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Science News for June 10, 2004


Hidden cost of Colorado River diversions is $2.4 billion annually

A University of Arizona researcher estimates that Colorado River water divertions result in a $2.4 billion annual loss to society, primarily due to the absence of natural flood control and wastewater treatment. The study suggests including an environmental impact fee in water prices to support ecosystem restoration in the delta.

SourceUniversity of Arizona·DateJun 10, 2004
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

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Nutrients cause increase in parasites and frog deformities

A study found that high nutrient levels lead to increased rams horn snail populations, which in turn cause more parasite infections and deformities in frogs. This research may help explain the recent increase in amphibian malformations and suggest control strategies.

SourceBlackwell Publishing Ltd.·JournalEcology Letters·DateJun 10, 2004

UK study shows substantial reduction in stroke over past 20 years

A UK study has shown a substantial reduction in stroke incidence over the past 20 years, with age-adjusted occurrence of first stroke decreased by around 30%. The decrease is associated with increased use of blood-pressure lowering and cholesterol-lowering drugs, leading to significant reductions in related risk factors.

SourceThe Lancet_DELETED·JournalThe Lancet·DateJun 10, 2004

52 thousand years of marine fertility sheds light on climate change

Researchers discovered a consistent link between marine productivity off western North America and millennial-scale climate change in the North Atlantic. The study found that changes in subsurface nutrients concentrations were driven by wind patterns at low latitude, overturning previous theories on bottom-water oxygen levels.

SourceColumbia Climate School·JournalGeology·DateJun 10, 2004

Early hormone therapy best for men with aggressive prostate cancer

A new study suggests that early hormone therapy can increase survival time by up to 14 years for men with aggressive prostate cancer, compared to those who delay treatment. Prostate cancer affects over 220,000 men annually in the US, with approximately 30,000 dying from the disease each year.

SourceUniversity of Rochester Medical Center·DateJun 10, 2004
Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

Volcanic soils yield new clues about the emergence of powerful chiefdoms in Hawaii

Research suggests that volcanic eruptions created nutrient-rich soil on Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii, allowing early Polynesians to sustain intensive sweet potato farming. The study's findings challenge previous assumptions about Hawaiian agriculture and highlight the importance of volcanic geology in shaping the islands' ecosystems.

SourceStanford University·JournalScience·DateJun 10, 2004
Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only)

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Lead and cadmium levels not as safe as previously thought

Researchers found that high levels of lead and cadmium in adults were associated with a 2.8 times greater risk of developing peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Smoking was also found to increase the risk of PAD, possibly due to cadmium's damage to blood vessel linings.

SourceJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health·DateJun 10, 2004

Fat cells could provide the key to a longer life

A new study on fruit flies found that reducing insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IIS) signalling pathway in fat tissue extends life by up to 50%. The system, which governs longevity, is likely to be conserved in humans. Increasing dFOXO levels in fat cells also extended lifespan and reduced fertility.

SourceUniversity College London·JournalScience·DateJun 10, 2004

Researchers seeing double on African monsoons

The African monsoon has two distinct seasons: a late spring season strongly influenced by sea surface temperatures near the Gulf of Guinea, and a later summer season driven by African Easterly Waves. The waves play a major role in this summer season monsoon rainfall.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·DateJun 10, 2004

Elderly, diabetics, women at risk for post-surgery infection

Patients with diabetes, females over 70, or obesity are more likely to develop postoperative mediastinitis caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Identifying these risk factors enables the design of preventive strategies.

SourceDuke University Medical Center·JournalClinical Infectious Diseases·DateJun 10, 2004
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

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Gemini mirror is first with silver lining

The Gemini South telescope has been coated with a silver layer to reduce thermal emissivity, allowing for deeper views of star formation, galaxies, and black holes. This results in improved detection capabilities for objects obscured by heat radiating from the telescope.

SourceScience and Technology Facilities Council·DateJun 10, 2004

Hospital falls study suggests ways to reduce risk

Researchers found that patients who fell were more likely to suffer injuries if they needed to use the toilet, highlighting the need for regular bathroom trips. The study recommends ensuring assistive devices like canes and walkers are available in hospital rooms and expanding assisted bathroom visits for high-risk patients.

SourceWashU Medicine·JournalJournal of General Internal Medicine·DateJun 10, 2004

Deciphering the limits to human maximal exercise performance

Research reveals that humans can't pump enough blood to meet the demand of highly trained muscles during exercise, leading to hypotension. This finding has implications for understanding reduced exercise tolerance in pathologic conditions and may guide new therapeutic approaches.

SourceBlackwell Publishing Ltd.·JournalThe Journal of Physiology·DateJun 10, 2004
GoPro HERO13 Black

GoPro HERO13 Black records stabilized 5.3K video for instrument deployments, field notes, and outreach, even in harsh weather and underwater conditions.

Is GSK guilty of fraud?

Recent studies sponsored by GSK have shown mixed results for paroxetine's safety and efficacy in children. The company faces criticism for 'off-label' prescribing, despite a lack of published trials demonstrating its benefits. GSK is urged to disclose all relevant documents related to paroxetine use in minors.

SourceThe Lancet_DELETED·JournalThe Lancet·DateJun 10, 2004

Scientists receive awards, give lectures at the ASBMB/IUBMB meeting

The event honored Dr. Steven Almo, Dr. Sunney I. Chan, Dr. Ronald W. Davis, Dr. Pehr A. B. Harbury, and Dr. Robert J. Lefkowitz for their outstanding contributions to biochemical and molecular biological research. Dr. William L. Smith also received the ASBMB-Avanti Award in Lipids.

SourceFederation of American Societies for Experimental Biology·DateJun 10, 2004

Chemists retrieve clues to ancient ocean chemistry and global greenhouse from Cretaceous sediments

Researchers retrieved clues to ancient ocean chemistry and global greenhouse gas accumulation from 130-million-year-old sediments. The study provides a high-resolution record of seawater sulfate changes, shedding light on the interactions between the Earth's atmosphere, land, and ocean systems during the Cretaceous period.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalScience·DateJun 10, 2004

Canine word-learning research published in Science

A German Border collie named Rico demonstrated a vocabulary size comparable to that of language-trained apes, dolphins, sea lions, and parrots. The dog learned the names of unfamiliar toys after just one exposure, using fast mapping abilities similar to those seen in human language acquisition.

SourceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)·JournalScience·DateJun 10, 2004
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