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Science News Archive March 2012 - Page 6


Page 6 of 32

Air pollution from trucks and low-quality heating oil may explain childhood asthma hot spots

A new study finds that high levels of black carbon, a pollutant from truck emissions and dirty oil, contribute to childhood asthma hot spots in NYC. Children with higher black carbon exposure have higher exhaled nitric oxide, indicating greater lung inflammation and increased risk for asthma exacerbations.

SourceColumbia University's Mailman School of Public Health·JournalJournal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology·DateMar 27, 2012

Malaria prevention saves children’s lives

A new study published in Malaria Journal found that malaria prevention measures saved 850,000 child deaths in Africa between 2001 and 2010. The Lives Saved Tool model used by researchers estimated the impact of interventions such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets and pregnant women's malaria prevention.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalMalaria Journal·DateMar 27, 2012

The acid test: 21st century pH meter

A team from Graz University of Technology has developed a new method for measuring pH in enzyme reactions using luminescent dual-life-time referencing. This method, known as DLR-based pH meter, combines a pH indicator and a reference standard to provide real-time characteristics of enzyme reactions.

SourceBMC (BioMed Central)·JournalBMC Biotechnology·DateMar 27, 2012

Scientists suggest new age for East African Rift

A new study published in Nature Geoscience suggests that the Eastern branch of the East African Rift system is approximately 25-30 million years old, nearly doubling its previously estimated age. This discovery has important implications for understanding climate change models, faunal evolution, and the development of Africa's unique l...

SourceOhio University·JournalNature Geoscience·DateMar 27, 2012

Researchers discover a new path for light through metal

Researchers have found a promising candidate for plasmonic materials in titanium nitride, enabling the transportation of plasmons and directing optical signals on the nanoscale. This discovery could lead to faster and more efficient optoelectronic devices with unprecedented speed and efficiency.

SourceOptica·JournalOptical Materials Express·DateMar 27, 2012

Scientists find new way to measure economic impact of forest fires

A team of scientists created a methodology that considers timber vulnerability, harvesting value, and fire behavior to estimate potential net losses from timber production and fire survival probability. This approach helps fire managers and planners evaluate the economic impacts of wildfires on timber resources.

SourceUSDA Forest Service - Pacific Southwest Research Station·JournalJournal of Environmental Management·DateMar 26, 2012

NEJM: Heart patients do better with non-surgical valve replacement than standard medical therapy

Patients diagnosed with aortic stenosis who are too sick for open-heart surgery have better survival rates and an improved quality of life after undergoing catheter-based heart valve replacement. The minimally invasive procedure adds years to life and life to years, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

SourceCedars-Sinai Medical Center·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateMar 26, 2012

Study suggests new way to treat chronic pain

A recent study by McGill University researchers has identified a key gene affecting chronic pain sensitivity, offering a potential new approach to individualized therapy. The findings suggest that targeting the pore-forming function of P2X7 receptors may provide relief for patients with genetically inherited low pain sensitivity.

SourceMcGill University·JournalNature Medicine·DateMar 26, 2012

New analysis of premature infants' heartbeats, breathing could be cues for leaving NICU

Researchers developed an analytical method that measures cardiorespiratory interaction using individual breaths and heartbeats, showing that postnatal age is an indicator of maturity in premature infants. The study found no correlation between cardiorespiratory interaction and birth weight or gestational age at birth.

SourceAmerican Physiological Society·JournalJournal of Applied Physiology·DateMar 26, 2012

New research reveals deep-ocean impact of the Deepwater Horizon explosion

Researchers discovered numerous coral communities covered in brown flocculent material and showing signs of tissue damage near the Macondo Well, 4,000 feet from the surface. Comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography analysis confirmed oil from the spill was the source, revealing a serious impact on deep-sea animal communities.

SourcePenn State·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 26, 2012

Hammerhead shark double whammy

A new look-alike species of hammerhead shark has been discovered in Brazilian waters, raising concerns about its impact on the endangered scalloped hammerhead. The discovery confirms that the original finding was not a local oddity and highlights the need for further research to understand its population status.

SourceNova Southeastern University·JournalMarine Biology·DateMar 26, 2012

Study by Haverford College professor reveals unprecedented impact of Deepwater Horizon on deep ocean

Researchers find stressed corals and brown flocculent material at depths of up to 4,300 feet, contradicting initial assumption that such ecosystems are immune to surface spills. The study's findings suggest the Deepwater Horizon spill had a more far-reaching impact than previously thought.

SourceWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 26, 2012

New memory for HIV patients

A study published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine suggests that replacing naive CD4+ T cells with memory CD4+ T cells may be a more effective approach to combating HIV. The loss of naive T cells had no effect on the maintenance of memory CD4+ T cells, whose loss proceeded similarly with or without naive cell replacements.

SourceRockefeller University Press·JournalJournal of Experimental Medicine·DateMar 26, 2012

Regular chocolate eaters are thinner

A new study by the University of California, San Diego, suggests that regular chocolate eaters are actually thinner than those who don't consume chocolate regularly. The research found a modest but significant association between chocolate consumption and lower body mass index, regardless of calorie intake or exercise habits.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalArchives of Internal Medicine·DateMar 26, 2012

Non-invasive scans accurately predict 30-day risk for patients with chest pain

A new study reveals that non-invasive coronary CT angiography (CCTA) scans can quickly and reliably determine which patients with chest pain can be safely discharged from emergency departments. The test was found to have a lower 30-day event rate than traditional care, making it a valuable tool for identifying low-risk patients.

SourceAmerican College of Cardiology·JournalJournal of the American College of Cardiology·DateMar 26, 2012