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Science News Archive January 2019 - Page 5


Page 5 of 37

E-cigarettes more effective than nicotine replacement therapies, finds major trial

A clinical trial found e-cigarettes to be almost twice as effective as nicotine replacement treatments in helping smokers quit. The study, funded by the National Institute for Health Research, involved 886 smokers and found that e-cigarette users were more likely to achieve abstinence and experience a reduction in smoking urges.

SourceQueen Mary University of London·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateJan 30, 2019

Combined SPECT and cardiac MR imaging can help guide ventricular tachycardia ablation

Researchers found that combining iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I-MIBG) SPECT imaging with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) helps identify specific subsets of heart tissue more prone to arrhythmias. This approach enables physicians to achieve improved VT suppression and shorter procedure times.

SourceSociety of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging·JournalJournal of Nuclear Medicine·DateJan 30, 2019

Highly sensitive method to detect potential cancer biomarker

A highly sensitive method for detecting cancer biomarkers in exosomes has been developed using molecular imprinting technology. The device, created by Kobe University researchers, can detect about 150 exosomes in 10 microliters and achieves unprecedented high-sensitivity detection of 6 picograms per milliliter.

SourceKobe University·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateJan 30, 2019

Measuring stress around cells

Researchers developed sensors to map cell-generated forces in 3D tissues, finding that small tensions can balance large compressive loads. This insight could help understand developmental processes and develop novel tissue-engineering strategies.

SourceMcGill University·JournalNature Communications·DateJan 30, 2019

ESA tipsheet for Jan. 31, 2019

The ESA releases new research on the Great Barrier Reef, where sharks are declining despite protected areas. The study suggests that illegal fishing is a major factor, while stricter regulations have led to fish population recovery in the Northeast Atlantic.

SourceEcological Society of America·JournalFrontiers in Ecology and the Environment·DateJan 30, 2019

Two windows into the brain

Researchers at Children's Hospital Los Angeles found a correlation between increased blood flow and social deficits in ASD, suggesting a compensatory mechanism. They also discovered lower levels of healthy neurons were linked to higher brain activity.

SourceChildren's Hospital Los Angeles·JournalBiological Psychiatry·DateJan 30, 2019

Train harder, for less time

A six-week high-intensity resistance training program improved insulin sensitivity by 16% and increased muscle size and strength in overweight men. The study suggests that short sessions of exercise to exhaustion are equally effective as longer sessions, making it a time-efficient way to improve health outcomes.

SourceThe Physiological Society·JournalExperimental Physiology·DateJan 29, 2019