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Science News Archive 2021


Page 104 of 510

Naloxone access doesn’t make heroin seem less risky

A new study suggests that increased access to naloxone has not changed people's perception of the risks associated with heroin use. Researchers found that individuals who used heroin and those living in areas with easy or restricted access to naloxone both perceived heroin as a high-risk substance.

A new framework for protecting mental health in cities

Researchers from UvA's Centre for Urban Mental Health propose a new conceptual framework to understand the dynamic interplay between urban factors and mental health. The framework identifies key factors influencing urban environments and their impact on mental well-being, including air pollution, noise, and social cohesion.

Referential alarm calls increase vigilance in brood parasite hosts

Researchers found that female yellow warblers who heard referential 'seet' calls the previous day would sit on their nest for a longer period and be less active, suggesting they recalled past events and engaged in mental time travel to boost vigilance. This behavior may indicate a heightened state of alert or cognitive processing.

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition

Sky & Telescope Pocket Sky Atlas, 2nd Edition is a durable star atlas for planning sessions, identifying targets, and teaching celestial navigation.

Nerve repair, with help from stem cells

A new study by University of Pennsylvania researchers uses human gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells to guide nerve growth and regeneration, achieving similar results as traditional autograft procedures. The approach has potential for treating larger nerve gaps, including those resulting from oral cancer surgery.

Deep-learning algorithm aims to accelerate protein engineering

A new deep-learning algorithm, ECNet, has been developed to accelerate protein engineering by predicting the fitness of all possible sequences. By incorporating evolutionary history, ECNet outperforms current methods on several datasets and identifies novel mutants with improved fitness.

Cracking the code of cellular defense

Purdue University researchers are exploring how cells defend themselves from chemical or mechanical attack and repair their damage with the help of biochemical and mechanical inputs and reactions. The goal is to develop new ways to address human health and longevity by using AI in biology.

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Autistic children struggle with hidden emotions

Research published in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders found that autistic children with difficulties integrating narrative context with facial expressions, leading to inaccurate emotion recognition. This highlights the importance of contextual cues in social exchanges for effectively managing interactions.

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter

GQ GMC-500Plus Geiger Counter logs beta, gamma, and X-ray levels for environmental monitoring, training labs, and safety demonstrations.

Coming in from the cold

A new locally acting treatment aims to reduce the severity of post-transplant ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) without affecting the immune system. The treatment targets specific neoepitopes exposed on injured donor organs, reducing the risk of organ rejection and improving transplant outcomes.

More Swedes had COVID jab when they were paid

An international study by Lund University found that offering a small reward of $24 increased COVID-19 vaccination rates among Swedes by 4 percentage points. The vaccination rate rose to 76 percent in the group offered payment, compared to 72 percent in those not receiving incentives.

International refugees: From uncertain pasts to promising futures

A new report from the University of South Australia reveals that refugee children are more likely to succeed academically if their parents share their story and their school empowers them. Schools with bilingual staff also show promise in building strong parent-school relationships.

Alzheimer’s and COVID-19 share a genetic risk factor

A UCL-led research team has identified an anti-viral gene that increases the risk of both Alzheimer's disease and severe Covid-19. The study found that a specific variant of the OAS1 gene amplifies inflammation in the brain, highlighting the importance of the immune system in both conditions.

Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Non-English-language science could help save biodiversity

A recent study published in PLOS Biology found that science written in languages other than English may hold untapped information crucial to the conservation of global biodiversity. The research analyzed over 400,000 peer-reviewed papers and identified 1,234 studies providing scientific knowledge on saving species and ecosystems.

Ten millennia of hepatitis B virus evolution

A new study reveals hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been infecting humans for millennia, tracing its evolution from prehistory to the present. The research highlights HBV's dispersal routes and shifts in viral diversity mirroring human migrations and demographic events.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) provide clear calls and strong noise reduction for interviews, conferences, and noisy field environments.

Refuting a 70-year approach to predicting material microstructure

Researchers have found that a conventional model for predicting material microstructure does not apply to polycrystalline materials. They used near-field high energy diffraction microscopy (HEDM) to study grain boundaries, revealing that the model's predictions are inconsistent with experimental data.

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor

Aranet4 Home CO2 Monitor tracks ventilation quality in labs, classrooms, and conference rooms with long battery life and clear e-ink readouts.

Rover images confirm Jezero crater is an ancient Martian lake

The Perseverance rover's first scientific analysis confirms Jezero crater was a calm lake for most of its existence, interrupted by flash floods that carried huge boulders downstream. The findings provide clues to Martian climate evolution and offer opportunities to search for signs of ancient life.

Active listening by managers can reduce employees' feelings of job insecurity

A new study found that active listening by managers can improve employees' sense of personal control over their careers and reduce anxiety about potential job loss. By increasing active listening, managers can create a safe space for workers to verbalize and process their experiences, enabling them to feel more in control and valued.

Curtin researchers help date the youngest rocks ever found on the Moon

Curtin University researchers have helped determine the age of the youngest rocks ever found on the Moon, revealing they are approximately two billion years old. This discovery provides new calibration points for cratering chronology, enabling more accurate age dating across planetary surfaces.

