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Science News for February 18, 2019


The global impact of coal power

Research reveals that power plants in India take the highest toll on human health due to particulate matter and sulfur dioxide emissions. The study also highlights the need for upgrading or shutting down outdated coal power plants to mitigate global warming and air pollution.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalNature Sustainability·DateFeb 18, 2019

A shared past for East Africa's hunter-gatherers

Genomic analysis reveals East Africa's hunter-gatherers diverged from a shared ancestry around 20,000 years ago, driven by infectious disease and dietary adaptations. This study provides insight into the genetic diversity of African populations, shedding light on the role of diet and disease in shaping human evolution.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 18, 2019

Parenthood contributes to gender imbalance in STEM employment, but it's not just an issue for mother

A new study reveals that nearly half of new mothers and a quarter of new fathers leave their full-time STEM jobs within four to seven years of having their first child. This trend is attributed to cultural expectations and workplace obstacles, with women being more likely than men to switch to part-time work or leave the workforce alto...

SourceUniversity of Michigan·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 18, 2019

Grasses can acquire genes from neighboring plants

A recent study found that grasses can acquire genes from at least nine donor species, including those involved in photosynthesis and disease resistance. This mechanism allows certain plants to adapt quickly to environmental changes.

SourceCNRS·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 18, 2019

The secret life of batteries

Researchers are working on developing faster-charging batteries for electric vehicles by understanding how lithium ions distribute within the electrode. They used X-rays to create a micron-scale movie of lithium distribution, revealing inhomogeneous movement similar to people spreading out in a room.

SourceUniversity of Delaware·JournalEnergy & Environmental Science·DateFeb 18, 2019

International research collaboration computes climate past, present, and future

Researchers from Canada and Germany used a supercomputer to simulate climate trends in Quebec and Bavaria from 1950 to 2100, providing insights into severe flooding dynamics under changing climate conditions. The study's results showed good agreement with historical climate data, confirming the predictive power of the simulations.

SourceGauss Centre for Supercomputing·JournalJournal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology·DateFeb 18, 2019

Great white shark genome decoded

The study found that the great white shark's genome contains a plethora of genetic changes indicating molecular adaptation in genes with important roles in maintaining genome stability, DNA repair, and DNA damage tolerance. These adaptations could be behind the evolutionary success of large-bodied and long-lived sharks.

SourceNova Southeastern University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 18, 2019

Primary care physician supply and life expectancy

A study analyzing U.S. population data from 2005 to 2015 found that a higher number of primary care physicians is associated with better life expectancy. The total number of primary care physicians increased, but their distribution across counties decreased, particularly in rural areas, leading to lower per capita supplies.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Internal Medicine·DateFeb 18, 2019

Mouse study reveals how chronic stress promotes cancer, identifies vitamin C as therapy

A new study reveals that chronic stress promotes breast cancer growth and spread by activating a biochemical pathway involving the stress hormone epinephrine. Vitamin C has been identified as a potential therapeutic agent to target this pathway, potentially offering new hope for patients undergoing chronic stress.

AASM publishes clinical practice guideline on use of PAP therapy for sleep apnea

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine published a clinical practice guideline for the use of positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in adults. The guideline provides nine recommendations, including the use of PAP therapy as a first-line treatment for OSA in adults with excessive sleepiness.

SourceAmerican Academy of Sleep Medicine·JournalJournal of Clinical Sleep Medicine·DateFeb 18, 2019

As citizen scientists, farmers can make important contributions to climate adaptation

A new study by Bioversity International shows that crowdsourced citizen science can improve and accelerate crop variety recommendations, enabling farmers to adapt to climate change. The approach, called tricot, uses farmer-generated data to generate recommendations that are representative of local conditions.

SourceBioversity International·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 18, 2019

Research finds ethnoracial differences in Alzheimer's disease

A study of 1,625 brain tissue samples found Hispanic-American patients with Alzheimer's disease lived an average of 12 years from symptom onset, compared to 9 and 8 years for non-Hispanic whites and African-Americans. The research also identified subtle differences in the severity of Alzheimer's-related protein clumps among ethnoracial...

Researchers find febrile infants may not need painful tests, antibiotics, hospitalizations

Researchers developed a new protocol to identify febrile infants under 60 days old who are at low risk of serious bacterial infections. The study showed that using simple laboratory tests, such as urinalysis and blood cell count, can confidently exclude these cases, reducing unnecessary invasive procedures and hospitalizations.

SourceUniversity of California - Davis Health·JournalJAMA Pediatrics·DateFeb 18, 2019

Machine learning unlocks plants' secrets

Researchers at Michigan State University used machine learning to sort through tens of thousands of plant genes and identify those responsible for producing specialized metabolites. This breakthrough could lead to improved plants, plant-based pharmaceuticals, and environmentally safe pesticides.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 18, 2019

CNIC researchers identify a very early marker of cardiac damage triggered by cancer treatment

Researchers at CNIC identified a very early marker of cardiac damage in patients undergoing anthracycline therapy, allowing for early diagnosis and potential prevention of irreversible damage. The discovery has implications for patient prognosis and may lead to new therapies based on mitochondrial transplantation.

SourceCentro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (F.S.P.)·JournalJournal of the American College of Cardiology·DateFeb 18, 2019

How our plants have turned into thieves to survive

Scientists discovered grasses are genetically modifying themselves by taking genes from neighbors, gaining a competitive advantage and breaking the rules of evolution. This process, called lateral gene transfer, allows them to adapt to their environment without millions of years of natural selection.

SourceUniversity of Sheffield·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 18, 2019

Kaden Hazzard wins NSF CAREER Award

Rice University physicist Kaden Hazzard has won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to create algorithms that aim to advance the creation of novel quantum matter. He will investigate new ways to simulate states of matter at extreme cold temperatures, as close as possible to absolute zero.

Climate change makes summer weather stormier yet more stagnant

A new MIT study finds that climate change is shifting the energy in the atmosphere, leading to stronger thunderstorms and more stagnant conditions. Rising global temperatures are redistributed, with more energy available for local convective processes like thunderstorms and less for larger, milder extratropical cyclones.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateFeb 18, 2019

From sea to lab

Scientists have introduced a new efficient synthetic route for marine antitumor agents trabectedin and lurbinectedin. The synthesis consists of 26 individual steps and uses a light-controlled activation mechanism to produce the complex drugs in sufficient quantities.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateFeb 18, 2019