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Science News Archive February 2024 - Page 7


Page 7 of 38

Social media and adolescent mental health

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus study report highlights different effects of social media on adolescent mental health. Research is recommended to address specific harms such as cyber-stalking and harassment, as well as promote healthy social media use through digital literacy curricula.

SourcePNAS Nexus·JournalPNAS Nexus·DateFeb 27, 2024

How ketamine acts fast and slow

Researchers discovered that ketamine's sustained effects involve increasing immature cells' activity, while rapid effects rely on newborn neurons firing more rapidly. This breakthrough opens doors to developing new antidepressant treatments.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalCellular and Molecular Life Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 27, 2024

A survey on federated learning: A perspective from multi-party computation

Federated learning allows multiple data owners to train models collaboratively on sensitive data, enabling applications such as disease prediction and risk assessment. The survey focuses on federated learning with privacy guarantees, exploring techniques like multi-party computation to secure communication and computation.

SourceHigher Education Press·JournalFrontiers of Computer Science·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 27, 2024

Earth as a test object

The study, published in The Astrophysical Journal, tested the future LIFE mission's capabilities on real spectra using data from NASA's Aqua Earth observation satellite. It demonstrated that a space telescope like LIFE could detect signs of a temperate, habitable world on Earth-like exoplanets.

SourceETH Zurich·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateFeb 27, 2024

What motivates high-quality medical care: Is it all about money?

A recent study found that quality-based incentives increase the quality of medical treatment, particularly for severe illnesses. However, financial incentives do not necessarily lead to better patient outcomes. The study's results suggest that doctors' altruistic motivations play a crucial role in providing high-quality care.

SourceUniversity of Cologne·JournalJournal of Health Economics·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 27, 2024

Study shows bariatric surgery provides superior long-term treatment for type 2 diabetes in patients with obesity

A 12-year study found that bariatric surgery significantly improves blood glucose control and reduces the need for diabetes medications. Patients who underwent bariatric surgery experienced greater weight loss and higher rates of complete diabetes remission compared to those receiving medical therapy.

SourceCleveland Clinic·JournalJAMA·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateFeb 27, 2024

New UC Berkeley-led study reveals widen gap on racial inequality in higher education

A recent study by UC Berkeley researchers found that disparities in Black and Latino students' admission to America's elite colleges have endured and widened over the last 40 years. Despite increased overall college attendance, Black and Latino students are less likely to attend top-tier four-year colleges compared to their White peers.

SourceUniversity of California - Berkeley·JournalSocius Sociological Research for a Dynamic World·TypeSurvey·DateFeb 27, 2024

The team led by professor Xiaohui Hu from Northwest A&F University has revealed a new mechanism in which 5-aminolevulinic acid enhances the cold resistance of tomato plants by regulating the SlMYB4/SlMYB88-SlGSTU43 module to remove reactive oxygen species

Researchers have discovered a new mechanism by which 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) improves cold resistance in tomato plants. The study found that ALA regulates the SlMYB4/SlMYB88-SlGSTU43 module to remove reactive oxygen species, enhancing the plants' tolerance to low-temperature stress.

SourceNanjing Agricultural University The Academy of Science·JournalHorticulture Research·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 27, 2024

Projected climate change scenarios augur the disappearance of the Balearic boxwood

The Balearic boxwood, a drought-resistant species in eastern Andalusia, is facing extinction due to climate change. Reduced advection fog will limit its ability to condense fog moisture, threatening biodiversity. Conservation efforts, including seed preservation and habitat protection, are essential to save this unique species.

SourceUniversity of Córdoba·JournalDiversity·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 27, 2024

How do we age?

A new probe has been developed to detect senescent cells in organs, which are associated with many age-related diseases. The probe interacts with an enzyme abundant in senescent cells, producing a fluorescent compound excreted in the urine.

SourceUniversitat Politècnica de València·JournalNature Communications·TypeMeta-analysis·DateFeb 27, 2024

Addressing societal concerns of genetic determinism of human behavior by linking environmental influences and genetic research

A new perspective article suggests that integrating environmental effects into genetic research is crucial to understand the intricate nature of gene-environment interactions. The authors propose expanding genome-wide association studies by incorporating environmental data, which could help mitigate deterministic thinking in genetics.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateFeb 27, 2024

Community culture shapes ceramics

A contemporary experiment suggests that ceramic shapes can be used as a proxy for ancient cultures, with variations between communities more pronounced than within. Community-specific deviations in morphological features support this assumption, highlighting individual variation among potters.

