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Science News Archive March 2023 - Page 38


Page 38 of 44

Messages about the “felt intensity” of earthquakes via app can potentially assist early disaster management

A new approach uses crowdsourced data from affected people to estimate earthquake impact within 10-20 minutes, potentially aiding early disaster management. The system analyzes 'felt intensity' reports, providing a basis for quickly assessing the severity of damage.

SourceGFZ GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Helmholtz Centre·JournalThe Seismic Record·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMar 6, 2023

Pioneering study shows flood risks can still be considerably reduced if all global promises to cut carbon emissions are kept

A pioneering study finds that flood risks in the UK can be kept below a 5% increase by 2050 if all countries meet their carbon emission pledges. The research reveals dramatic regional variations in flood hazards, with areas like South East England and London facing significant increases in damage.

SourceUniversity of Bristol·JournalNatural Hazards and Earth System Science·DateMar 6, 2023

Some ‘allies’ don’t want gay neighbors

A new study by Northwestern University found that the absence of legal protections for sexual minorities increases stigma among both allies and those who reject homosexuality. Even fully accepting individuals may reject their gay neighbors, highlighting the importance of legal inclusion in reducing prejudice.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalSociological Research Online·DateMar 6, 2023

Scientists twist chemical bonds beyond their limits

Researchers from Durham University and University of York successfully twisted molecules to their breaking point, exploring how far the chemical bonding in an aromatic ring can be twisted before its aromatic bonding breaks. The study reveals a balance point where the ring jumps between aromatic structure and two smaller rings.

SourceDurham University·JournalNature Chemistry·DateMar 6, 2023

Studying partial remission of type 1 diabetes in children: New biomarkers and the immunoregulatory role of microRNA

A study has identified new microRNA biomarkers for the partial remission phase of type 1 diabetes and linked one of these microRNAs to immunoregulatory processes. The findings suggest a unique microRNA signature expression during this phase, which modulates regulatory T cell expansion and PD-1 expression.

SourceGermans Trias i Pujol Research Institute·JournalNon-Coding RNA·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 6, 2023

Sexual minority families fare as well as, and in some ways better than, ‘traditional’ ones

A pooled data analysis of 16 studies found that most family outcomes were similar between sexual minority and different sex parent families, with some advantages in child psychological adjustment and child-parent relationships. However, risk factors such as stigma and discrimination can negatively impact family outcomes.

SourceBMJ Group·JournalBMJ Global Health·TypeSystematic review·DateMar 6, 2023

New strategy proposed for bandgap engineering and maintaining property of material under high pressure

Scientists propose a new strategy to engineer and maintain band gap of carbon nitride under high pressure, enhancing photocatalytic activity. The study reveals a pressure-induced amorphization phenomenon, resulting in a narrowed band gap with improved light absorption and photoelectric response.

JMIR Medical Education launches special issue on the use of ChatGPT in medical education, after new study finds ChatGPT passes the United States Medical Licensing Examination

A recent study published in JMIR Medical Education found that ChatGPT outperformed previous-generation models and reached the equivalent of a passing score for third-year medical students. The AI-powered chatbot provides contextually interpretable answers, making it a potential interactive medical education tool.

SourceJMIR Publications·JournalJMIR Medical Education·DateMar 6, 2023

Tracing 13 billion years of history by the light of ancient quasars

Researchers studying ancient quasars have discovered a rapid increase in warm carbon around 13 billion years ago, potentially linked to the 'Epoch of Reionisation' and large-scale heating of gas. This finding provides new insights into the evolution of the universe's chemical composition.

SourceARC Centre of Excellence for All Sky Astrophysics in 3D (ASTRO 3D)·JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society·TypeObservational study·DateMar 6, 2023

How do microbes live off light?

Researchers at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology found that many aquatic microbes use a complex light-to-energy conversion mechanism involving rhodopsin proteins and carotenoid antennas. This process allows for more efficient energy production and increases the amount of energy entering the food chain.

SourceTechnion-Israel Institute of Technology·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 6, 2023

Scientists discover electrically tunned superconductor-insulator transition and giant anomalous hall effect in CsV3Sb5

Researchers uncover disorder-driven bosonic superconductivity transition and outline global picture of giant AHE, linking it to unconventional CDW in AV3Sb5 family. The team also finds large AHE mainly occurs at specific point in Brillouin zone due to skew scattering of holes.

