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Science News Archive June 2022 - Page 24


Page 24 of 40

Nanoparticle technology provides healthy trans, saturated fat alternative

Researchers have developed a method to create edible nanoparticles that can transform healthy oils into gel-like blocks, providing a shelf-stable fat alternative for food manufacturers. This new approach could help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes by replacing unhealthy fats with healthier options.

SourceUniversity of Connecticut·JournalFood Hydrocolloids·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 13, 2022

Spinal anesthesia associated with more pain, prescription analgesic use after hip surgery compared with general anesthesia

A randomized controlled trial found that spinal anesthesia was associated with worse pain immediately after surgery, but differences diminished over time. Researchers also found higher rates of pain reliever prescriptions at 60 days in the spinal anesthesia group.

SourceAmerican College of Physicians·JournalAnnals of Internal Medicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateJun 13, 2022

Symphony of plasmons: Giant enhancement of two-dimensional excitonic upconversion

Researchers have realized giant enhancement of two-dimensional excitonic upconversion using doubly resonant plasmonic nanocavity. The system boosts upconversion intensity by over 1000-fold and reduces saturation threshold power by 2-3 orders. This achievement lays a solid foundation for net optical refrigeration.

A new paradigm for label-free 3D microscopy——Transport of intensity diffraction tomography

Scientists have created a new label-free 3D microscopy technique called transport of intensity diffraction tomography with non-interferometric synthetic aperture (TIDT-NSA). This allows for high-quality imaging without the need for fluorescent dyes or proteins, and can be performed under arbitrary illumination conditions.

Staring at yourself during virtual chats may worsen your mood, research finds

A new study by University of Illinois researchers found that people who stare at themselves during online conversations experience a decline in mood. Alcohol use exacerbated this effect. The study used eye-tracking technology to examine the relationship between mood, alcohol, and attentional focus during virtual social interaction.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalClinical Psychological Science·TypeObservational study·DateJun 13, 2022

Relationship between ALS disease patterns, microscopic changes in brain, spinal cord identified

ALS researchers identified distinct patterns of symptoms and related microscopic brain and spinal cord changes in a study. The ALS functional rating scale-revised was found to be associated with different patterns of muscle weakness symptoms, which correlated with more severe microscopic changes.

SourceBoston University School of Medicine·JournalMuscle & Nerve·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 13, 2022

Estimating tumor-specific total mRNA level predicts cancer outcomes

Researchers developed a mathematical technique to measure total tumor-specific mRNA levels from bulk tumor sequencing data, associating higher mRNA levels with reduced patient survival. The study suggests this approach could serve as a prognostic biomarker for various cancers, guiding treatment selection.

SourceUniversity of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center·JournalNature Biotechnology·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 13, 2022

Funding COVID-19 vaccination in low- and middle-income countries is highly cost-effective and projected to save hundreds of thousands of lives

A new analysis suggests expanding COVID-19 vaccine delivery to low-income countries would save hundreds of thousands of lives and be cost-effective. The study found that achieving 60% vaccination coverage in these countries could prevent up to 68 million infections and 160,000 deaths.

SourceMassachusetts General Hospital·JournalThe Journal of Infectious Diseases·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateJun 13, 2022

Fluorescence microscopy shows how living cells form vesicles to transport cargo like growth factors

Researchers used fluorescence microscopy to study clathrin-mediated endocytosis in living cells. They found evidence of three models of curvature initiation and discovered that short-lived events favored the constant-curvature model, while longer events preferred the flat-to-curved transition pathway.

SourceUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 13, 2022

SwRI study examines oxide growth in additively manufactured metals in sCO2 environment

A new joint study by Southwest Research Institute and Sandia National Laboratories examines the effects of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) on oxide film growth on additively manufactured metals and wrought stainless steel. The study found that both types of metals showed oxide growth, but with significant differences in grain size ...

SourceSouthwest Research Institute·JournalCorrosion Science·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 13, 2022

Collapsing a leading theory for the quantum origin of consciousness

A series of FQXi-funded experiments deep under the Italian mountains failed to find evidence in support of a gravity-related quantum collapse model, undermining the feasibility of this explanation for consciousness. The team used an extremely sensitive cylindrical detector and reported no spontaneous radiation signals after running the...

SourceFoundational Questions Institute, FQXi·JournalPhysics of Life Reviews·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 13, 2022

Genes reveal coffee is safe during pregnancy

Researchers found that moderate coffee consumption during pregnancy does not increase the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature birth. The study used genetic analysis to mimic a randomized control trial and suggested pregnant women can safely enjoy coffee with limited risk.

SourceUniversity of Queensland·JournalInternational Journal of Epidemiology·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 13, 2022

Researchers identify a brain circuit for addiction remission

Using lesion network mapping, researchers mapped addiction remission to entire brain circuits rather than specific regions, pointing to new targets for treatment. The study found a common brain circuit associated with both nicotine and alcohol addiction, suggesting a potentially therapeutic targetable neural pathway for addiction.

