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Science News for December 10, 2020


Which product categories and industries benefit most from social advertising

Research found that social advertising is more effective for products that carry status, such as clothing and car manufacturers. In contrast, search goods like electronics and batteries showed no significant improvement. The study used a large-scale field experiment involving over 37 million users of the WeChat social network.

Scientific rigor in COVID-19 age

The article emphasizes the importance of scientific rigor in COVID-19 research, recommending study designs and methodologies that promote replicability and reliability. By adopting these recommendations, researchers can increase confidence in their findings and contribute to evidence-based decision-making.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Oncology·DateDec 10, 2020

Counseling clients of color affected by COVID-19

The article examines how COVID-19 exacerbates racial and ethnic disparities among communities of color, who face limited access to healthcare and education. Counselors can use cultural considerations, crisis management, and creative interventions to address the needs of these clients.

SourceWiley·JournalJournal of Counseling & Development·DateDec 10, 2020

Who is the girl behind the face of CPR?

Resusci Annie is a plaster death mask created from an unknown woman found in the River Seine in 19th century Paris. Her face has been used in CPR training for over 50 years, helping to save an estimated 2.5 million lives, and inspiring songs like Michael Jackson's Smooth Criminal.

SourceBMJ Group·JournalThe BMJ·DateDec 10, 2020

Study: teacher performance measures may penalize Black educators

A recent study by Matthew P. Steinberg and Lauren Sartain found that classroom observation scores for Black teachers in Chicago Public Schools are driven by school and classroom factors, such as student poverty and academic achievement, rather than teacher effectiveness. The study suggests that these scores may lead to disproportionate...

SourceAmerican Educational Research Association·JournalEducational Evaluation and Policy Analysis·DateDec 10, 2020

New treatment could spare early-stage rectal cancer patients life-altering side effects

A new treatment approach called 'organ preservation' uses radiotherapy followed by local keyhole surgery to remove only the part of the rectum affected by cancer. Patients who received this treatment reported fewer side effects, such as diarrhoea and the need for a permanent colostomy bag, compared to those who underwent major surgery.

SourceCancer Research UK·JournalThe Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology·DateDec 10, 2020

Bosses need appreciation, too

A recent study found that feeling appreciated by subordinates boosts the energy and optimism of supervisors, leading to higher levels of psychological well-being and positive behaviors at work. The research suggests that external validation can be particularly powerful for supervisors who lack internal validation.

SourceUniversity of Central Florida·JournalJournal of Management·DateDec 10, 2020

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine celebrates 60 years of research

The Journal of Nuclear Medicine has published a special supplement commemorating six decades of leadership in the field, featuring influential manuscripts that shaped the future of medicine. The supplement highlights landmark papers on PET, Anger camera, and fusion PET/CT, as well as the journal's past editors and associate editors.

SourceSociety of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging·JournalJournal of Nuclear Medicine·DateDec 10, 2020

Essential oral healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of defining essential oral healthcare. A layered approach to essential oral healthcare allows for categorization and prioritization with available resources in mind, recognizing basic oral healthcare as an integral component of a healthcare system's essential services. The Internatio...

Predicting heart disease from the skin

A study published in Scientific Reports reveals that mutations in a gene underlying a rare skin disorder can also lead to arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, a serious heart disease. The findings indicate that the genetic underpinnings of skin disorders at birth may help predict future heart problems.

SourceThomas Jefferson University·JournalScientific Reports·DateDec 10, 2020

A biased evaluation of employees' performance can be useful for employers

A new model suggests that biased evaluations can be useful for motivating employees, particularly those with high career concerns. The ideal evaluator should be stricter on capable employees but more lenient on less capable ones. This approach can be applied to various scenarios, such as organizing internships.

SourceNational Research University Higher School of Economics·JournalJournal of Economic Behavior & Organization·DateDec 10, 2020

Research shows impact of bariatric surgery on cardiovascular disease risk in obese teens

A recent study published in Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases found that bariatric surgery significantly reduced the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease in teenagers with type 2 diabetes. The study compared two cohorts of adolescents with type 2 diabetes over a five-year period, with results showing that treatment with bari...

SourceChildren's Hospital Colorado·JournalSurgery for Obesity and Related Diseases·DateDec 10, 2020

Genomic analysis of early SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Boston shows role of superspreading events

A genomic analysis of early SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks in Boston found that a small number of importations led to most cases, while superspreading events played a significant role in the spread of the virus. The study tracked the downstream effects of these events and highlights the importance of prevention and mitigation strategies.

Human egg cells are imperfect surprisingly often

A study published in American Journal of Human Genetics found that more than 7% of human oocytes have exchangeless chromosome pairs, indicating a high level of meiotic recombination failure. The research suggests that these errors are common and not affected by maternal age.