SourcePNAS Nexus·JournalPNAS Nexus·DateFeb 27, 2024

University of Paderborn researchers use Hawk supercomputer and lean into imperfection to improve solar cell efficiency

A team led by Prof. Wolf Gero Schmidt used Hawk supercomputer to study how strategic impurities in solar cells can improve performance. They discovered that certain defects can improve exciton transfer, leading to more energy captured. This breakthrough could lead to more efficient and climate-friendly energy production.

SourceGauss Centre for Supercomputing·JournalPhysical Review Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateFeb 27, 2024

Wearable sticker turns hand movements into communication

Researchers developed a wearable sticker that can detect subtle hand movements, enabling individuals with disabilities to communicate more easily. The sensors show high sensitivity and accuracy in recognizing gestures and translating them into words or commands.

SourceOptica·JournalBiomedical Optics Express·DateFeb 27, 2024

Extinctions could result as fish change foraging behaviour in response to rising temperatures

A new study suggests that fish are shifting their focus from less abundant prey to more abundant prey as waters become warmer, leading to a mismatch between their energetic needs and actual food intake. This flexible foraging behaviour may make communities more vulnerable to climate change, increasing the risk of extinctions.

Astronomers detect an extremely red supermassive black hole in the early universe growing in the shadows

A team of astronomers has detected a gravitationally lensed supermassive black hole in the early universe, which was found to be significantly more massive than its host galaxy. The discovery, made using images from the James Webb Space Telescope, revealed the black hole's unique red color and confirmed it as a supermassive black hole.

SourceBen-Gurion University of the Negev·JournalNature·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 26, 2024

University of Cincinnati research examines chronic sinusitis

Researchers from the University of Cincinnati found that nearly half of patients with nasal allergies also have chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), a condition often misdiagnosed as allergies. The study suggests that specific counseling and education are needed to raise awareness of CRS, especially in regions with high prevalence of environm...

SourceUniversity of Cincinnati·JournalOtolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery·TypeObservational study·DateFeb 26, 2024

Healthcare leaders plea to reinstate the Canadian hypertension control program to prevent death and disability

Canadian healthcare leaders call for re-establishment of a national hypertension control program to reduce deaths and disabilities. The program aims to provide population-scale prevention methods, proven to save lives and reduce healthcare costs. Experts highlight the need for collaboration with governments and healthcare providers.

SourceElsevier·JournalCanadian Journal of Cardiology·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateFeb 26, 2024

BU researchers identify potential new subtype of chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Researchers found one in six individuals with high-stage CTE had low tau pathology in the neocortex, but higher concentrations in the medial temporal lobe and brainstem. This form, called cortical-sparing CTE, may be a distinct subtype with different underlying biology and clinical implications.

SourceBoston University School of Medicine·JournalActa Neuropathologica·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateFeb 26, 2024

Novel material increases efficiency and stability of perovskite solar cells

Researchers at São Paulo State University developed a method to enhance perovskite solar cells using MXene Ti3C2Tx, increasing power conversion efficiency by 15% and stability by three times. This breakthrough has promising implications for large-scale industrial production of stable high-performance solar cells.

SourceFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo·JournalJournal of Materials Chemistry C·DateFeb 26, 2024

Reimagining electron microscopy: Bringing high-end resolution to lower-cost microscopes

Scientists have developed a new technique called electron ptychography that boosts the resolution of electron microscopes using computation, allowing for record-breaking resolution without expensive aberration correctors. This breakthrough enables state-of-the-art resolution at a fraction of the cost, making microscopy more accessible.

The effects of primer pairs, PCR conditions, and peptide nucleic acid clamps on plant root fungal diversity assessment

This study evaluates the combined effects of primer pairs, PCR conditions and PNA clamps on fungal community diversity in plant roots. The results show that primer pairs are critical for limiting DNA co-amplification and that certain primer pairs outperform others in terms of richness and diversity.

SourceTsinghua University Press·JournalMycology: An International Journal on Fungal Biology·DateFeb 26, 2024

Live music emotionally moves us more than streamed music

A recent study conducted at the University of Zurich found that live performances stimulate a stronger emotional response in the brain compared to listening to recorded music. The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to measure brain activity during both live and recorded music sessions, revealing a significant difference in amy...

SourceUniversity of Zurich·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 26, 2024

BU researchers describe new technological platform to accelerate drug development

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine describe a new technological platform that enhances the accuracy and efficiency of drug discovery related to GPCRs. The biosensors can detect the activity of GPCRs in their native cellular context and in real time, allowing for unprecedented fidelity and relative ease.

SourceBoston University School of Medicine·JournalCell·TypeExperimental study·DateFeb 26, 2024