SourceBrigham and Women's Hospital·JournalNature Medicine·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 13, 2022

Spinal anesthesia linked to higher painkiller use in hip fracture patients

A recent study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found that patients who underwent spinal anesthesia for hip fracture surgery experienced more pain and were more likely to use prescription painkillers compared to those who received general anesthesia. The researchers hope to improve pain care by increasing the use of peripheral ...

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalAnnals of Internal Medicine·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 13, 2022

Cellular cleanup

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara have discovered a novel membraneless organelle called BAG2 condensate that can sweep up faulty proteins, including tau protein associated with Alzheimer's disease. The discovery could lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative conditions by targeting misfolded proteins before they cause damage.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalNature Communications·DateJun 13, 2022

New research questions hypotheses about climate-controlled ecosystem change during the origin of dinosaurs in Argentina

A new study in Frontiers in Earth Science questions the link between climate change and ecosystem diversity during the origin of dinosaurs in Argentina. The researchers found that variations in species abundance cannot be explained by climatic changes, instead attributing it to preservation and sampling biases.

SourceUniversity of Utah·JournalFrontiers in Earth Science·TypeObservational study·DateJun 13, 2022

Numbers and experience count in mongoose warfare

A new study found that banded mongooses engage in lethal intergroup battles, with the number of adult males and age of oldest male being crucial factors. Experienced individuals are vital for success, while older males become liabilities beyond a certain age.

SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeObservational study·DateJun 13, 2022

Enzymes should kiss and run

Scientists discovered a 'Goldilocks zone' for enzyme docking interactions, where the binding strength is 'just right', maximizing catalytic efficiency. By simulating system interactions, researchers developed an equation predicting optimal docking strength for various enzymes.

SourceAarhus University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeMeta-analysis·DateJun 13, 2022

Ideal nodal rings of one-dimensional photonic crystals in the visible region

Scientists successfully realize one-dimensional nodal ring and ridge states, enabling novel functional photonic devices such as sharp bend waveguides and microcavity lasing. The discovery also introduces intrinsic relationship between optical Tamm state and nodal ring, paving the way for deterministic design of optical phenomena.

Good news on blocking a virus considered a global threat

Researchers developed an antibody cocktail effective against a Hendra virus variant, neutralizing its ability to mutate and evade recognition. The combination of four antibodies leaves the virus with minimal ability to further evolve, providing significant protection against this global biosecurity threat.

SourceOhio State University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 13, 2022

Increased overdose and mental health risks persist two years after opioid dose reduction

A UC Davis Health study found that patients on stable but higher-dose opioid therapy who had their doses tapered by at least 15% had significantly higher rates of overdose and mental health crisis in the second year after tapering compared to their pre-tapering period. The risks were greatest in patients with the highest baseline doses.

SourceUniversity of California - Davis Health·JournalJAMA Network Open·DateJun 13, 2022

Designing protection suits for hard working bacteria

Researchers at the University of Southern Denmark have developed a new technique that makes bacteria cells more robust and efficient for various chemicals synthesis under harsh application conditions. The protective suit consists of nanoparticles of dopamine, which protects against external stressors such as UV radiation, heat, and org...

SourceUniversity of Southern Denmark·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateJun 13, 2022

Singapore study: Highly scalable multi-pronged intervention could cut hypertension-linked morbidity, mortality globally

A cluster-randomised trial in Singapore showed a low-cost, multi-pronged intervention improved BP control, reduced cardiovascular risk and increased use of antihypertensive medications. The intervention could cut hypertension-linked morbidity and mortality globally with rapid scalability.

SourceDuke-NUS Medical School·JournalPLOS Medicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateJun 13, 2022

Nanoparticle sensor can distinguish between viral and bacterial pneumonia

Researchers developed a nanoparticle sensor that can accurately distinguish between viral and bacterial pneumonia within two hours using a simple urine test. The sensor uses the host's immune response to infection, detecting specific protease patterns that serve as signatures of bacterial or viral infection.

SourceMassachusetts Institute of Technology·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateJun 13, 2022

More data in chemistry

A recent study published in Angewandte Chemie found that AI models struggle to predict reaction yields due to biased data, mainly caused by a lack of reported failed experiments. The researchers attribute this failure to three possible causes: experimental error, personal bias, and underreporting of negative results.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateJun 13, 2022

Wandering star disrupts stellar nursery

A Northwestern University-led team of astrophysicists observed a star-forming cloud and discovered a twisted magnetic field that suggests the formation of a binary star system. The researchers believe a previously hidden sibling star may be responsible for the twisted field, which shifted the dynamics of the cloud to form a new star.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·TypeObservational study·DateJun 13, 2022

Physical activity should be encouraged during pregnancy, even for socially vulnerable women

Research in western Amazonia found that at least 150 minutes of exercise per week correlated with lower birth weight and reduced risk of childhood obesity and diabetes. The study also showed that physical activity during pregnancy may help prevent excessive weight gain, contributing to a reduced birth weight.