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Science News Archive April 2024 - Page 18


Page 18 of 41

Occupations that are cognitively stimulating may be protective against later-life dementia

A new study found that people with cognitively stimulating occupations during midlife had a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia after age 70. The researchers analyzed data from over 300 jobs and found that high occupational cognitive demands were related to lower risks of MCI and dementia.

New urine-based test detects high-grade prostate cancer, helping men avoid unnecessary biopsies

Researchers have developed a new urine-based test that identifies high-grade prostate cancer by analyzing 18 genes linked to the disease. The test, called MyProstateScore2.0, was shown to be nearly 100% correct at ruling out aggressive cancers and helped avoid up to 41% of unnecessary biopsies.

SourceMichigan Medicine - University of Michigan·JournalJAMA Oncology·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 18, 2024

Warming and exogenous organic matter input affected temperature sensitivity and microbial carbon use efficiency of agricultural soil respiration on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Research found that soil warming increased respiration rates, but reduced temperature sensitivity and altered microbial carbon use efficiency. Organic matter input enhanced aggregate accumulation and changed respiration patterns among aggregates of different sizes.

SourceHigher Education Press·JournalSoil Ecology Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 17, 2024

Silver-based micromotors that eliminate bacteria moving freely in aqueous media

Researchers have developed microscopic crystals that activate in the presence of light, releasing silver ions with antimicrobial activity. These silver-based micromotors move autonomously through photocatalysis, killing bacteria and providing a promising tool for environmental recovery.

SourceInstitute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ)·JournalAdvanced Optical Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 17, 2024

Small changes make a big difference in life cycle diagrams

A new study finds that simple design changes in life cycle diagrams can have a significant impact on undergraduate students' ability to understand ecology and evolution concepts. The study involved 684 undergraduates who were given three different diagram formats, with the linear format showing multiple offspring scoring highest on que...

SourceNorth Carolina State University·JournalEducation Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 17, 2024

A better view with new mid-infrared nanoscopy

A team at the University of Tokyo has constructed an improved mid-infrared microscope that enables them to see the structures inside living bacteria at the nanometer scale with a resolution of 120 nanometers. This breakthrough can aid multiple fields of research, including into infectious diseases.

SourceUniversity of Tokyo·JournalNature Photonics·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 17, 2024

Exposure to air pollution during the first two years of life is associated with worse attention capacity in children

A study published in Environment International found that exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) during the first two years of life is associated with poorer attentional function in children aged 4-8, particularly in boys. The association persists even after adjusting for other factors.

SourceBarcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)·JournalEnvironment International·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateApr 17, 2024

Advancing performance assessment of a spectral beam splitting hybrid PV/T system with water-based SiO2 nanofluid

Researchers investigated the effect of design parameters on system performance enhancement in spectral beam splitting hybrid PV/T systems using water-based SiO2 nanofluid. They found that optimal SiO2 nanofluid concentration balances efficiency and cost-effectiveness, with a maximum efficiency of 51.93% at a focusing ratio of 3.

SourceHigher Education Press·JournalFrontiers in Energy·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 17, 2024

Flexibility can support healthy eating behaviors among women

A recent study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem found that women with restrained eating habits who practiced flexible responses to food cues showed increased positivity towards high-calorie foods. This suggests that a balanced approach to responding and inhibiting food cues can foster more positive emotional reactions to food.

SourceThe Hebrew University of Jerusalem·JournalJournal of Eating Disorders·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 17, 2024

Paper: To understand cognition—and its dysfunction—neuroscientists must learn its rhythms

The study suggests that understanding brain rhythms is critical for developing effective treatments for neurological disorders like schizophrenia, epilepsy, and Parkinson's. Cognition emerges from the coordinated activity of millions of neurons via electric fields, known as brain waves or rhythms.

SourcePicower Institute at MIT·JournalCurrent Opinion in Behavioral Sciences·TypeLiterature review·DateApr 17, 2024

Pennington Biomedical’s Dr. Steven Heymsfield and colleague publish guidance on energy and macronutrients across the lifespan

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine provides recommendations for protein, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, and water intake at various stages of life to support overall health. The guidance, developed by Dr. Steven Heymsfield and Dr. Sue Shapses, aims to promote personalized diets with key macronutrients.

SourcePennington Biomedical Research Center·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateApr 17, 2024

Spintronics: A new path to room temperature swirling spin textures

Researchers at HZB have developed a new approach to create and stabilize complex spin textures like radial vortices in various compounds. By using superconducting structures to imprint domains and surface defects to stabilize them, they achieve stable magnetic microstructures that can be used for spintronic applications.

SourceHelmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie·JournalACS Applied Materials & Interfaces·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 17, 2024

Oxygen vacancies mediated ultrathin Bi4O5Br2 nanosheets as efficient piezocatalyst for synthesis of H2O2 from pure water

Researchers have developed ultrathin Bi4O5Br2 nanosheets with controlled oxygen vacancies, which exhibit high performance for piezocatalytic H2O2 production. The material's unique structure and oxygen vacancies improve the separation and transfer of piezoinduced charges, as well as promote oxygen adsorption and activation on the surface.

Selective sampling with Gromov–Hausdorff metric: Efficient dense-shape correspondence via Confidence-based sample consensus

This study introduces selective sampling with the Gromov–Hausdorff metric to improve dense-shape correspondence. It proposes a novel method that filters out unsatisfactory features during training and testing, improving alignment accuracy and reducing computation time.

SourceBeijing Zhongke Journal Publising Co. Ltd.·JournalVirtual Reality & Intelligent Hardware·DateApr 17, 2024

Personalized assessment and training of neurosurgical skills in virtual reality: An interpretable machine learning approach

This study investigates the potential of machine learning to identify skill levels of participants performing virtual reality neurosurgery. It also explores the interpretability of machine learning models to understand the performance of each metric for each participant.

SourceBeijing Zhongke Journal Publising Co. Ltd.·JournalVirtual Reality & Intelligent Hardware·DateApr 17, 2024

Consortium including Brazilians sequences the reference genome of Arabica coffee

A consortium of scientists, including Brazilians, has successfully sequenced the reference genome of Arabica coffee. The study identified genes responsible for resistance to rust and other diseases, as well as those related to the aroma of Arabica coffee. By comparing a dihaploid-derived genome with a common tetraploid variety, researc...

Current police response to intimate partner violence calls for change

A new review of IPV policing's generalized consequences reveals survivor criminalization as a commonly studied outcome, with positive associations between mandatory arrest laws and risk of survivor arrest. The authors also identify gaps in the evidence base, including police violence and child protective services involvement.

SourceColumbia University's Mailman School of Public Health·JournalAggression and Violent Behavior·DateApr 17, 2024