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Science News Archive 2015 - Page 64


Page 64 of 402

Study examines issues related to prenatal detection of trisomies

A new study suggests using contingent screening could detect higher proportions of affected pregnancies, but parental choices limit its impact. Only 60% of women considered high-risk after standard first-trimester screening choose cfDNA testing, resulting in a limited effect on live births with trisomy 21.

SourceWiley·JournalUltrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology·DateNov 3, 2015

Forming glass shapes: Lowering the 'softening temperature' via electric field

Researchers at Lehigh University and the University of Colorado Boulder discovered that an electric field can lower the softening temperature of glass, allowing for significant energy savings in traditional forming approaches. This phenomenon has potential applications in micro- and nano-forming operations and high-precision nanostamping.

SourceAmerican Institute of Physics·JournalApplied Physics Letters·DateNov 3, 2015

Chemotherapy-induced hearing loss affects cognition in pediatric brain tumor survivors

A new study reveals that chemotherapy-induced hearing loss in pediatric brain tumor survivors can lead to significant neurocognitive deficits, including intelligence, executive function, and verbal reasoning skills. Children who received radiation therapy and developed hearing loss are at particularly high-risk for these deficits.

SourceChildren's Hospital Los Angeles·JournalPediatric Blood & Cancer·DateNov 3, 2015

Humans can empathize with robots

Researchers at Toyohashi University of Technology found that humans can empathize with humanoid robots in perceived pain. However, the beginning of the top-down process of empathy is weaker for robots than for humans. This study contributes to the development of human-friendly robots whom we feel sympathy for and comfortable with.

SourceToyohashi University of Technology (TUT)·JournalScientific Reports·DateNov 3, 2015

Increasing vitamin D supplementation

A study by ETH Zurich researchers found that a serum concentration of around 40 micrograms of vitamin D per litre of serum is ideal for slowing or preventing bone degeneration in postmenopausal women. The study showed that daily vitamin D supplements can increase calcium absorption and reduce bone degeneration.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalJournal of Nutrition·DateNov 2, 2015

In-house test kits help motivate parents to reduce allergens in their homes

The study found that households using the test kits had a consistent reduction in dust mite allergens over the course of the 12-month study period. A significant number of parents reported adopting behaviors to reduce dust mites after seeing their test kit results, such as using special pillow covers and vacuuming with HEPA filters.

Global study in November Health Affairs

A global study in Health Affairs found no significant differences in the health, nutrition, and educational outcomes of left-behind children and rural children living with their parents. The research suggests that programs specifically targeting left-behind children may be misdirected and should focus on all rural children instead.

SourceHealth Affairs·JournalHealth Affairs·DateNov 2, 2015

West Nile virus killing millions more birds than previously thought, UCLA researchers find

West Nile virus is killing millions more birds and affecting many more species than initially thought. Survival estimates dropped dramatically in nearly half of the 49 studied species, highlighting the long-term effects of the disease. The research provides a warning for future infectious diseases that may affect humans as well.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateNov 2, 2015