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Science News Archive February 2020 - Page 4


Page 4 of 40

Excellent long-term stability of treatment gains of stepwise treatment for pediatric OCD

A study published in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that stepwise treatment for pediatric OCD results in excellent long-term stability of treatment gains. Most participants responded well to treatment, with significant improvements in symptoms, psychosocial functioning, and depressive symptoms.

SourceElsevier·JournalJournal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry·DateFeb 27, 2020

Using a cappella to explain speech and music specialization

A study using a cappella recordings revealed that humans have complementary neural systems for speech and music processing. The research found that temporal information is crucial for speech perception, while spectral information is key to music perception. This suggests that hemispheric specialization may be the nervous system's way o...

SourceMcGill University·JournalScience·DateFeb 27, 2020

Risk of recurrent fractures lowered by new care routines

A new study from the University of Gothenburg shows that structured and preventive care can significantly reduce the risk of recurrent fractures. The study found that patients who received fracture liaison services had an 18% lower risk of having another fracture compared to those without these services. This reduction in risk was attr...

SourceUniversity of Gothenburg·JournalJournal of Bone and Mineral Research·DateFeb 27, 2020

Imaging can guide whether liquid biopsy will benefit individual glioblastoma patients

A new Penn study found that imaging techniques, such as MRI, may help identify which glioblastoma patients are best candidates for liquid biopsies. The research showed a correlation between the blood-brain barrier and macrophage density with circulating DNA levels, suggesting the potential for personalized treatment decisions.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalNeuro-Oncology Advances·DateFeb 27, 2020

Big data helps farmers adapt to climate variability

A new study by Michigan State University quantifies soil and landscape features and spatial and temporal yield variations in response to climate variability. The research identifies areas within individual fields where yield is unstable, with over one-quarter of corn and soybean cropland in the Midwest experiencing this issue.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalScientific Reports·DateFeb 27, 2020

A common gut microbe secretes a carcinogen

Researchers at Hubrecht Institute and Princess Máxima Center found that Escherichia coli bacteria induce unique DNA mutations in human cells, similar to those found in colon cancer patients. The study establishes a direct link between the microbes inhabiting our bodies and genetic alterations that drive cancer development.

SourceHubrecht Institute·JournalNature·DateFeb 27, 2020

Anthropogenic seed dispersal: rethinking the origins of plant domestication

A new manuscript by Dr. Robert Spengler suggests that all earliest traits of plant domestication are linked to a mutualistic relationship in which plants recruited humans for seed dispersal. This concept, known as seed-dispersal-based evolution, explains why the first traits of domestication in crops were similar across different species.

SourceMax Planck Institute of Geoanthropology·JournalTrends in Plant Science·DateFeb 27, 2020

Eat or be eaten

A new study reveals that biodiversity increases the efficiency of energy use in grasslands by storing more energy, having greater flow of energy and using energy more efficiently across all trophic levels. Ecosystems with higher plant diversity contain twice as much standing biomass compared to monocultures

SourceTechnical University of Munich (TUM)·JournalNature Ecology & Evolution·DateFeb 26, 2020

Possible new treatment strategy for fatty liver disease

Researchers have discovered a molecular pathway that, when silenced, restores immune cells' normal function in people with fatty liver disease. Silencing a microRNA molecule called miR144 increases the endogenous antioxidant response, suggesting a promising therapeutic strategy for treating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

SourceKarolinska Institutet·JournalScience Translational Medicine·DateFeb 26, 2020

SWOG study shows genetic effects of pre-surgical chemo in breast cancer

The study found that patients whose breast cancer was completely eradicated by chemotherapy had a higher proportion of DNA mutational 'signature 3', indicating defects in DNA repair. This signature is associated with genes like BRCA, which could help doctors predict patient response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

SourceSWOG·JournalClinical Cancer Research·DateFeb 26, 2020