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Science News Archive April 2016 - Page 23


Page 23 of 39

The economic crisis has worsened the hard lives of homeless people

A study by the University of the Basque Country found that the economic crisis has worsened the lives of homeless people, especially those who are foreign. The research revealed a rise in homelessness, primarily due to difficulties accessing jobs and cuts to financial aid, leading to increased duration of integration into society.

SourceSpanish Foundation for Science and Technology·JournalEuropean Journal of Social Work·DateApr 13, 2016

Changes in state policies impact fatal and non-fatal assaults of law enforcement officers

A new study by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health researchers found that three-strikes laws increase fatal and non-fatal assaults on officers by 33% and 62%, respectively. In contrast, permit-to-purchase handgun laws appear to protect law enforcement officers against handgun assaults, with Missouri's repeal associated with...

How LSD can make us lose our sense of self

A new study using fMRI images has found that LSD causes regions of the brain involved in higher cognition to become heavily over-connected, leading to a sense of ego dissolution. This phenomenon is also seen in certain psychiatric and neurological disorders.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateApr 13, 2016

Fast food may expose consumers to harmful chemicals called phthalates

A study by George Washington University researchers found that people who ate more fast food had higher levels of phthalates in their urine, which have been linked to reproductive damage and infertility. The study also discovered that grain and meat items were significant contributors to phthalate exposure.

SourceGeorge Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health·JournalEnvironmental Health Perspectives·DateApr 13, 2016

Bubbles lead to disaster

Researchers used computer models and laboratory experiments to study bubble behavior in magma reservoirs. They found that bubbles accumulate faster in crystal-rich zones, leading to overpressurization and potential sulfur emissions. This discovery sheds light on the underlying mechanisms of super-volcanic eruptions.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalNature·DateApr 13, 2016

Drug candidate halts crippling excess bone growth in animal model of a rare bone disease

Scientists have found that palovarotene, a previously tested emphysema drug, prevents multiple skeletal problems caused by fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) and maintains normal limb motion in lab animals. The drug has potent effects, preventing heterotopic ossification and preserving bone growth.

SourceChildren's Hospital of Philadelphia·JournalJournal of Bone and Mineral Research·DateApr 13, 2016

Expanding insurance for single-embryo IVF could improve pregnancy outcomes

A national survey of IVF cycles found that elective single-embryo transfer results in fewer adverse outcomes and ideal pregnancy outcomes, including single, full-term babies of normal birth weight. The study also shows that insurance coverage for infertility treatment is associated with increased use of elective single-embryo transfer.

SourceUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus·JournalFertility and Sterility·DateApr 13, 2016

Exposure to American Indian mascots activates stereotypes

A new study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology found that exposure to American Indian sports mascots can strengthen negative stereotypes, especially among liberal individuals. The researchers also discovered that a person's political identity can predict how susceptible they are to adopting stereotypes associated with bran...

SourceThe University of Montana·JournalJournal of Consumer Psychology·DateApr 13, 2016

City moths avoid the light

A new study by Swiss zoologists found that urban moths have learned to avoid light due to high mortality rates in rural populations. The researchers observed a significant decrease in flight-to-light propensity among moths exposed to heavy light pollution.

SourceUniversity of Basel·JournalBiology Letters·DateApr 13, 2016

Some frogs are adapting to deadly pathogen

Researchers found that some frogs in Arizona are rapidly adapting to the fungal pathogen Batrachochrytrium dendrobatridis, which causes chytridiomycosis. The study identified a specific genetic variant, allele Q, that confers immunity to the disease, and showed that these variants were being rapidly inherited and evolving.

Scientists grow a material based on hafnium oxide for a new type of non-volatile memory

Researchers have successfully grown ultra-thin ferroelectric films based on hafnium oxide, which could potentially be used to develop non-volatile memory elements. The films' ferroelectric properties are compatible with silicon technology, paving the way for the creation of new non-volatile memory devices.

SourceMoscow Institute of Physics and Technology·JournalACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·DateApr 13, 2016