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Science News Archive 2018 - Page 244


Page 244 of 473

How social media's powerful 'silent majority' moves Bitcoin prices

Researchers have found that positive social media commentary from infrequent users significantly influences the rising price of Bitcoin. The study, led by Feng Mai, shows that these silent majority users move prices up to ten times more than active users. This suggests that investors should recognize and discount biased comments.

SourceStevens Institute of Technology·JournalJournal of Management Information Systems·DateJun 25, 2018

Justice not blind to gender bias

A study by Arizona State University found that gender bias influences how people perceive an attorney's effectiveness when delivering a closing argument, particularly for women. The research suggests that showing traditionally male characteristics in court can lead to negative perceptions of female attorneys.

SourceArizona State University·JournalLaw and Human Behavior·DateJun 25, 2018

The McMaster recipe for star clusters

Researchers Corey Howard, Ralph Pudritz and William Harris use supercomputer simulations to re-create star cluster formation. The study shows that massive star clusters are the natural outcome of large gas collections, and can be used to reverse-engineer galaxy conditions.

SourceMcMaster University·JournalNature Astronomy·DateJun 25, 2018

New theranostic strategy developed for precise tumor diagnosis and therapy

A novel intelligent theranostic agent was designed to target tumors, with the ability to self-assemble in the tumor microenvironment and activate for therapy guided by photoacoustic imaging. The clusters showed high selectivity to the tumor microenvironment and eliminated tumor growth without subsequent recurrence.

SourceSociety of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging·JournalJournal of Nuclear Medicine·DateJun 25, 2018

Giving up on your goal? Read this first

A series of setbacks can lead to an 'action crisis,' causing individuals to question the importance of their goal. New research reveals that repeated struggles and setbacks can cause people to devalue their goal, making it harder to stick to it. However, knowing ahead of time when an action crisis may occur allows individuals to prepar...

SourcePenn State·JournalPsychology and Marketing·DateJun 25, 2018

Staying coherent while spinning

Scientists have successfully transferred vibrational coherence between electronic states of a molecule, overcoming a major hurdle in the study of ultrafast chemical reactions. The research builds upon earlier studies and demonstrates the importance of solvents in driving energy flow in polyatomic molecules.

SourceEcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 25, 2018

Eye-in-the-sky to save olive trees

A new airborne remote-imaging method can identify olive tree infections caused by the devastating bacterium Xylella fastidiosa before visible symptoms appear. This detection enables rapid containment and culling of infected trees, crucial in controlling the spread of the disease across southern Europe's iconic orchards.

SourceSwansea University·JournalNature Plants·DateJun 25, 2018

Novel nuclear medicine approach shows promise for treating wide array of cancerous tumors

Researchers have developed a novel approach to pretargeted radioimmunotherapy, which has shown complete responses in several solid tumor types using the beta-emitting lutetium-177 and alpha-emitting actinium-225. The new approach offers greater versatility of treatment for various solid tumors and clinical situations.

SourceSociety of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging·JournalJournal of Nuclear Medicine·DateJun 25, 2018

Why life on Earth first got big

Researchers found that early ocean organisms grew tall to disperse their offspring and colonize their surroundings. The study suggests that reproduction was the main reason life on Earth got big during the Ediacaran period.

SourceUniversity of Cambridge·JournalNature Ecology & Evolution·DateJun 25, 2018

How music lessons can improve language skills

A new study from MIT finds that piano lessons enhance word discrimination in kindergartners, particularly with consonants, without improving overall cognitive ability. The researchers suggest that music education is at least as beneficial for language skills and possibly more beneficial than additional reading instruction.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 25, 2018

Pain relief at a lower opioid dose

Researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine discovered that combining chemical compounds to activate specific nerve cell receptors may reduce the risk of opioid tolerance and side effects by minimizing the amount of opioids needed. The study used mice models, suggesting that this approach could lead to a lower-risk pain treatment option.

SourceJohns Hopkins Medicine·JournalScience Signaling·DateJun 25, 2018