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Science News Archive 2021 - Page 426


Page 426 of 510

Deciphering the genetics behind eating disorders

A recent study analyzing over 20,000 genomes found similarities and differences in genetic patterns among anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. The research team discovered that while these eating disorders share genetic risk with psychiatric disorders, they differ in their association with body weight regulation.

SourceUniversité de Genève·JournalInternational Journal of Eating Disorders·DateMar 1, 2021

The missing trillions

A new study estimates that the externalities of coal, oil, and gas are worth trillions of dollars, with coal accounting for nearly 60% of energy externalities. The research highlights the market failure of the world's energy systems, suggesting that factoring in these costs could make fossil fuelled power stations economically unviable.

SourceUniversity of Sussex·JournalEnergy Research & Social Science·DateMar 1, 2021

Top diversity and equity leaders in psychiatry offer guidelines for academic medicine

DEI leaders in academic medicine face growing expectations without sufficient resources. A new article offers guidelines for departments to support their efforts, including elevating the title, clear job responsibilities, and financial compensation. The authors aim to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment.

SourceAmerican Psychiatric Association·JournalAmerican Journal of Psychiatry·DateMar 1, 2021

Increase in medicaid managed care for youth linked to slightly more preventive care

Youth Medicaid enrollment in managed care increased from 65% in 2000 to 94% in 2017, but preventive care coverage fell short of the 80% goal. The study found significant increases in preventive care services in 17 states and decreases in six states, with Tennessee seeing the largest increase and North Carolina the largest decrease.

Stressed-out young oysters may grow less meat on their shells

A study found that early exposure to heat and low oxygen can leave lasting scars on oysters' ability to grow tissue. Oysters invested more in growing their shells than tissue when exposed to the double punch of low oxygen and warmer waters. This could pose a problem for anyone involved in the seafood industry.

SourceSmithsonian·JournalEcological Applications·DateMar 1, 2021

Watch: Recycled cotton becomes new fabric

Researchers at Lund University develop a method to convert cotton into sugar, which can be turned into spandex, nylon, or ethanol. The process involves soaking fabrics in sulphuric acid, producing a clear, dark amber-coloured sugar solution with potential uses in various industries.

SourceLund University·JournalWaste Management·DateMar 1, 2021

Global warming poses threat to food chains

A new study reveals that global warming can reduce energy transfer in plankton food webs by up to 56%, threatening the survival of larger animals. Warmer temperatures cause metabolic rates to accelerate faster than growth rates, leading to less efficient energy flow and reduced biomass.

SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalNature·DateMar 1, 2021

High school students tend to get more motivated over time

A new study by Ohio State University researchers found that increasing students' sense of belonging in school is a key way to boost academic motivation. Over two years, the study followed more than 1,600 students and found that most shifted towards more adaptive profiles with better motivational characteristics.

SourceOhio State University·JournalJournal of Educational Psychology·DateMar 1, 2021

New treatment unlocks potential for baking raspberries

Washington State University scientists have developed a method to treat raspberries before freezing, allowing them to maintain their structure when thawed. The treatment involves infusing berries with pectin and calcium, partially drying them, and coating them with an edible layer, resulting in reduced syneresis and improved texture.

SourceWashington State University·JournalFood and Bioprocess Technology·DateMar 1, 2021

Cell culture engineering webinars

The Cell Culture Engineering XVII Conference has been postponed due to COVID-19, prompting two webinars to be held instead. The first webinar focuses on vaccines, highlighting their safety, efficacy, and global distribution. The second webinar explores therapeutic approaches using antibodies and biologics to neutralize the virus.

Bottling the world's coldest plasma

Rice University physicists have discovered a way to trap the world's coldest plasma in a magnetic bottle, advancing research into clean energy, space weather, and astrophysics. The ultracold plasma has applications for studying solar wind interactions, fusion power, and understanding plasma behavior in complex locations.

SourceRice University·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMar 1, 2021

Neanderthal and early modern human culture co-existed alongside older traditions for 100,000 years

Research reveals the Acheulean stone tool tradition persisted for tens of thousands of years longer than thought, overlapping with Neanderthal and early modern human cultures. The study used statistical techniques to reconstruct the end of the Acheulean period, shedding new light on the transition between technologies.

SourceUniversity of Kent·JournalHumanities and Social Sciences Communications·DateMar 1, 2021

Goodbye UTIs: Duke scientists develop vaccine strategy for urinary tract infections

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have developed a new vaccination strategy to prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs). In tests in mice, the vaccine administered directly to the bladder effectively cleared bacteria. The study suggests that reprogramming the body's immune response could be key to fighting off UTIs.

SourceDuke University Medical Center·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 1, 2021

Reinforced by policies, charters segregate schools

Research from Cornell University finds that charter schools have contributed to increased school segregation and a decline in residential segregation. The study analyzed over 1,500 metropolitan school districts and found a link between charter school enrollment and racial sorting among families.

SourceCornell University·JournalDemography·DateMar 1, 2021

UBCO economist says private security systems bar others from protection

New research by Dr. Ross Hickey suggests that private security systems are diverting police resources from those who need them most, exacerbating existing inequities in public protection. This can include households with lower incomes or those living on the street, which may not be receiving the same level of policing services.

SourceUniversity of British Columbia Okanagan campus·JournalJournal of Public Economic Theory·DateMar 1, 2021

Pumping perovskites into a semiconductor platform

Materials scientists have created a method to incorporate diverse perovskite materials into silicon-based semiconductor platforms using microfluidic pumping technology. This innovation enables the creation of complex optoelectronic devices on a single chip, offering potential applications in fields like lab-on-a-chip technology.

SourceKing Abdullah University of Science & Technology (KAUST)·JournalCell Reports Physical Science·DateFeb 28, 2021

Sensing suns

Red supergiants are extremely bright but difficult to study due to their complex upper atmospheres. Astronomers have now developed a new technique to estimate their surface temperatures using iron absorption lines. By combining these temperatures with accurate distance measurements, researchers found consistent results with theory.

SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·DateFeb 28, 2021

Climate change threatens European forests

More than half of Europe's forests are at risk from climate-driven disturbances, with large trees and old trees particularly vulnerable to extreme weather conditions and insect infestations. Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and severity of these events, posing significant threats to European forest ecosystems.

SourceMax-Planck-Gesellschaft·JournalNature Communications·DateFeb 27, 2021

Investigating dense plasmas with positron waves

A new study assesses the dynamics of positron acoustic waves in electron-positron-ion plasmas under magnetic fields, finding compressive and rarefactive solitary waves. The team's results provide insight into magnetoplasma behavior in astrophysical contexts, such as solar winds and auroral acceleration regions.

SourceSpringer·JournalThe European Physical Journal D·DateFeb 26, 2021

New journal launched, The International Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology Diseases

The International Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Diseases is a new subscription-based journal publishing articles on global significance gastrointestinal and liver diseases. It aims to publish experimental and theoretical results in detail, covering advancements in management and diagnosis of diseases.

SourceBentham Science Publishers·JournalThe International Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Diseases·DateFeb 26, 2021