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Science News for August 24, 2016


More than a few good men

A University of Utah study contradicts traditional expectations by finding that surpluses of men are associated with higher levels of marriage, relationship commitment and paternal involvement. This challenges the prevailing notion that an abundance of single men lead to outcomes of crime, violence and broken homes.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalPLOS ONE·DateAug 24, 2016

Climate analysis makes sense of Antarctic puzzle

Scientists warn that global warming signals are masked by random weather variations, but expect increased snowfall in Antarctica due to higher moisture levels. The study concludes that the human influence on Antarctic surface mass balance will become detectable within the next few decades.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalEnvironmental Research Letters·DateAug 24, 2016

Barcodes show the blood family tree

Scientists at Lund University have developed a barcode system to track the development of immune cells, revealing that stem cells undergo different stages of maturation. This discovery has significant implications for understanding leukemia and autoimmune diseases.

SourceLund University·JournalImmunity·DateAug 24, 2016

New small molecule compounds could treat Ebola virus infection

Scientists have discovered a new class of small molecule compounds that can block the Ebola virus's ability to break out of cells and infect new ones. The compounds target an interaction between the virus and host cells, inhibiting viral egress without being toxic to human cells.

SourceElsevier·JournalBioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters·DateAug 24, 2016

The Lancet Global Health: Arab uprising has had long-term effect on health, lowering life expectancy in several countries

The Arab uprising and subsequent wars have had a devastating impact on the region's health, with many countries experiencing downward turns in life expectancy. The study reveals that infant mortality rates are rising, and chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are becoming increasingly prevalent.

SourceThe Lancet·JournalThe Lancet Global Health·DateAug 24, 2016

The origins of Cuban species

A research team from Hokkaido University suggests the Cuban solenodon family evolved around 59 million years ago, long after the dinosaur extinction. The species diverged from its ancestor and then traveled to Cuba via water, contradicting earlier theories.

SourceHokkaido University·JournalScientific Reports·DateAug 24, 2016

Lymph node stage may have clinical significance among NSCLC patients with stage IV M1a

A large cohort of NSCLC patients with M1a disease found lymph node staging to have clinical significance and an impact on prognosis. The results showed that patients without regional lymph node metastasis (N0) had better lung cancer-specific survival rates compared to those with N1 or N2 disease. Lymph node involvement also emerged as ...

SourceInternational Association for the Study of Lung Cancer·JournalJournal of Thoracic Oncology·DateAug 24, 2016

High-tech alternative to brain surgery proves effective for most common movement disorder

A clinical trial led by Jeff Elias at the University of Virginia Health System found that focused ultrasound is safe and effective in reducing shaking caused by essential tremor. Participants showed significant improvement in disabilities and quality of life, with mean tremor scores improving by 47% at three months.

SourceUniversity of Virginia Health System·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateAug 24, 2016

Johns Hopkins scientists track metabolic pathways to find drug combination for pancreatic cancer

Scientists at Johns Hopkins have discovered a drug combination that specifically targets the metabolic pathways of pancreatic cancer cells. By combining an experimental drug with metformin, researchers were able to shrink tumors by at least 50% in animal models, providing new evidence for treating this aggressive form of cancer.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 24, 2016

How long do you want to live? Your expectations for old age matter

A study found that young and middle-aged adults in the US prefer to live longer than average life expectancy if they have positive expectations for old age, but those with negative expectations prefer shorter lives. The study used a telephone survey of over 1600 adults aged 18-64 years and found no relationship between age, gender, or ...

Study takes a step back to look at use of restraints in hospitals

A recent study published in Journal of General Internal Medicine found that hospitals with adequate staffing levels, particularly registered nurses, experience reduced restraint use. The research suggests that the type of nursing staff rather than just total staffing is a crucial factor in preventing restraints from being used.

SourceSpringer·JournalJournal of General Internal Medicine·DateAug 24, 2016

Global climate models do not easily downscale for regional predictions

Climate researchers found that global climate models become increasingly uncertain when making predictions at scales below approximately 600 miles for temperature changes and 1200 miles for precipitation patterns. This makes it difficult to predict regional variations, such as the difference in warming between Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.

SourcePenn State·JournalAdvances in Atmospheric Sciences·DateAug 24, 2016

Bio-inspired tire design: Where the rubber meets the road

Researchers at Lehigh University, Michelin Corporation, and NSF are developing materials with surface architectures that could enhance the safety and reliability of tires. By mimicking the smooth pad surfaces found on the feet of grasshoppers or frogs, they aim to improve sliding friction while minimizing rolling resistance.

SourceLehigh University·JournalScientific Reports·DateAug 24, 2016

A mystery of form and structure

Researchers built a stream table experiment to test a theory about the erosion of the Tarim Basin's flat surfaces. They found that channel switching played a crucial role in beveling these areas due to rapid changes in sediment flux and water flow. The study provides insights into the geological history of the region.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalNature Geoscience·DateAug 24, 2016

New electrical energy storage material shows its power

A Northwestern University team has developed a nanomaterial that can store large amounts of electrical energy like a battery and charge rapidly like a supercapacitor, promising to improve electric car efficiency. The material's stability allows for 10,000 charge/discharge cycles, making it suitable for commercial applications.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalACS Central Science·DateAug 24, 2016

Excess weight linked to 8 more cancer types

An international team of researchers identified eight additional types of cancer linked to excess weight and obesity, including stomach, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, ovary, meningioma, thyroid cancer, and multiple myeloma. Limiting weight gain may help reduce the risk of these cancers.

SourceWashU Medicine·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateAug 24, 2016

NEJM study: MRI-guided focused ultrasound effective to treat essential tremor

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that MRI-guided focused ultrasound significantly improves tremors and quality of life for patients with essential tremor. The treatment was shown to achieve nearly 50% improvement in tremors after three months, while retaining a 40% improvement after a year.

SourceUniversity of Maryland School of Medicine·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateAug 24, 2016

New editorial, virtual journal issue commemorate research that shaped geriatrics

The American Geriatrics Society has released a virtual journal issue featuring 20 seminal articles that have shaped geriatric research since the new millennium. The studies focus on topics such as cognition, physical disabilities, frailty, and medication use, and have had significant impacts on eldercare expertise.

SourceAmerican Geriatrics Society·JournalJournal of the American Geriatrics Society·DateAug 24, 2016

Can 1 cosmic enigma help solve another?

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University suggest that fast radio bursts could provide clues to dark matter by detecting black holes of a specific mass. The team argues that the brief flashes of radio-frequency radiation can detect black holes with masses predicted for dark matter, offering a direct probe of this phenomenon.

SourceJohns Hopkins University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateAug 24, 2016