As naloxone treatment becomes more widespread heroin use is not on the rise among adolescents

A new study published in International Journal of Drug Policy found that widespread naloxone access is not associated with an increase in adolescent lifetime heroin or injection drug use. The research suggests that naloxone expansion may actually lead to decreases in heroin and IDU rates among adolescents.

SourceColumbia University's Mailman School of Public Health·JournalInternational Journal of Drug Policy·DateMar 6, 2023

Geosciences at the Crossroads of America

The 57th annual meeting of the Geological Society of America's South-Central Section will take place in Oklahoma, USA, from March 13-14. The event features a diverse program covering various geologic disciplines and includes environmental-related sessions on topics such as hydrogeology and unconventional resources.

Researchers achieve nonreciprocal frequency conversion with optical and mechanical modes

A research team from USTC demonstrated nonreciprocal routing between any two modes with different frequencies using radiation pressure force. They used two optical modes and two mechanical modes to form a closed loop in a microresonator, achieving phonon-phonon, photon-photon, and photon-phonon nonreciprocal conversions.

SourceUniversity of Science and Technology of China·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMar 5, 2023

Death rates from lung cancer will fall overall in the EU and UK in 2023, but rise among women in France, Italy and Spain

Lung cancer death rates are projected to decrease overall in the EU and UK in 2023, however, a concerning trend is observed among women in France, Italy, and Spain. Meanwhile, pancreatic cancer death rates are forecasted to rise among women due to continued smoking habits.

SourceEuropean Society for Medical Oncology·JournalAnnals of Oncology·TypeObservational study·DateMar 5, 2023

Antarctic sea ice at lowest level in 45 years marks a reversal from the long-term increasing trend to a decreasing trend

Satellite observations reveal Antarctic sea ice extent has dropped to a record low of 1.788 million square kilometers, marking a reversal from long-term increasing trend to a decreasing one. This occurrence raises questions about the cause and implications of this change, particularly in light of human-caused global warming.

SourceOcean-Land-Atmosphere Research (OLAR)·JournalOcean-Land-Atmosphere Research·TypeNews article·DateMar 5, 2023

Transcatheter mitral valve repair in heart failure patients significantly reduces hospitalizations and improves survival

A new study shows that transcatheter mitral valve repair significantly reduces hospitalizations by almost 50 percent and death by nearly 30 percent in heart failure patients with severe mitral regurgitation. The procedure, using Abbott's MitraClip system, improves symptoms, reduces hospitalizations, and leads to longer survival.

SourceThe Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateMar 5, 2023

Physical activity and tailored support fails to deliver lasting benefits for smokers not ready to quit

A recent study found that promoting physical activity and behavioral support can help smokers reduce their smoking in the short-term, but delivering lasting benefits is challenging. The research, which recruited over 900 smokers, discovered that engaging with motivational support had some initial benefits, but only a small percentage o...

SourceUniversity of Plymouth·JournalAddiction·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateMar 5, 2023

Sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor for the detection of dopamine by using AuPd@Fe2O3 nanoparticles as catalyst

Researchers developed a sensitive and selective electrochemical sensor using AuPd@Fe2O3 nanoparticles to detect dopamine. The sensor shows high sensitivity and anti-interference capabilities, making it suitable for detecting dopamine in pharmaceuticals and biological samples.

SourceBeijing Zhongke Journal Publising Co. Ltd.·JournalAdvanced Sensor and Energy Materials·DateMar 5, 2023

Alert banners dramatically increase prescribing rates of life-saving heart failure medication

Researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine found that automated systems with alert banners increased MRA therapy prescriptions for heart failure patients by 30%. The system aims to improve care and reduce costs by streamlining medical information in one place. The study tested two notification types, finding that banner-like alerts...

New ‘phase shifter’ technology will reduce signal loss in antenna systems

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have developed a new type of high-performance 'phase shifter' that uses a liquid Gallium alloy to control microwave and millimetre-wave radio signals. The prototype testing shows low signal losses and extremely low phase deviation over a wide bandwidth.

SourceUniversity of Birmingham·JournalIEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 5, 2023