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Science News Archive 2018 - Page 375


Page 375 of 473

Brewing hoppy beer without the hops

Scientists at UC Berkeley have developed a way to create hoppy beer without using hops by genetically engineering brewer's yeast. The engineered strains produce two prominent flavor notes found in hops, resulting in beers that are indistinguishable from those made with traditional hopping methods.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalNature Communications·DateMar 20, 2018

Study identifies effective parenting strategies to reduce disruptive behavior in children

Researchers found that a combination of teaching parents how to manage behavior and relationship-building strategies was more effective than just behavior-management strategies for reducing severe disruptive behavior. For children who haven't developed severe behavioral issues, only behavior-management strategies were beneficial.

SourceSociety for Research in Child Development·JournalChild Development·DateMar 20, 2018

Specific gene region in hypertension revealed

A team of University of Tsukuba researchers uncovered the essential role of a specific gene region in regulating blood pressure homeostasis. By deleting certain regions of the renin gene, they found that one particular region, known as -5E, plays a crucial role in the basal expression of the gene.

SourceUniversity of Tsukuba·JournalMolecular and Cellular Biology·DateMar 20, 2018

Potential cognitive effects of targeted drugs in children may be reversible with therapy

A study found that targeted cancer drugs can cause cognitive and behavioral deficits in young mice, but these effects can be reversed with environmental stimulation and physical exercise. Researchers suggest that pediatric brain cancer patients may experience similar side effects, highlighting the need for remediation efforts.

SourceAmerican Association for Cancer Research·JournalCancer Research·DateMar 20, 2018

State-by-state causes of infant mortality in the US

A state-by-state analysis found that sudden unexpected death of infants (SUDI) is the most common cause of full-term infant mortality in the US. The study suggests that interventions to reduce SUDI risk could lead to a major reduction in infant mortality.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateMar 20, 2018

Months-long real-time generation of a time scale based on an optical clock

Researchers at NICT Space-Time Standards Laboratory demonstrate a novel time scale generation method combining an optical lattice clock with a hydrogen maser. The resultant signal continued for half a year without interruption, outperforming Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and TT(BIPM) in terms of accuracy.

Natural sniper kills hospital bacterium

Researchers at KU Leuven have identified a protein, LIpA bacteriocin, that targets and kills the deadly Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. The protein's mechanism of action involves binding to the bacterial cell wall protein BamA, effectively shutting it down and allowing the bacteria to die quickly.

SourceKU Leuven·JournalmBio·DateMar 20, 2018

Natural enemies reduce pesticide use

A study found that increasing crop diversity in agricultural landscapes reduces aphid populations and decreases the need for pesticides. This is because natural enemies of aphids, such as ladybirds and spiders, have better living conditions in diverse landscapes.

SourceUniversity of Würzburg·JournalJournal of Applied Ecology·DateMar 20, 2018

Sustained bacterial outbreak in mosquitoes limits spread of life-threatening diseases

Researchers use ordinary differential equation-based model to calculate effective method of introducing Wolbachia to wild mosquitoes, reducing spread of life-threatening diseases. The two-sex model accounts for aquatic life stage, heterosexual transmission, and multiple pregnant states, capturing entire transmission cycle.

SourceSociety for Industrial and Applied Mathematics·JournalSIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics·DateMar 20, 2018

New linguistic analysis finds Dravidian language family is approximately 4,500 years old

A new linguistic analysis by an international team has estimated that the Dravidian language family, spoken by 220 million people in South Asia, originated around 4,500 years ago. This estimate matches well with earlier studies and is supported by advanced statistical methods and hand-collected data from native speakers.

SourceMax Planck Institute of Geoanthropology·JournalRoyal Society Open Science·DateMar 20, 2018

First population-scale sequencing project explores platypus history

Researchers sequenced the genomes of 57 platypuses across Eastern Australia and Tasmania, establishing a family history and kinship in unprecedented detail. The study provides insights into population structure, diversity, and evolutionary forces at work, shedding light on the conservation challenges facing this unique species.

Antibiotics could be key to relieving chronic bladder pain

A new clinical study led by Sheela Swamy of University College London found that antibiotics can significantly reduce symptoms of chronic bladder pain and urinary tract infections. The study analyzed 624 women who had suffered from long-term symptoms for over six years, with no relief from previous treatments.

SourceSpringer·JournalInternational Urogynecology Journal·DateMar 20, 2018

Even flies like a familiar song

Fruit flies are attracted to unique wing pulse patterns, and exposure to these sounds during development teaches them to prefer their species' own pulse. The study found that female pC1 neurons play a crucial role in the courtship learning process.