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Science News Archive 2024 - Page 359


Page 359 of 484

New study: Opioids kill, especially if you're alone

A new study from Aarhus University investigates 327 deaths related to opioid overdoses in Denmark and finds that being alone increases the risk of fatal poisoning. The study also highlights the importance of recognizing sleep as a precursor to opioid poisoning, particularly among young people.

SourceAarhus University·JournalForensic Science International·TypeCase study·DateApr 8, 2024

How scientists are accelerating chemistry discoveries with automation

A new statistical-modeling workflow can quickly identify molecular structures of products formed by chemical reactions, accelerating drug discovery and synthetic chemistry. The workflow also enables the analysis of unpurified reaction mixtures, reducing time spent on purification and characterization.

SourceDOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory·JournalJournal of Chemical Information and Modeling·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 8, 2024

A gene mutation associated with a rare neurological disorder and increased susceptibility to viral infections may be treatable with oleic acid

Researchers identified a gene mutation associated with impaired natural killer cell function, leading to increased susceptibility to viral infections in people with a rare genetic condition. Oleic acid supplementation shows promise as a potential therapy for these patients.

SourceUniversity of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences·JournalNature Immunology·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 8, 2024

Novel tech captures disease markers in a snap: the future of early diagnosis

Researchers have developed a novel method, Flocculation via Orbital Acoustic Trapping (FLOAT), to isolate extracellular vesicles from biological fluids with high efficiency and purity. This innovation promises to revolutionize disease diagnosis and monitoring, offering hope for earlier intervention and personalized treatment plans.

Protecting art and passwords with biochemistry

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a novel cryptographic one-way function using DNA sequences, providing a secure method for protecting valuable objects like art and passwords. The system uses true randomness and physical linking to prevent decoding by algorithms or quantum computers.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalNature Communications·DateApr 8, 2024

Chinese Medical Journal study reviews the impact of caloric restriction on cardiovascular health

A review of existing literature on caloric restriction (CR) reveals its benefits on cardiovascular health, including reduced cholesterol levels, improved endothelial function, and enhanced vascular renewal. CR's role in regulating sirtuin activity is also explored, with seven identified sirtuins mediating cardiovascular benefits.

SourceCactus Communications·JournalChinese Medical Journal·TypeLiterature review·DateApr 8, 2024

Pregnancy accelerates biological aging in a healthy, young adult population

A new study finds that women who have been pregnant look biologically older than those who haven't, with the number of pregnancies accelerating biological aging in young adults. The study used 'epigenetic clocks' to measure cellular aging and found a significant association between pregnancy history and biological age.

SourceColumbia University's Mailman School of Public Health·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 8, 2024

Medicare pays for message-based e-visits. Are older adults using them?

A study by Michigan Medicine found that about 1% of older adults using traditional Medicare have used asynchronous patient portal messaging to prompt a bill from their doctor or other healthcare provider. Most e-visits were with primary care providers, mainly for managing high blood pressure and diabetes.

SourceMichigan Medicine - University of Michigan·JournalHealth Affairs Scholar·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 8, 2024

New four-terminal tandem organic solar cell achieves 16,94% power conversion efficiency

Researchers at ICFO have fabricated a new four-terminal tandem organic solar cell with a high power conversion efficiency of 16.94%, achieving a significant improvement over previous records for four-terminal tandem devices. The device features an ultrathin transparent silver electrode, enabling efficient light transmission and operation.

A pulse of innovation: AI at the service of heart research

Researchers at Columbia University developed BeatProfiler, an AI-based software that automates the analysis of heart cell function from video data, significantly speeding up the process and reducing errors. The tool can accurately analyze cardiomyocyte function, outperforming existing tools by being faster and more reliable.

SourceColumbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science·JournalIEEE Open Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology·DateApr 8, 2024

The correlation between traditional Chinese medicine syndrome of lung cancer and tumor-node-metastasis staging indexes

The study assessed relationships between TCM syndromes and lung cancer TNM staging indicators, finding phlegm dampness syndrome dominant in stages I & II, Qi Yin deficiency syndrome in stages III & IV. The findings suggest bias in included literature, emphasizing the need for larger sample sizes and clinical experimental investigations.

SourceXia & He Publishing Inc.·JournalFuture Integrative Medicine·DateApr 8, 2024

Key to unlocking the secret of degenerative brain disorders found

A new neuron labeling technology called NeuM has been developed to visualize neuronal structure and track changes over extended periods. This breakthrough technology allows for high-resolution imaging of neurons and can distinguish between aging and degenerating neurons, providing valuable insights into degenerative brain disorders.

Climate change threatens Antarctic meteorites

Climate change causes melting of ice sheet, resulting in loss of about 5,000 meteorites per year. Researchers call for urgent action to preserve the scientific value of meteorites and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalNature Climate Change·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateApr 8, 2024

Targeting vulnerability in B-cell development leads to novel drug combination for leukemia

Researchers at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital designed a combination therapy to effectively treat relapsed or resistant B-cell leukemia by targeting the developmental stages of cancer cells. The findings revealed that a protein called BCL-2 is a hidden vulnerability in asparaginase-resistant tumor cells.

SourceSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital·JournalCancer Cell·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 8, 2024

Single-cell profile reveals the landscape of cardiac immunity and identifies a cardio-protective Ym-1hi neutrophil in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury

A single-cell profile of cardiac immune cells reveals diverse types of infiltrating immune cells and their dynamic changes in response to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI). A novel cardio-protective neutrophil subtype, Ym-1hi Neu, is identified with therapeutic potential.

SourceScience China Press·JournalScience Bulletin·DateApr 8, 2024

Your unsupportive partner is physically stressing you out

A new study from Binghamton University found that couples who receive more negative social support tend to experience higher levels of cortisol, a hormone associated with stress reactions. In contrast, those who receive positive support exhibit lower cortisol levels and feel more understood, validated, and cared for by their partner.

SourceBinghamton University·JournalJournal of Social and Personal Relationships·TypeObservational study·DateApr 8, 2024

Cannabis use during pregnancy linked to increased risk of ADHD, autism and intellectual disability in children

A recent study published by the European Psychiatric Association found a significant association between prenatal cannabis use disorder and an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and intellectual disability (ID). The stud...

SourceEuropean Psychiatric Association·TypeObservational study·DateApr 8, 2024

Innovative composite accelerometer for extreme environments

The study introduces a novel surface micromachined accelerometer leveraging a silicon carbide-carbon nanotube (SiC-CNT) composite to offer unprecedented durability and performance in harsh environments. The SiC-CNT composite enables high aspect ratio structures crucial for MEMS devices' sensitivity and efficiency.

New review provides insights into the impact of osteoporosis and related medications on fracture healing

A comprehensive review examines the impact of osteoporosis on fracture healing and the effects of osteoporosis medications. The study concludes that there is no deleterious effect of osteoporosis medications on fracture healing, and prompt treatment can reduce the risk of secondary fractures.

SourceInternational Osteoporosis Foundation·JournalOsteoporosis International·TypeLiterature review·DateApr 8, 2024

Virtual reality sessions lessen cancer pain in clinical trial

A 10-minute virtual reality session significantly lessened pain in hospitalized patients with cancer, with sustained benefits even a day later. The study found that VR sessions had a greater impact than guided imagery, improving not only pain severity but also related issues like general distress.

SourceWiley·JournalCancer·DateApr 8, 2024

McMaster researchers create first-ever guidelines to help kids build tolerance to food allergens

The McMaster University research team created the first-ever guidelines for preparing families to build their child's tolerance to common food allergens through oral immunotherapy. The guidelines, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, standardize the preparation process and provide a consent form template.

SourceMcMaster University·JournalJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology·DateApr 8, 2024

Photonic neuromorphic architecture for tens-of-task lifelong learning

A novel photonic computing architecture has been developed for tens-of-task lifelong learning, surpassing existing electronic neural networks in capacity and energy efficiency. The L2 ONN demonstrates extraordinary learning capability on challenging tasks, such as vision classification and medical diagnosis.

A biologic drug-device combination immunotherapy shows promise for patients with metastatic prostate cancer

A biologic drug-device combination therapy has shown promising results in treating metastatic prostate cancer, with 60% of patients experiencing an objective response. The treatment, SYNC-T, uses a cold-temperature probe to kill tumor cells and release immune-stimulating neoantigens, leading to a high response rate without severe toxic...

POSTECH’s Perspective on History and Science: A compass for teaching the Korean history of science

A study by Professor Jongsik Christian Yi introduces a history of science curriculum at POSTECH, exploring its importance in teaching the Korean history of science. The author argues for a self-reflective approach to education, encouraging students to critically think about their roles and futures in Korean science and technology.

SourcePohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH)·JournalHistorical Studies in the Natural Sciences·DateApr 7, 2024

An extension of process calculus for asynchronous communications between agents with epistemic states

Researchers developed e-calculus to capture asynchronous communications between agents with epistemic states, offering new insights into distributed systems. The study presents a process calculus enriched with operators for passing basic facts and applying action model logic to describe agents' epistemic states.

SourceHigher Education Press·JournalFrontiers of Computer Science·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 7, 2024

How does China promote the transformation of Agricultural Green Development from concept to action?

China's Agricultural Green Development (AGD) evaluation system reveals two stages of transformation from 1997 to 2020, with increasing scores but moderate levels. The Socioeconomic dimension shows significant improvement, while Food production and Eco-environmental dimensions require further development.

SourceHigher Education Press·JournalFrontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 7, 2024

Microfabrication makes microdroplets "pattern-obedient" but Gibbs-equation "disobedient"

Scientists have developed a method to precisely control the shape and contact angle of microdroplets, achieving arbitrary shapes and a wide range of contact angles. This breakthrough challenges the traditional Gibbs equation, which predicts contact angles for macro-droplets on rough surfaces.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 7, 2024