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach

Garmin GPSMAP 67i with inReach provides rugged GNSS navigation, satellite messaging, and SOS for backcountry geology and climate field teams.

Kids with MIS-C mount normal T cell response to COVID-19

Researchers at UC San Diego School of Medicine report that children with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) have normal T cell responses to the COVID-19 virus, contrary to previous hypotheses. This suggests that MIS-C may not be caused by an abnormal immune response to the virus.

Tracking how the environment influences circadian rhythms

Researcher Jennifer Hurley is using in-vivo experimentation and big data analytics to identify environmental cues that tune the circadian clock's control over metabolism. Her study aims to find genes responsive to environmental signals, such as nutrients, to understand how environment affects sleep-wake cycle.

Androgen-producing gut microbes can derail prostate cancer treatment

A study by Nicolò Pernigoni and colleagues found that androgen-producing gut microbes in patients with advanced prostate cancer can lead to sustained tumor growth. Treating these microbes with antibiotics or fecal transplants from sensitive individuals may delay ADT resistance.

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4)

Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) runs demanding GIS, imaging, and annotation workflows on the go for surveys, briefings, and lab notebooks.

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply

Rigol DP832 Triple-Output Bench Power Supply powers sensors, microcontrollers, and test circuits with programmable rails and stable outputs.

The climate-driven mass extinction no one had seen

African mammals suffered huge losses around the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, similar to those experienced by European and Asian species. The study used fossil data from multiple sites in Africa to build evolutionary trees for five mammal groups, revealing a drastic extinction event followed by recovery with new adaptations.

Elastic polymer that is both stiff and tough, resolves long-standing quandary

Researchers at Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed an elastomer that is both stiff and tough, resolving the long-standing conundrum in polymer science. The new material has high toughness, strength, and fatigue resistance, making it suitable for applications such as tissue regeneration, bio...

Hopkins Med newsletter 7

Researchers identified a pattern that links the accumulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) proteins with a reduction of serotonin, which may help predict who will develop late-life depression. The study found that individuals expressing this pattern had more severe depressive symptoms.

‘Gut bugs’ can drive prostate cancer growth and treatment resistance

A new study found that common gut bacteria can drive prostate cancer growth and treatment resistance by providing an alternative source of growth-promoting androgens. Researchers identified specific bacterial 'fingerprints' linked to prostate cancer outcome, which could help identify men who could benefit from strategies to manipulate ...

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station

Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 Weather Station offers research-grade local weather data for networked stations, campuses, and community observatories.

Social distancing: Not just for humans

A new study published in Scientific Reports found that respiratory diseases can spread rapidly within wild mountain gorilla groups but are less likely to spread between neighboring groups. The study suggests that strategies preventing initial transmission into a group may be most effective in limiting disease spread.

Researchers identify new drug target for blood cancer, potentially solid tumors

Researchers have discovered a new drug target for myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and other hematologic malignancies, which are sensitive to MEK inhibitors. The study found that mutations affecting RNA splicing alter cells to develop MDS and solid tumors, providing a potential new approach to treating this rare blood cancer.

Samples returned by Chang’e-5 indicate late volcanism on the Moon

Researchers analyzed Chang'e-5 samples and found that the basalt is approximately two billion years old, indicating late volcanic activity on the Moon. This discovery provides calibration for the crater-counting technique used to date lunar surfaces and requires alternative explanations, such as tidal heating.

Donation experiment: COVID-19 only slightly displaces other concerns

Researchers from the University of Innsbruck found that Covid-19 pandemic did not completely displace other social and political concerns. Participants in a donation experiment donated more to causes when Covid-19 incidence was high, indicating a correlation between pandemic presence and willingness to donate.

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only)

Sony Alpha a7 IV (Body Only) delivers reliable low-light performance and rugged build for astrophotography, lab documentation, and field expeditions.

Elucidating the brain's white matter

Researchers at Hebrew University developed a novel approach to mapping brain white matter fiber architecture using Nissl staining. The technique, called Nissl-ST, reveals the hidden patterns and organization of glial cells in white matter, opening new avenues for studying brain development, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Study reveals impact of wild meat consumption on greenhouse gas emissions

A new study found that consuming sustainably sourced wild meat instead of domesticated livestock reduces greenhouse gas emissions and retains precious tropical forest systems. This can lead to significant financial incentives for forest conservation through carbon credit revenues, totaling millions of dollars per year.

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope

AmScope B120C-5M Compound Microscope supports teaching labs and QA checks with LED illumination, mechanical stage, and included 5MP camera.

Small molecules with a dual function

Researchers discovered a small RNA molecule that regulates both the production of the cholera toxin and the metabolism of the cholera bacterium. This finding provides a new target for developing treatments against cholera and has implications for biotechnological applications.

Circuit approach could improve deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease

A new deep brain stimulation (DBS) method has been developed by researchers using optogenetics and machine learning to target specific neural circuits in the brain. This approach produced long-lasting effects in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease, with therapeutic benefits that lasted on average 4.5-fold longer than conventional DBS.

Screen time linked to risk of myopia in young people

A new study published in The Lancet Digital Health found a link between screen time and myopia in children and young adults. High levels of smart device exposure increased the risk of short-sightedness by up to 80%, according to researchers at Anglia Ruskin University.

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.