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Science News for July 17, 2020


Psychology: The most personal device

Researchers at LMU Munich used smartphone data to analyze users' personalities, finding strong correlations between behavior patterns and self-assessed traits. The study focused on the Big Five personality dimensions, revealing that certain types of digital behavior are more informative for specific self-assessments.

SourceLudwig-Maximilians-Universität München·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJul 17, 2020

Decadal predictability of North Atlantic blocking and the NAO

A recent study published in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science reveals remarkable skill in reproducing multi-annual variations of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and atmospheric blocking frequency. This breakthrough suggests that impactful climate anomalies may be predictable with improved dynamical models, filling the gap between lo...

SourceCMCC Foundation - Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change·Journalnpj Climate and Atmospheric Science·DateJul 17, 2020

Where is the water during a drought?

Researchers from the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries investigated water distribution in the Demnitzer Mühlenfliess sub-catchment area. They found that vegetation plays a significant role in storing and releasing water, with forests having a drier soil than grasslands due to their root depth and leaf canopy.

SourceForschungsverbund Berlin·JournalHydrology and Earth System Sciences·DateJul 17, 2020

Enhanced water repellent surfaces discovered in nature

Researchers at Penn State have discovered a previously unidentified nanostructure on insect surfaces that can be used to engineer stronger, more resilient water repellent coatings. These high-solid fraction textures may imbue additional water repelling benefits and could be applied to personal protective equipment (PPE) to better resis...

SourcePenn State·JournalScience Advances·DateJul 17, 2020

Doctors motivated by both health, malpractice concerns when ordering additional tests

A UCLA-led study found that dermatopathologists are motivated by both patient safety concerns and malpractice fears when ordering additional tests. The study surveyed 160 dermatopathologists in the US, who reported a strong emphasis on patient safety as a driving factor for their actions.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences·JournalAmerican Journal of Clinical Pathology·DateJul 17, 2020

Predicting the biodiversity of rivers

Scientists combined environmental DNA and hydrological models to assess riverine ecosystems' biodiversity with unprecedented accuracy, identifying unseen hotspots for conservation strategies. The new method enables rapid application of research findings in Switzerland, finalizing guidelines for the Federal Office for Environment.

SourceUniversity of Zurich·JournalNature Communications·DateJul 17, 2020

New insight into the origin of water on the earth

Scientists have found that heating interstellar organic matter can produce abundant water and oil, challenging the cometary origin theory of terrestrial water. The study, published in Scientific Reports, used chemical reagents to mimic interstellar organics and demonstrated the formation of water droplets at high temperatures.

SourceHokkaido University·JournalScientific Reports·DateJul 17, 2020

Isoflavones in soybean help protect pigs against viral infections

Researchers at the University of Illinois discovered that isoflavones in soybeans can help protect pigs from viral infections, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. The study found that pigs fed a diet with isoflavones had a lower rate of infection-related mortality compared to those without.

The Lancet Global Health: Benefits of routine childhood vaccines far outweigh risks of additional COVID-19 transmission in Africa, modelling study suggests

A modelling study published in The Lancet Global Health found that continuing routine childhood vaccination programmes in Africa during the pandemic could save around 702,000 child lives from vaccine-preventable diseases. This number far exceeds the potential risks of COVID-19 transmission to older family members.

SourceThe Lancet·JournalThe Lancet Global Health·DateJul 17, 2020

CVIA has just published a new issue, Volume 4 Issue 4

This latest issue of Cardiovascular Innovations and Applications (CVIA) features groundbreaking research on identification of novel TTN mutations and discovery of digenic mutations. The issue includes studies on the genetic causes of dilated cardiomyopathy and the effects of glycyrrhizic acid on vascular injury.

SourceCompuscript Ltd·JournalCardiovascular Innovations and Applications·DateJul 17, 2020

MU advances chemotherapy-free treatment for cancer in animals and humans

Researchers at MU successfully treated bone cancer in dogs with a vaccine that stimulates the immune system against abnormal proteins specific to the patient's tumor. The treatment outperformed chemotherapy, resulting in over 400 days of cancer survival for dogs compared to about 270 days for those receiving traditional chemotherapy.

SourceUniversity of Missouri-Columbia·JournalJournal of Veterinary Internal Medicine·DateJul 17, 2020