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Science News Archive April 2017


Page 1 of 37

Ivabradine may not benefit certain heart failure patients

A randomized clinical trial found that ivabradine did not improve outcomes in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Elevated heart rate is a predictive factor of worse outcomes in these patients, contradicting previous research that suggested benefits for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

SourceWiley·JournalEuropean Journal of Heart Failure·DateApr 30, 2017

Two papers challenge exclusion of acupuncture in government guidelines

Two papers challenge the UK's National Institute for Healthcare Excellence (NICE) guidelines for excluding acupuncture in treating osteoarthritis of the knee and low-back pain. The authors argue that NICE applies a higher evidentiary standard to acupuncture than other modalities, which may diminish its effectiveness.

SourceMary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News·JournalThe Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine·DateApr 28, 2017

Success in the 3-D bioprinting of cartilage

A team of researchers at the University of Gothenburg has developed a method to generate cartilage tissue by printing stem cells using a 3D-bioprinter. The resulting cartilage is extremely similar to human cartilage, with properties and structures identical to those found in natural cartilage.

SourceUniversity of Gothenburg·JournalScientific Reports·DateApr 28, 2017

New appetite control mechanism found in brain

Researchers at Hiroshima University have identified a molecule, NPGL, that increases appetite during fasting and decreases it during gorging. This discovery suggests that the body has an evolved mechanism to maintain weight at a constant level, regardless of diet or energy intake.

SourceHiroshima University·JournalEndocrinology·DateApr 28, 2017

Study finds primary school children get less active with age

A study found that primary school children spent less time doing physical activities and more time sedentary as they aged. By Year 4, around a third of boys and two-thirds of girls failed to meet the recommended hour of physical activity per day. The researchers tracked 1,300 children over a week in Year 1 and again three years later t...

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalInternational Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity·DateApr 28, 2017

You and I can help climate researchers

CIRC researcher Keith Larson will lead a citizen science project in Abisko, Sweden, where the public can help collect valuable climate change data and learn about climate research methods. The project aims to replicate a study from 1917-1919 and modernize it with new climate stations and smartphone app.

Hybrid heterostructures with programmable potentials

Researchers have developed hybrid organic-inorganic materials with fully controllable structural and electronic properties. By using molecular monolayers to create controllable periodic potentials on the surface of graphene, they can tailor the electronic behavior of graphene field-effect transistor devices.

SourceGraphene Flagship·JournalNature Communications·DateApr 28, 2017

Key priorities for agricultural microbiomes identified

Researchers propose five broad research priorities to understand relationships between beneficial microbes and plant health, aiming to improve agricultural productivity and sustainable practices. The 'core microbiome' and functional mechanisms of microbiome assembly and resilience will be studied to develop new tools for analyzing micr...

SourceColorado State University·JournalPLOS Biology·DateApr 28, 2017