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Science News for July 17, 2018


For professional baseball players, faster hand-eye coordination linked to batting performance

Professional baseball players with faster hand-eye coordination tend to draw more walks and swing at pitches in the strike zone, indicating improved plate discipline. The study suggests that measuring hand-eye coordination may be helpful in player selection and training could potentially lead to better batting performance.

SourceWolters Kluwer Health·JournalOptometry and Vision Science·DateJul 17, 2018

The pain circuit breaker

Researchers at UniSA's Body in Mind Research Group have found visual illusions can reduce knee pain in people with osteoarthritis by up to 40%. The study used visual illusions that altered the size of participants' knees and lower legs, resulting in a cumulative analgesic effect.

The freediving champions of the dolphin world

Bottlenose dolphin populations vary in diving ability by almost 1000m due to lung architecture and gas management. The research suggests that deep divers use elevated heart rates during surface intervals and directed blood flow through collapsed lung regions to manage nitrogen levels.

SourceFrontiers·JournalFrontiers in Physiology·DateJul 17, 2018

The depths of the ocean and gut flora unravel the mystery of microbial genes

An international team of researchers developed a new computational method to predict the functions of thousands of microbial genes. The method, based on machine learning algorithms, analyzes 'big data' from human microbiomes and other environments to identify evolutionary signals that can assign biological roles to unknown genes.

A single genetic change in gut bacteria alters host metabolism

A study published in eLife found that deleting a single gene from a particular strain of gut bacteria causes changes in metabolism and reduced weight gain in mice. The researchers discovered that this genetic change altered the levels of certain bile acids, leading to a preference for metabolizing fats rather than carbohydrates.

SourceeLife·DateJul 17, 2018

White mass shooters receive sympathetic media treatment

A new study found that white mass shooters are 95% more likely to be described as mentally ill in media coverage compared to black shooters. The research analyzed 219 mass shootings and found that whites were often framed as sympathetic characters, while black shooters were portrayed as dangerous and a menace to society.

SourceOhio State University·JournalJournal of Research in Crime and Delinquency·DateJul 17, 2018

Nitric oxide tells roundworms to avoid bad bacteria

A new study published in eLife reveals that roundworms, specifically Caenorhabditis elegans, use nitric oxide gas as a sensory cue to avoid the pathogenic bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The protein thioredoxin plays a crucial role in regulating the temporal dynamics of the worm's response to the gas.

SourceeLife·DateJul 17, 2018