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Science News Archive 2018 - Page 458


Page 458 of 473

Pregnant women in NC exposed to less secondhand nicotine after 'smoking ban'

A new study from Duke University Medical Center found that pregnant women in North Carolina experienced reduced secondhand smoke exposure since the passage of the 'smoking ban' in 2009. Despite overall reductions, racial and socioeconomic disparities persisted among African-American, unmarried, and less-educated women.

SourceDuke University Medical Center·JournalInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·DateJan 16, 2018

A high-salt diet produces dementia in mice

A high-salt diet reduces resting blood flow to the brain and causes dementia in mice, according to a new study. The study found that mice fed a high-salt diet developed dementia even when blood pressure did not rise, suggesting a direct link between salt intake and cognitive impairment.

SourceWeill Cornell Medicine·JournalNature Neuroscience·DateJan 16, 2018

Tracking the impact of early abuse and neglect

A study led by University of Utah researcher Lee Raby found that children who experience abuse and neglect early in life are more likely to struggle with social relationships and underachieve academically as adults. The study, published in Child Development, suggests that maltreatment's effects can persist from childhood through adoles...

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalChild Development·DateJan 16, 2018

Computer-aided facial analysis helps diagnosis

Researchers used AI-powered image analysis to help diagnose GPI anchor deficiencies, a group of rare diseases affecting mental retardation and distinctive facial features. The study suggests that computer-aided evaluation of patient portraits can facilitate improved diagnosis and potentially be applied to other diseases.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalGenome Medicine·DateJan 16, 2018

Stronger, able older adults have better outcomes when hospitalized with critical illnesses

A study of 575 older adults reveals that those with stronger physical abilities, such as faster walking speeds and better balance, have lower risk of death and shorter hospital stays. These findings suggest that pre-hospital strength can be an important predictor of outcomes in critically ill older adults.

SourceAmerican Geriatrics Society·JournalJournal of the American Geriatrics Society·DateJan 16, 2018

'Heart-on-a-chip' process aims to speed up drug testing

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a faster method for manufacturing 'heart-on-a-chip', allowing for quicker testing of new drugs on engineered human heart tissue. This new approach aims to reduce cardiac toxicity and improve the predictability of drug effects, paving the way for safer clinical trials.

SourceIOP Publishing·JournalBiofabrication·DateJan 16, 2018

International study identify the process of rock formed by meteors or nuclear blasts

Researchers from Brazil, China, and Italy developed a model to map the phases of coesite formation, a polymorph of silica that occurs under high pressure. The study uses atomic computer simulation to describe the interactions among atoms and the transformations resulting from pressure changes.

SourceFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 16, 2018

New process could slash energy demands of fertilizer, nitrogen-based chemicals

A new method using sunlight to split atmospheric nitrogen molecules could drastically cut the energy needed for fertilizer production. Researchers at Princeton University used computer simulations to model light's behavior in tiny structures made from gold and molybdenum, which concentrates light energy to boost a catalyst's power.

SourcePrinceton University, Engineering School·JournalScience Advances·DateJan 16, 2018

Want people to work together? Familiarity, ability to pick partners could be key

Researchers found that participants were more likely to collaborate when they could alter the structure of a network and had a pattern of relationships with multiple connections. This study aims to better explain the drivers of collaboration and has implications for various settings, including the workplace and the battlefield.

SourceOhio State University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJan 16, 2018

Clockwork under the microscope

Researchers at the University of Würzburg have discovered how honeybees manage to visit flowers at the right time and communicate this information to other bees. The study found that a specific peptide called PDF plays a central role in regulating circadian clocks, transferring day-night information to brain areas that control complex ...

SourceUniversity of Würzburg·JournalOpen Biology·DateJan 16, 2018

Study advances gene therapy for glaucoma

Researchers at University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed an improved gene delivery tactic for treating glaucoma, a leading blinding disease. The new method doubles the transfer of genes entering target cells and spreads them more uniformly across the trabecular meshwork tissue.

SourceUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison·JournalInvestigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science·DateJan 16, 2018

Scientists identify genes implicated in the high regenerative capacity of embryos and ESCs

Researchers at AgeX Therapeutics, Insilico Medicine, and the Biogerontology Research Foundation used deep learning techniques to analyze gene expression data in embryonic stem cells. They identified genes, including COX7A1, that contribute to the regenerative capacity of embryos and ESCs, with potential applications in cancer therapies.

SourceBiogerontology Research Foundation·JournalOncoTargets and Therapy·DateJan 16, 2018

Women who have gestational diabetes in pregnancy are at higher risk of future health issues

Research found that women diagnosed with GDM were over 20 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes, nearly twice as likely to develop hypertension, and almost twice as likely to develop ischemic heart disease. The study highlights the need for targeted risk factor management to improve long-term metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes.

SourceUniversity of Birmingham·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateJan 16, 2018