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Science News Archive November 2017 - Page 11


Page 11 of 42

A material with promising properties

Researchers at the University of Konstanz have successfully synthesized Europium(II) oxide nanoparticles, a ferromagnetic semiconductor with promising properties for spin-based electronics. The team developed a novel two-stage process to produce high-quality and anisotropic EuO-nanoparticles with tunable magnetic properties.

SourceUniversity of Konstanz·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateNov 22, 2017

Mass media linked to childhood obesity

A strong link has been found between childhood obesity and mass media exposure in European countries. Parents are advised to limit TV viewing and computer use to 1.5 hours a day for children over four years old to promote healthy development.

SourceWiley·JournalActa Paediatrica·DateNov 22, 2017

Managing antibiotics not enough to reverse resistance

Researchers found that bacteria can quickly share genes to maintain resistance, making it unlikely that reducing antibiotic use will reverse the trend. However, conjugation rates can be disrupted and reversed using existing drugs, paving the way for future development of new treatments.

SourceDuke University·JournalNature Communications·DateNov 22, 2017

Children with heart disease are being let down by lack of clinical trials, study finds

A UK study found that less than one per cent of children born with congenital heart disease participate in clinical trials, highlighting a need for improved treatment options. Researchers suggest establishing a congenital heart disease research network to conduct well-designed clinical trials and improve surgical outcomes.

SourceUniversity of Birmingham·JournalEuropean Journal of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery·DateNov 22, 2017

Research points to diagnostic test for top cause of liver transplant in kids

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center have identified a strong biomarker candidate for early diagnosis and treatment of biliary atresia, a rare disease causing liver damage in infants. The test, using matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), shows high sensitivity and specificity in detecting the condition.

SourceCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateNov 22, 2017

Lung cancer triggers pulmonary hypertension

A study published in Science Translational Medicine found that lung cancer often leads to pulmonary hypertension due to immune cell activation and inflammatory processes triggered by cancer cells. This discovery could lead to new therapeutic approaches for developing a treatment.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateNov 22, 2017

Do education and poverty affect knee surgery success?

A study found that individuals with lower education levels experienced worse pain and function after two years if they lived in impoverished communities undergoing total knee replacement. Conversely, educational level was unrelated to outcomes in wealthier areas.

SourceWiley·JournalArthritis Care & Research·DateNov 22, 2017

Scientists find why CP El Niño is harder to predict than EP El Niño

Researchers Prof. Fei Zheng and Jin-Yi Yu found significant skill score differences between EP and CP El Niño events, with EP events better predicted at all lead times. This is attributed to systematic forecast biases and an overly warm eastern Pacific during the spring season for CP El Niño prediction.

SourceInstitute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences·JournalAdvances in Atmospheric Sciences·DateNov 22, 2017

NIH scientists and collaborators find prion protein in skin of CJD patients

Researchers detected abnormal prion protein in the skin of nearly two dozen CJD patients and found that healthy mice infected with skin extracts developed prion disease. The study raises questions about potential surgical instrument contamination and the use of skin samples as a diagnostic test for human and animal prion diseases.

SourceNIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateNov 22, 2017

Analysis provides reassurance on the safety of biosimilars

A recent study of publicly available regulatory documents found that biosimilars have a comparable safety profile to their originators. The analysis identified only minor differences in safety concerns for most substances, with the exception of infliximab, where more issues were reported.

SourceWiley·JournalBritish Journal of Clinical Pharmacology·DateNov 22, 2017

Scientists identify new marker of arthritis in mice

Researchers have discovered a new marker, Ratiometric thrombin-Activatable Cell Penetrating Peptide, to identify joints with established arthritis and predict subsequent swelling. This imaging tool may help clinicians monitor arthritis development and progression, enabling early intervention.

SourceWiley·JournalArthritis & Rheumatology·DateNov 22, 2017

High yield, protein with soybean gene

Researchers have successfully bred soybeans with both high yields and high protein levels, addressing a long-standing challenge in plant breeding. The genetic findings suggest that a specific gene on chromosome 15 can increase protein concentration without significantly decreasing yields.

SourceAmerican Society of Agronomy·JournalCrop Science·DateNov 22, 2017

Numerical infinities and infinitesimals open new horizons in computations and give unexpected answers to 2 Hilbert problems

A new computational framework allows working with infinities and infinitesimals numerically, giving unexpected answers to two long-standing Hilbert problems. The Infinity Computer supercomputer enables numerical computations with infinite and infinitesimal numbers, previously only symbolically represented.

SourceLobachevsky University·JournalEMS Surveys in Mathematical Sciences·DateNov 22, 2017

ID microstructure of stock useful in financial crisis

Researchers analyze order flow for pairs of NASDAQ 100 stocks and find four groups with large mutual differences, surprising given the lack of reflection in actual prices. This discovery contributes to modeling price evolution and could be used to evaluate the impact of financial crises.

SourceSpringer·JournalThe European Physical Journal B·DateNov 22, 2017

A huge hydrogen generator at the Earth's core-mantle boundary

A new study by an international research group has discovered a natural process that splits water into hydrogen and oxygen at the Earth's core-mantle boundary. This reaction could generate massive amounts of free hydrogen, affecting the deep Earth's water and hydrogen cycles. The findings also suggest the potential for large-scale oxyg...

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·DateNov 22, 2017

Communicating at the speed of light

Tingyi Gu, an assistant professor at the University of Delaware, has received a $450,000 grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to develop high-speed and low-power optical interconnects. Her research aims to improve the performance and scalability of devices made with two-dimensional materials.

Fine felted nanotubes

Scientists from Kiel University and University of Trento create stable 3D network of carbon nanotubes using wet chemical infiltration process. The method retains beneficial properties of CNTs, enabling applications in battery technology, medical implants, sensors, and electronic components.

SourceKiel University·JournalNature Communications·DateNov 22, 2017