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Science News Archive April 2023 - Page 30


Page 30 of 37

High blood pressure in your 30s is associated with worse brain health in your 70s

A new UC Davis study found that high blood pressure in young adulthood is associated with lower regional brain volumes and worse white matter integrity, both factors linked to dementia. The research also showed sex differences in the negative brain changes, with men exhibiting stronger effects than women.

SourceUniversity of California - Davis Health·JournalJAMA Network Open·TypeImaging analysis·DateApr 7, 2023

HonorHealth Research Institute joins City of Hope and TGen in creating method for scoring pancreatic cancer patients for surgery

A new equation and 3D imaging technology have been developed to score pancreatic cancer patients for surgical removal of their tumor. The method provides a precise way to determine which patients are eligible for surgery, with the potential to improve treatment outcomes.

SourceThe Translational Genomics Research Institute·JournalFrontiers in Imaging·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateApr 7, 2023

The social framework

A team at the University of Pittsburgh has created a framework to analyze the influence of online conspiratorial content on individuals and communities. The project aims to identify sociodemographic and psychometric factors that contribute to the spread of such messages.

Four different autism subtypes identified in brain study

A new study from Weill Cornell Medicine has identified four clinically distinct groups of people with autism spectrum disorder, each with unique brain connection patterns and behavioral traits. The findings highlight the potential for personalized therapies tailored to individual subgroups, which may lead to more effective treatments.

SourceWeill Cornell Medicine·JournalNature Neuroscience·DateApr 7, 2023

Men and women have different obesity drivers, pointing to the need for tailored interventions

A new UCLA study identifies sex-specific brain signatures associated with obesity in men and women, revealing differences in brain networks related to early life adversity, mental health, and sensory stimulation. The findings suggest the need for tailored interventions based on an individual's sex.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences·JournalBrain Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 6, 2023

Ultra-fast light at the end of the vacuum tunnel: Meta-optics shows physical processes in the attosecond range

A new type of meta-optics, developed at Harvard, has been successfully tested at Graz University of Technology, allowing the observation of ultra-fast physical processes. The lens uses extreme ultraviolet radiation to track charge carriers in space and time, enabling optimization of modern transistors and optoelectronic circuits.

SourceGraz University of Technology·JournalScience·DateApr 6, 2023

Anti-smoking campaigns on Facebook that discuss the risks of second-hand smoking to pets receive the most user engagement

Researchers from George Mason University found that anti-tobacco campaigns on Facebook discussing the risks of second-hand smoking to pets received the most user engagement. The studies analyzed factors influencing effective antismoking campaigns and user interaction.

SourceGeorge Mason University·JournalJournal of Medical Internet Research·TypeContent analysis·DateApr 6, 2023

Vaccination during pregnancy could prevent RSV illness in infants

A clinical study has shown that vaccination during pregnancy can effectively prevent severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease in infants. The vaccine was found to be well-tolerated and provided over 80% protection against RSV illness, with benefits expected for vulnerable populations worldwide.

SourceCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateApr 6, 2023

“Alarming” rate of girls quit sport due to clothing concerns, shows hockey star’s new study already revolutionizing rules

A recent study by England Hockey star Tess Howard found that 70% of teenage girls in the UK dropped out of sports due to body image concerns related to their clothing. The research led to the introduction of new, more inclusive uniform policies allowing athletes to choose between skirts and shorts.

SourceTaylor & Francis Group·JournalSport Education and Society·DateApr 6, 2023

Giving pregnant women routine third trimester ultrasound scans could reduce rates of undetected breech pregnancy by 71%, enabling better care before and during labor and improved outcomes for newborns

Regular third trimester ultrasound scans can help identify undiagnosed breech pregnancies, allowing for better care before and during labor. This could lead to improved perinatal outcomes and reduced rates of undetected breech pregnancy by 71%.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·TypeObservational study·DateApr 6, 2023

NIH-funded study finds doxycycline reduces sexually transmitted infections by two-thirds

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that doxycycline can reduce the incidence of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia by two-thirds when taken within 72 hours after condomless sex. The research also highlighted a slight increase in antibacterial resistance, emphasizing the need for further exploration.

SourceNIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateApr 6, 2023

Costs of natural disasters set to spiral with continued rise in CO2 and global temperature, study shows

A study by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found that climate change-related natural disasters have increased since 1980 and cost the US over $2 trillion in recovery costs. The analysis suggests that rising CO2 levels and temperatures will lead to more frequent and severe disasters, with exponentially increasing costs.

