Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Science News for October 27, 2020


Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B Volume 10, Issue 9 publishes

This issue of Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B features three original research articles exploring novel mechanisms and treatments for various diseases, including cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, anti-atherosclerosis, and breast cancer. The articles discuss the potential benefits of IL-4 supplementation, berberine's gut-absorption-enha...

SourceCompuscript Ltd·JournalActa Pharmaceutica Sinica B·DateOct 27, 2020

Study in Nature Medicine shows superior patient outcomes in LLS's Beat AML clinical trial

The study demonstrated a paradigm shift in treating AML, proving that genetic information matching leads to better survival rates than traditional one-size-fits-all treatment. Patients who opted for precision medicine experienced lower early death rates and superior overall survival compared to those receiving standard of care.

SourceOgilvy Public Relations, New York·JournalNature Medicine·DateOct 27, 2020

Cancer treatment without side effects?

Researchers at UCI and CHUV/UNIL have developed a new cancer treatment that uses ultra-high dose rate radiation therapy to eliminate brain tumors without causing significant side effects. This breakthrough technique, known as FLASH-RT, has shown promising results in mice and has the potential to be used for a range of cancer types.

SourceUniversity of California - Irvine·JournalClinical Cancer Research·DateOct 27, 2020

Scientists explain the paradox of quantum forces in nanodevices

Scientists have solved the Casimir puzzle by accounting for energy losses of conduction electrons in metals, leading to agreement between theory and high-precision measurements. The new approach takes into account both real and virtual fluctuations, enabling reliable calculation and creation of miniature nanodevices.

SourcePeter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University·JournalThe European Physical Journal C·DateOct 27, 2020

Ultraheavy precision polymers

Researchers have developed a simple, environmentally friendly process to produce well-defined linear and star-shaped polymers with ultrahigh molecular weights from nonconjugated monomers. The photoenzymatic RAFT polymerization method offers outstanding control over composition, molecular weight, and architecture.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateOct 27, 2020

More than half of American adults with advanced MS report mistreatment by caregivers

A study led by UC Riverside found that 55% of respondents with advanced MS experienced some form of mistreatment, including emotional abuse, financial exploitation, neglect, battering, and sexual assault. The researchers identified risk factors such as primary caregiving responsibilities and lower levels of social support.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalMultiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders·DateOct 27, 2020

Water consumption for trees is calculated in order to design precision irrigation systems

A research team from the University of Córdoba has developed a method to calculate tree water consumption, allowing for optimized irrigation systems. This innovation enables farmers to determine if their trees are consuming water at optimal levels or experiencing stress, enabling targeted watering and maximizing production.

SourceUniversity of Córdoba·JournalAgricultural and Forest Meteorology·DateOct 27, 2020

A question of affinity

Scientists have discovered that ionization energy is more crucial than electron affinity in determining the efficiency of organic solar cells. This finding allows for precise design rules to be derived, aiming to maximize solar cell efficiency and potentially leading to transparent solar cells with high efficiency.

SourceMax Planck Institute for Polymer Research·JournalNature Materials·DateOct 27, 2020

New study shows food rich in omega-3 EPA & ALA can reduce risk of death after heart attack

A large observational study found that regular consumption of omega-3s EPA and ALA can decrease the risk of death three years after a STEMI, with both types providing unique protective qualities. Walnuts were also shown to have significant benefits due to their high content of alpha-linolenic acid.

SourceEdelman Public Relations, Seattle·JournalJournal of the American College of Cardiology·DateOct 27, 2020

The Lancet Infectious Diseases: Experts outline key challenges for assessing clinical efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines

Researchers stress the need for standardised methods to assess COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, highlighting challenges in determining severe disease protection and the importance of long-term follow-up. Controlled human infection studies may offer rapid assessment but predictability for older adults remains unclear.

SourceThe Lancet·JournalThe Lancet Infectious Diseases·DateOct 27, 2020

Back to the future of climate

Researchers from ETH Zurich and colleagues reconstructed the Paleocene and Eocene climates using siderite minerals, finding high humidity and heat transport. This suggests today's global warming is linked to increased moisture and heat transport in the atmosphere.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalNature Geoscience·DateOct 27, 2020

Cloud-based framework leads to improved efficiency in disaster-area management

Researchers have designed a cloud-based autonomous system framework utilizing the standard messaging protocol for IoT. This framework maximizes network coverage area and increases speed of communication between unmanned sensors. The team plans to add computer vision and machine learning capabilities in future developments.

SourceChinese Association of Automation·JournalIEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica·DateOct 27, 2020

Detect with PKAchu

Biologists developed fluorescent mice to visualize protein kinase A (PKA) activation in the retina. They found that light stimulation activates PKA for nearly 15 minutes in rod cells, which are essential for night vision.

The Lancet Healthy Longevity: Residential context important factor in risk of COVID-19 mortality among older adults, Stockholm study suggests

A new study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity suggests that older adults living in care homes have a higher risk of COVID-19 mortality compared to those living in single houses or apartment buildings. The researchers found that living arrangements, such as the type of home and neighborhood characteristics, were important factor...

SourceThe Lancet·JournalThe Lancet Healthy Longevity·DateOct 27, 2020

Fatal police shootings among black Americans remain high, unchanged since 2015

Researchers found a significant disparity in fatal police shootings between Black and white individuals, with Black victims experiencing lethal encounters at a rate three times higher than their white counterparts. The study highlights the disproportionate impact of police violence on marginalized communities.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalJournal of Epidemiology and Community Health·DateOct 27, 2020

Small mussels in the Baltic are getting even smaller

Researchers at Stockholm University found that Baltic Sea blue mussels are getting smaller due to changes in phytoplankton availability, which is linked to climate change. The study also discovered an increase in tiny mussels, which may compensate for the reduction in size but could lead to reduced water filtration rates.

SourceStockholm University·JournalLimnology and Oceanography·DateOct 27, 2020

Theoreticians show which quantum systems are suitable for quantum simulations

A joint research group has developed a way to simulate the quantum physical properties of complex solid state systems using real systems of atoms. The team's approach uses mathematical and numerical methods to investigate which quantum systems are suitable for simulations, paving the way for progress in robust quantum computing.

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateOct 27, 2020

Black Hispanic individuals hardest hit by COVID-19

A new study finds that Hispanic Black individuals have the worst COVID-19 outcomes, including higher hospitalization and death rates, compared to Hispanic multiracial and white individuals. The study highlights the need for more accurate demographic data collection to address these disparities.

SourceBoston Medical Center·JournalJournal of Immigrant and Minority Health·DateOct 27, 2020

Empathy may be in the eye of the beholder

A recent study from UC Davis found that people's views on empathy are complicated and depend on who is receiving it. Empathizers are liked and respected only when the character they're empathizing with is also well-liked, but not when the character is disliked. This challenges the notion that empathy is always a virtue.

SourceUniversity of California - Davis·JournalJournal of Personality and Social Psychology·DateOct 27, 2020

Saving the climate from the ground up

Researchers from the University of Bonn and around the world propose a strategy to use soils to bind large quantities of carbon, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by a third. By increasing plant growth and crop yields through simple measures like mulching and fertilizing, farmers can effectively sequester carbon in the soil.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalNature Communications·DateOct 27, 2020

Tailoring 2D materials to improve electronic and optical devices

Researchers at Penn State have developed new methods to enhance light emission and increase signal strength in 2D materials. By altering the atomic makeup and physical shape of these materials, they created new types of materials that can attract different molecules and induce superconductivity. These advancements have significant impl...

SourcePenn State·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·DateOct 27, 2020