SourceCell Press·JournalAmerican Journal of Human Genetics·DateDec 10, 2020

NUS researchers finds best combination of available therapies against COVID-19

Researchers from NUS utilised a ground-breaking AI platform to derive an optimal combination of available therapies against SARS-CoV-2, resulting in a treatment that was 6.5 times more effective than remdesivir alone. The top-ranked combination included the drugs remdesivir, lopinavir, and ritonavir at specific doses.

SourceNational University of Singapore·JournalBioengineering & Translational Medicine·DateDec 10, 2020

The psychology of causality

A recent paper by Tadeg Quillien outlines a mathematical model of causal judgment that reproduces people's intuitions better than previous models. The study highlights the role of probability and logical structure in shaping our causal intuition, with implications for problem-solving and decision-making.

Study: Teacher performance measures may penalize black educators

A study by George Mason University and UNC-Chapel Hill found that Black teachers in Chicago Public Schools were unfairly penalized for teaching in low-income neighborhoods with disadvantaged students. Once controlling for school and classroom factors, the racial gap in scores disappeared, highlighting the need to adjust teacher perform...

SourceAmerican Educational Research Association·JournalEducational Evaluation and Policy Analysis·DateDec 10, 2020

Signs of healthy aging found in ergothioneine telomere study

A recent in vitro study published in Journal of Dietary Supplements found that ergothioneine helped preserve telomere length and reduce oxidative stress. The study suggests that ergothioneine as part of a healthy diet could potentially mitigate the negative effects of oxidative stress and support healthy aging by preserving telomeres.

SourceBlue California·JournalJournal of Dietary Supplements·DateDec 10, 2020

From the heart: study shows impact of social media appeals from COVID-19 frontliners

A new study suggests that personal appeals from emergency physicians on social media are more effective in changing public attitudes and behaviors than impersonal messages from federal officials. The simulated online study included over 2,000 participants and found that the personal appeal was associated with increased perceived effect...

SourceMichigan Medicine - University of Michigan·JournalAcademic Emergency Medicine·DateDec 10, 2020

Computational method provides faster high-resolution mass spectrometry imaging

Researchers at the Beckman Institute created a subspace mass spectrometry imaging approach to accelerate data acquisition without sacrificing quality. This technique can detect biomolecules across a wide range of sizes and has implications for analytical chemistry, clinical studies, and neurochemical research.

SourceBeckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology·JournalJournal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry·DateDec 10, 2020

Kids gain weight when new convenience stores open nearby

A new study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that exposure to small grocery stores with healthier inventories is associated with significant improvements in childhood obesity. In contrast, increased availability of convenience stores selling predominantly unhealthy foods was linked to a higher li...

SourceElsevier·JournalJournal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics·DateDec 10, 2020

How seaweed-munching crabs could help save coral reefs

Researchers found that introducing native herbivorous crabs to coral reefs in the Florida Keys led to rapid declines in seaweed cover and returned small corals and fishes. The crabs improve habitat conditions for corals and fishes, providing a new tool for reef restoration.

SourceCell Press·JournalCurrent Biology·DateDec 10, 2020

The immunomodulatory activity of a drug would improve the efficacy of immunotherapy in breast cancer

A new study suggests that targeting the RANK signaling pathway can enhance antitumor immune responses, making breast cancer more responsive to immunotherapy. The findings come from a clinical trial and preclinical research, demonstrating the potential of this approach to convert 'cold' tumors into 'warm' ones.

Bio-inspired lanthanide-transition metal cluster for efficient overall water splitting

Researchers from Xiamen University demonstrated a bio-inspired heterometallic cluster that mimics the CaMn4O5 structure of PSII, showing efficient overall water splitting activity without sacrificial reagents. The cluster anchors on phosphorus-doped graphitic carbon nitrides and exhibits high H2 production rates and O2 evolution rates.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·DateDec 10, 2020

Dartmouth researchers work to reduce child-directed food marketing on educational websites

A new study by Dartmouth researchers calls for stricter regulations on commercial educational websites that expose children to unhealthy food marketing. The team visited popular sites and found ads for sugary cereals and packaged kids' meals, prompting companies like McDonald's and Kellogg to pledge to stop marketing on these platforms.

SourceThe Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth·JournalAmerican Journal of Preventive Medicine·DateDec 10, 2020

1300 species, 2400 genes, 21 museums, and 40 years

An international team of scientists has produced the first complete, species-level phylogeny of a major group of tropical birds known as suboscine passerines. The study used genetic markers scattered across the entire genome to describe the evolutionary history and create a framework for further questions about mechanisms that drive sp...

Quality suffers for audit offices that emphasize non-audit services, study shows

A recent study from the University of Notre Dame found that audit offices that emphasize non-audit services tend to compromise on audit quality. The researchers examined financial statement restatement rates for clients of audit offices between 2005 and 2015, and discovered a significant reduction in audit quality when an office receiv...

SourceUniversity of Notre Dame·JournalJournal of Accounting and Economics·DateDec 10, 2020