Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Science News Archive December 2018 - Page 32


Page 32 of 33

Study puts the Neotropics on the map of the world's food production centers in antiquity

A new study reveals that sambaqui societies living in coastal Atlantic Forest areas between 8,000 and 1,000 years ago consumed a range of plants and had a more diversified economy than previously believed. Analysis of their middens shows evidence of plant cultivation and high consumption of carbohydrates.

SourceFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo·JournalRoyal Society Open Science·DateDec 3, 2018

Study finds toxic flame retardants in children's car seats

A new study by Indiana University scientists found toxic flame retardants in newly manufactured children's car seats, posing risks to children's health. The researchers detected high levels of emerging flame retardant chemicals, including cyclic phosphonate esters and polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

SourceIndiana University·JournalEnvironmental Science & Technology Letters·DateDec 3, 2018

A new approach to studying the flu

Researchers have developed a new method to study the flu virus, allowing them to visualize individual proteins and understand how they contribute to the virus's success. The study suggests that variations in protein composition may be beneficial for the virus, enabling it to spread infection more effectively.

Macroscopic phenomena governed by microscopic physics

A research group at Osaka University has observed magnetic reconnection driven by electron dynamics for the first time in a laboratory setting. The study uses high-power lasers to create plasma conditions similar to those found in space, allowing researchers to investigate electron-scale phenomena alongside macroscopic structures.

SourceOsaka University·JournalNature Communications·DateDec 3, 2018

Life has a new ingredient

Researchers at Harvard University suggest that inosine could have served as a surrogate for guanosine in the early emergence of life. Inosine enabled RNA to replicate with high speed and few errors, supporting its potential role as a backbone of the first cells.

SourceHarvard University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateDec 3, 2018

For older adults with heart failure: Can taking too many medications reduce abilities?

A study found that older adults with heart failure who take five or more medications are at higher risk for cognitive impairment and difficulty performing daily activities. The researchers suggest that healthcare providers should consider these limitations when prescribing medications, as they may unnecessarily expose patients to incre...

SourceAmerican Geriatrics Society·JournalJournal of the American Geriatrics Society·DateDec 3, 2018

Artificial intelligence for studying the ancient human populations of Patagonia

Archaeologists used machine learning techniques to classify and predict the technological elements of ancient hunter-gatherer groups in Patagonia. The study identified two distinct 'landscapes' of technology, one for pedestrian groups and another for nautical societies, shedding light on their mobility patterns and interactions.

SourceSpanish Foundation for Science and Technology·JournalRoyal Society Open Science·DateDec 3, 2018

The secret contamination of polar bears

Scientists discover hundreds of unrecognized halogenated contaminants in polar bear serum, including polychlorinated biphenyls and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids. The study reveals increasing levels of these pollutants over the past two decades, posing potential health risks to the Arctic ecosystem.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateDec 3, 2018

Plant cells inherit knowledge of where's up and where's down from mother cell

Researchers at IST Austria found that plant cells inherit knowledge of where is up and down from their mother cell. The directional transport of hormone auxin sets up polarization, but this depends on polar distribution of PIN auxin transporters. Endocytosis and phosphorylation of PIN transporters are crucial for re-establishing polarity.

Opioid prescriptions from dentists linked to youth addiction risk, Stanford study finds

A Stanford University School of Medicine study found that teens and young adults who receive their initial opioid prescriptions from dentists are at increased risk for opioid addiction in the following year. The study, which examined nearly 15,000 patients, found that those who received dental opioid prescriptions were more likely to c...

SourceStanford Medicine·JournalJAMA Internal Medicine·DateDec 3, 2018