée choices.
Lunch pre-order ...
Experts to focus on the science of gun safety
2013-05-04
WASHINGTON, DC – Pediatric leaders and researchers will tackle the complex and often politically charged subject of gun violence during a special symposium on Saturday, May 4, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC.
The symposium, "Protecting the Health of Our Children Through Scientific Approaches to Gun Safety and Violence Prevention" will focus on guns and youth, violent media, guns and suicide, the pathway to violence, and community efforts to prevent gun violence.
Among the speakers is Dimitri A. Christakis, MD, MPH, FAAP, who ...
Poverty threatens health of US children
2013-05-04
WASHINGTON, DC – Pediatricians, economists, social scientists and policy experts will come together on Saturday, May 4, to address one of the greatest threats to child health — poverty.
The group will take part in a plenary session titled, "A National Agenda to End Childhood Poverty," at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC. The session will cover a range of issues related to childhood poverty, including its measurement, its impact on child health and potential solutions.
Children are the poorest segment of society: 22 percent of ...
Childhood obesity starts at home
2013-05-04
WASHINGTON, DC – As parents, physicians and policymakers look for ways to curb childhood obesity, they may need to look no further than a child's own backyard.
A new study to be presented Saturday, May 4, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting shows that preschool children are less likely to be obese if they live in a neighborhood that is safe and within walking distance of parks and retail services.
"A child's neighborhood is a potentially modifiable risk factor for obesity that we can target in order to stop the increasing prevalence of obesity ...
Don't be quick to toss your toothbrush after a sore throat
2013-05-04
WASHINGTON, DC – Word on the street has it you should replace your toothbrush after suffering from a cold, the flu or a bout of strep throat. That may not be necessary — at least when it comes to sore throats, according to a study to be presented Saturday, May 4, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC.
Some health care professionals advise children to toss their toothbrushes if they have been diagnosed with strep throat. Researchers from University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston wanted to determine if that advice is warranted. ...
Vitamin C may head off lung problems in babies born to pregnant smokers
2013-05-04
WASHINGTON, DC – Pregnant women are advised not to smoke during pregnancy because it can harm the baby's lungs and lead to wheezing and asthma, among other problems. If a woman absolutely can't kick the habit, taking vitamin C during pregnancy may improve her newborn's lung function and prevent wheezing in the first year of life, according to a study to be presented Saturday, May 4, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC.
"Vitamin C is a simple, safe and inexpensive treatment that may decrease the impact of smoking during pregnancy ...
Don't txt n drive: Teens not getting msg
2013-05-04
WASHINGTON, DC – Teens can get hundreds of text messages a day, but one message they aren't getting is that they shouldn't text and drive.
Nearly 43 percent of high school students of driving age who were surveyed in 2011 reported texting while driving at least once in the past 30 days, according to a study to be presented Saturday, May 4, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC.
"Texting while driving has become, in the words of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a 'national epidemic,'" said principal investigator Alexandra Bailin, ...