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Science News for December 8, 2017


Sandy claws

Research by University of Delaware scientist Danielle Dixson and her team found that decorator crabs primarily decorate their arms and legs first, which helps them hide from predators. The study also showed that habitat presence affects decorating patterns, with crabs decorating faster in the absence of a shelter.

Transformation to wind and solar achievable with low indirect GHG emissions

A comprehensive study found that wind and solar energy have lower indirect greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil-based technologies. The researchers' findings suggest that a full decarbonization of the global power sector is achievable with these clean energy sources, resulting in modest indirect greenhouse gas emissions.

Long-term prevention of organ rejection

Researchers at the University of Konstanz have successfully prevented chronic antibody-mediated organ rejection in a rat model using immunoproteasome inhibition with the selective inhibitor ONX 0914. This approach reduces activated plasma cells producing allo-antibodies and leads to improved renal function.

SourceUniversity of Konstanz·JournalKidney International·DateDec 8, 2017

Extreme fieldwork, climate modeling yields new insight into predicting Greenland's melt

A UCLA-led team used extreme fieldwork and climate modeling to unravel a meltwater mystery on Greenland's ice sheet. They discovered that sunlight penetrating into the ice causes subsurface melting and storage of meltwater, leading to discrepancies between models' estimates and real-time data.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 8, 2017

PARP inhibitor improves progression-free survival in patients with advanced breast cancers and BRCA

A Phase III trial led by MD Anderson Cancer Center found that talazoparib, a PARP inhibitor, extends progression-free survival and improves quality-of-life measures for patients with metastatic HER2-negative breast cancer and BRCA1/2 mutations. Talazoparib was associated with a 46% lower risk of progression compared to chemotherapy.

New study shows HIV-infected women not using statins as recommended

A new study published in AIDS Patient Care and STDs found that HIV-infected women do not use statins as recommended by guidelines, which control blood lipid levels to prevent heart disease. This underuse may accelerate cardiovascular disease in HIV-positive individuals, underscoring the need for improved cardiac health monitoring.

SourceMary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News·JournalAIDS Patient Care and STDs·DateDec 8, 2017

Boosting the antibiotic arsenal

MIT researchers discovered a way to make bacteria more vulnerable to quinolones, enabling existing drugs to kill bacteria that cause chronic infections. Delivering quinolones along with glucose and fumarate can eliminate several types of bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalMolecular Cell·DateDec 8, 2017

Controlled burns limited severity of Rim Fire

Researchers found that areas recently treated with controlled burns fared better in the 2013 Rim Fire. The best predictor of fire severity was how severe the area last burned, indicating that reducing initial burn severity can limit future fires.

SourcePenn State·JournalEcosphere·DateDec 8, 2017

Going undercover to fight tuberculosis

Researchers have developed a new antibiotic, EZ120, that targets the mycomembrane biosynthesis of tuberculosis pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis. By inhibiting key enzymes, EZ120 significantly increases the effectiveness of conventional antibiotics, offering a novel approach for tuberculosis treatment.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateDec 8, 2017

How individuals with schizophrenia view their experiences and confidence in judgments may influence treatment targets

Researchers at Penn Medicine found that individuals with schizophrenia's own perceptions of their experiences can influence treatment outcomes. Cognitive insight, measured by the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale, is a significant predictor of neurocognition and not vice versa.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalClinical Psychological Science·DateDec 8, 2017

Hot bodies are attractive

Researchers at UC Berkeley found that blackbody radiation from a warm object can attract cesium atoms, with an effect 20 times stronger than gravity. This discovery has implications for precise measurements of fundamental constants and tests of general relativity.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalNature Physics·DateDec 8, 2017