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Science News Archive December 2020 - Page 23


Page 23 of 39

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...