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Science News Archive April 2018 - Page 18


Page 18 of 42

This 2-D nanosheet expands like a Grow Monster

Researchers have discovered a new material science concept that uses light to expand a two-dimensional nanosheet at incredible speeds. The nanosheet can expand up to 5.7% of its original size in sub-milliseconds, making it potentially useful for artificial muscles and soft robotic systems.

SourceUniversity at Buffalo·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 18, 2018

Iron Age breeding practices likely influenced lack of stallion lineages in modern horses

Ancient European horse breeding practices likely contributed to the limited paternally-inherited Y chromosome diversity in modern horses. Selective breeding during the Iron Age may have reduced genetic variation, as humans prioritized reproductive success of selected stallions. The Roman Empire's shift towards male-based selective bree...

Three solutions to maximize the clinical benefit and affordability of targeted cancer drugs

To address escalating costs of targeted cancer drugs, a Penn-led group proposes three solutions: defining minimum clinically meaningful effect sizes for FDA approval, Medicare negotiating prices for targeted cancer drugs, and prioritizing effective treatments by clinical benefit and price. The recommendations aim to balance clinical be...

New study improves 'crowd wisdom' estimates

A new study developed a mathematical correction to improve crowd estimates by accounting for individual bias and social information. Researchers found that collective intelligence is highly predictable and can be improved with the right rules for collective estimation.

SourceSanta Fe Institute·JournalJournal of The Royal Society Interface·DateApr 18, 2018

Why is it harder for females to gain weight?

Researchers found that female POMC neurons fire faster than male's due to the expression of gene TAp63, leading to increased energy expenditure and protection against weight gain. This novel mechanism may facilitate future gender-specific therapeutic strategies for obesity and related disorders.

SourceBaylor College of Medicine·JournalNature Communications·DateApr 18, 2018

Salt boosts creation of 2-D materials

Rice University scientists discovered that salt reduces the temperature at which elements interact in a chemical vapor deposition furnace, making it easier to form atom-thin layers. This process allows for the creation of novel materials with customized properties.

SourceRice University·JournalNature·DateApr 18, 2018

How does the Pacific Walker circulation respond to strong tropical volcanism?

A recent study found that the Pacific Walker circulation (PWC) weakens significantly after strong tropical volcanic eruptions (SVEs), leading to changes in rainfall patterns and extreme climate events worldwide. The research suggests that the cooling effect of SVEs on the Maritime Continent plays a dominant role in weakening the PWC.

SourceInstitute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences·JournalAdvances in Atmospheric Sciences·DateApr 18, 2018

Water dynamics indicate tumor status

Researchers developed a method to measure proton nuclear resonance dispersion profiles at low magnetic fields, revealing the water exchange rate of tumor cells. This enables direct assessment of tumor status and metabolic activity, which is characteristic of aggressive and highly metastatic tumors.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateApr 18, 2018

Pepper plant sops up personal care product antibiotic

Researchers found that pepper plants metabolize triclocarban, an antibiotic commonly used in personal care products, into other molecules. The study suggests that these metabolites may have negative health effects, highlighting the need for further research on the impact of environmental triclocarban exposure on human health.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry·DateApr 18, 2018

Overcoming bias about music takes work

Researchers found that simply being told a musician is professional changes the way the brain responds to music, with more activity in pleasure and reward regions for 'professional' recordings. Overcoming this bias requires conscious effort, as participants who resisted the bias showed increased executive control.

SourceUniversity of Connecticut·JournalScientific Reports·DateApr 18, 2018

Harvesting water from fog with harps (video)

Researchers have developed a type of 'harp' to collect fresh water from fog, outperforming traditional mesh devices. The new harp technology consistently collected more water than equivalent meshes at all wire diameters, with the finest wires collecting over three times the amount.

SourceAmerican Chemical Society·JournalACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·DateApr 18, 2018

New ancestor of modern sea turtles found in Alabama

A new ancestor of modern sea turtles has been found in Alabama, dating back to the Late Cretaceous epoch. The discovery reveals two distinct species within the Peritresius clade, expanding the known evolutionary history of these marine reptiles.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS ONE·DateApr 18, 2018

An eye toward regeneration

Researchers at UNLV have found that frog embryos can regenerate their entire eye within 3 to 5 days after injury, contradicting previous claims. This breakthrough has potential implications for human tissue regeneration and may lead to the development of new treatments for eye injuries.

SourceUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas·JournalExperimental Eye Research·DateApr 18, 2018

Detailed images of tumor vasculature

The new technology, called Motion Model Ultrasound Localization Microscopy, allows for the tracking of individual microbubbles in real-time, enabling the reconstruction of fine vascular networks and monitoring of blood flow. This technique has potential applications in cancer treatment, particularly in sonoporation therapy.

SourceRuhr-University Bochum·JournalNature Communications·DateApr 18, 2018