SourceBeth Israel Deaconess Medical Center·JournalJournal of Climate Change·DateApr 6, 2023

Blood-based biomarkers accurately predict neuroendocrine tumor response to radiopharmaceutical therapy

A blood draw can provide valuable information on the effectiveness of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy for neuroendocrine cancer patients. Blood-based biomarkers PPQ and NETest were found to predict PRRT response with 96% and 90% accuracy, respectively. The study opens possibilities for tailoring treatment to individual patients.

SourceSociety of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging·JournalJournal of Nuclear Medicine·DateApr 6, 2023

Researchers clear the way for well-rounded view of cellular defects

A recent study has investigated how cells divide in fibrous environments, revealing the impact of extracellular matrix shape and fiber number on mitotic errors. By re-creating and studying lattice structures, researchers have gained a deeper understanding of cellular dynamics and its connection to disease biology.

SourceVirginia Tech·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 6, 2023

New peer-reviewed, decade-long study suggests Indigenous-managed forests in Brazil’s Amazon absorb thousands of dangerous pollutants from noxious fumes from wildfires, preventing 15 million costly cases of disease every year

A decade-long study suggests Indigenous-managed forests can absorb up to 26,000 metric tons of dangerous pollutants from wildfires each year, preventing an estimated 15 million cases of respiratory and cardiovascular disease. This absorption saves Amazon cities US$2 billion a year in healthcare costs.

SourceBurness·JournalCommunications Earth & Environment·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 6, 2023

Fasting diet reduces risk markers of type 2 diabetes

A fasting diet that focuses on early eating has been shown to reduce the risk markers of type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that participants who followed a time-restricted, intermittent fasting diet experienced greater tolerance to glucose and reduced blood lipids compared to those on a daily, low-calorie diet.

SourceUniversity of Adelaide·JournalNature Medicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateApr 6, 2023

‘Snowball Earth’ might have been slushball

New research suggests the Marinoan Ice Age, which created glaciers from pole to pole 635 million years ago, had patches of open water in mid-latitude seas. This finding provides evidence that life could have persisted during this period, potentially influencing the carbon cycle and climate.

SourceUniversity of Cincinnati·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 6, 2023

Significant step in fight against drug resistance in TB

Researchers have identified new ways to treat antibiotic-resistant TB by targeting unique weaknesses in the bacteria. The study found that certain drug-resistant strains are more sensitive to antibiotics targeting unrelated pathways, paving the way for faster treatment and reduced resistance.

SourceUniversity of Otago·JournalNature Communications·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 6, 2023

Toward tunable molecular switches from organic compounds

Researchers at Hokkaido University and Kyushu University have developed a technique to synthesize potential molecular switches from anthraquinodimethanes (AQDs), a group of overcrowded organic molecules. The synthesized derivatives can stably form twisted and folded isomers, as well as other isomeric forms, in different solvents.

SourceHokkaido University·JournalMaterials Chemistry Frontiers·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 6, 2023

Bushmeat consumption unchanged by COVID-19 in Kenya and Tanzania border towns, new study reveals

A new study found that despite awareness of COVID-19 risks, bushmeat consumption remained unchanged in rural communities along the Kenya-Tanzania border. Education levels played a critical role in understanding disease transmission. Increased food costs caused by regulations led to increased bushmeat consumption.

SourceInternational Livestock Research Institute·JournalFrontiers in Ecology and Evolution·TypeSurvey·DateApr 6, 2023

MSU to refurbish world’s first superconducting cyclotron for chip testing

The MSU facility will provide several thousand additional hours of chip testing capacity annually, addressing the US national shortfall in advanced microelectronics testing. The K500 cyclotron will be used to test electronic components for space-based applications where levels of ionizing radiation are higher than at Earth's surface.

Microbes that “eat together” may benefit from a shared immunological memory

Researchers discovered that viruses that infect bacteria and archaea in deep-sea hydrothermal vents share a common immunological memory, allowing symbiotic microbes to defend against the same virus. This challenges conventional wisdom on virus-host interactions, revealing a more nuanced relationship between these microorganisms.

Random matrix theory approaches the mystery of the neutrino mass!

Researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University analyzed the collection of leptons to demonstrate that the lepton flavor mixings are large in the random mass matrix model. The study found that the measure of the matrix should obey the Gaussian distribution, which supports the experimental results for the seesaw model.

SourceOsaka Metropolitan University·JournalProgress of Theoretical and Experimental Physics·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 6, 2023