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Science News Archive November 2014 - Page 9


Page 9 of 31

People's movement perturbed during, but similar after Hurricane Sandy

A study analyzing Twitter data from over 700,000 tweets found that New Yorkers resumed normal mobility less than 24 hours after Hurricane Sandy. The researchers observed similar geographical and statistical distributions of locations before and after the hurricane, suggesting resilience in human movement during the disaster.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateNov 19, 2014

MSK team makes key discovery in understanding immunotherapy's successes -- and its failures

Researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have made a breakthrough discovery that may lead to a reliable diagnostic test for predicting which patients will respond to immunotherapy drugs like ipilimumab. The study found that tumors with high numbers of gene mutations are more likely to benefit from the treatment.

SourceMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateNov 19, 2014

Study: Teens who mature early at greater risk of depression

A new study by University of Illinois psychologist Karen D. Rudolph found that early puberty triggers psychological, social-behavioral and interpersonal difficulties that predict elevated levels of depression in both boys and girls. Early maturation was particularly detrimental to girls, who experience immediate psychological and envir...

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalDevelopment and Psychopathology·DateNov 19, 2014

A signature for success

Researchers have identified specific genetic mutations in melanoma tumors that predict effective responses to a groundbreaking immunotherapy. The discovery, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, could lead to more targeted and personalized cancer treatments, including tailored therapies for patients with diverse tumor genomes.

SourceLudwig Institute for Cancer Research·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateNov 19, 2014

Fathers' engagement with baby depends on mother

Researchers found that fathers' positive engagement increased as their intuitive parenting increased, but only when mothers had shown lower levels of intuitive parenting. The study involved highly educated, dual-earner couples and few in which the mother would be staying at home full-time.

SourceOhio State University·JournalInfant Mental Health Journal Infancy and Early Childhood·DateNov 19, 2014

New leadless pacemaker safe, reliable

Researchers have developed a new self-contained leadless cardiac pacemaker that reduces complications associated with traditional pacemaker systems. The device was implanted in eight patients with no complications in an average of 41 minutes and demonstrated reliable performance during follow-up sessions.

NASA's Swift mission probes an exotic object: 'Kicked' black hole or mega star?

Researchers analyzing decades of observations detect an unusual source of light in a galaxy, with properties suggesting it could be a supermassive black hole ejected from its home galaxy. Alternatively, the object might have been a rare type of star known as a Luminous Blue Variable that underwent prolonged eruptions.

SourceNASA/Goddard Space Flight Center·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateNov 19, 2014

A gut reaction

Queen's University scientists found that nanosilver can upset the human gut community at low concentrations. The discovery highlights the potential risks of nanoparticles in everyday life and underscores the need for further research on their long-term effects on health.

SourceQueen's University·JournalJournal of Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology·DateNov 19, 2014

Sun's rotating 'magnet' pulls lightning towards UK

Researchers found a 50% increase in UK thunderstorms when the Sun's spiral-shaped magnetic field pointed towards or away from Earth, potentially exposing the upper atmosphere to galactic cosmic rays. This discovery could lead to a reliable lightning forecast system that provides weeks-in-advance warnings of hazardous events.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalEnvironmental Research Letters·DateNov 19, 2014