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Science News for March 22, 2024


MSU offers first study on teacher effectiveness for students with and without disabilities

A study by MSU researchers suggests that evaluating teacher effectiveness for students with and without disabilities requires separate value-added measures. The research team found that top-performing teachers for one group may not be effective for the other, highlighting the need for targeted training and support.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalEducational Evaluation and Policy Analysis·DateMar 22, 2024

Children with language disorders may fall victims to false friends, study warns

A study by the University of Exeter warns that children with language disorders are susceptible to making false friends due to a lack of awareness about peers' motives and thoughts. Children consider peers as friends because they play with them, without fully understanding what constitutes a good or bad friend.

SourceUniversity of Exeter·JournalInternational Journal of Language & Communication Disorders·TypeObservational study·DateMar 22, 2024

Chinese scientists provide novel insights into the effects of alternate day fasting on atherosclerosis

Researchers discovered that alternate day fasting aggravates atherosclerosis in mice by suppressing the expression of hepatic activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3). ADF also increased cholesterol profiles, contradicting its protective effects against obesity and metabolic disorders. The study sheds light on the complex role of ATF3 ...

SourceHigher Education Press·JournalLife Metabolism·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 22, 2024

Decommissioned offshore structures could offer only limited ecological benefits

A new study published in Nature Sustainability suggests that decommissioned offshore structures may only provide limited long-term ecological benefits. The research analyzed over 530 scientific studies on the effects of marine artificial structures and found no conclusive evidence to support their use as artificial reefs.

SourceUniversity of Plymouth·JournalNature Sustainability·TypeMeta-analysis·DateMar 22, 2024

DayCent-CABBI: new model integrates soil microbes, large perennial grasses

A new model integrating soil microbes and large perennial grasses into the DayCent framework improves its representation of ecosystem dynamics. The updated model includes a live microbial biomass pool and dead microbial biomass pool to simulate carbon storage in soils, enhancing the evaluation of bioenergy crop sustainability.

New classification of tuberculosis to support efforts to eliminate the disease

Researchers have developed a new framework for classifying tuberculosis (TB) that replaces the traditional binary approach with four disease states: clinical, subclinical, infectious, and non-infectious. The International Consensus for Early TB (ICE-TB) framework aims to improve diagnosis and treatment of early-stage TB, which has hist...

SourceUniversity College London·JournalThe Lancet Respiratory Medicine·TypeSurvey·DateMar 22, 2024

CU researchers describe tools to better understand CaMKII, a protein involved in brain and heart disease

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have developed three types of drug inhibitors that can help investigate CaMKII's role in brain diseases such as Alzheimer's. These tools provide a detailed first assessment of the protein's functions in any given system, making it accessible to a wide range of scientists.

SourceUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus·JournalCell Reports·TypeSystematic review·DateMar 22, 2024

Early intervention after the first seizure may prevent long-term epilepsy and associated cognitive deficits

Researchers discovered that only a small percentage of neurons are activated in epileptic brains, which can lead to permanent changes and impaired cognition. Early intervention with an experimental treatment within 48 hours after the first seizure may prevent these long-term changes.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Medicine·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateMar 22, 2024

A boost to biomedical research with statistical tools: from COVID-19 analysis to data management with REDCapDM

A new R package, REDCapDM, enhances efficiency and reliability in managing research data collected through the popular REDCap platform. The tool provides functions for importing, transforming, identifying discrepancies, and managing data, simplifying the clinical data management process while ensuring quality and reliability.

SourceGermans Trias i Pujol Research Institute·JournalScientific Reports·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMar 22, 2024

Outcomes after stem cell transplant in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia have improved since 2000

Outcomes for elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HCT) have improved significantly over time. Relapse incidence and non-relapse mortality decreased, while leukemia-free survival and overall survival increased steadily between 2000 and 2021. These improvements wer...

SourceAmerican Association for Cancer Research·JournalClinical Cancer Research·DateMar 22, 2024

Finding new answers with the nuclear clock

Researchers aim to create a nuclear clock using thorium isotopes, which could increase measurement accuracy by a factor of 3. The project uses light with orbital angular momentum to excite the nucleus, emitting photons that can be detected. This technology has the potential to answer fundamental questions in physics and astronomy.

Messenger RNAs with multiple “tails” could lead to more effective therapeutics

Researchers have engineered a new mRNA structure by adding multiple “tails” to boost mRNA activity levels and prolong its presence in the body. The multi-tailed mRNAs increased therapeutic protein production in cells and animals, and showed improved efficiency in gene editing when incorporated into a CRISPR system.

SourceBroad Institute of MIT and Harvard·JournalNature Biotechnology·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 22, 2024

Racial and ethnic differences in telemedicine use

Black and Hispanic individuals received fewer telemedicine visits than white individuals after controlling for geographic region, contrary to national trends. The study suggests systemic inequalities in access to telemedicine care exist despite increased use during the pandemic.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA Health Forum·DateMar 22, 2024

Most new doctors face some form of sexual harassment, even after #MeToo

New studies find over half of new doctors experience some form of sexual harassment in their first year, with women and men experiencing varying rates of recognition and types of harassment. The #MeToo movement has led to increased recognition of what constitutes harassment, but more work is needed for medical schools and hospitals.

SourceMichigan Medicine - University of Michigan·JournalJAMA Health Forum·TypeSurvey·DateMar 22, 2024

Physicists develop modeling software to diagnose serious diseases

Physicists have developed FreeDTS, a modeling software that enables the study of biological membranes at the mesoscale. This tool will enhance our understanding of cell behavior and open routes for diagnostics of infections and diseases. The software's precision will guide experiments with accuracy, potentially leading to diagnoses bas...

SourceUniversity of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science·JournalNature Communications·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMar 22, 2024

Neighborhood-level poverty and food insecurity during pregnancy associated with lower birthweight and small for gestational age infants, NIH study finds

A recent NIH study found that living in low-income neighborhoods with limited food access during pregnancy is associated with lower birthweight and higher odds of babies born small for gestational age. However, individual food insecurity was not linked to birth outcomes.

SourceEnvironmental influences on Child Health Outcomes·JournalAmerican Journal of Clinical Nutrition·TypeObservational study·DateMar 22, 2024

Toronto researchers devise new way to find proteins for targeted treatment of disease

Researchers at the University of Toronto and Sinai Health have created a new platform to identify proteins that can be co-opted to control the stability of other proteins. The study identified over 600 new effector proteins that could be used therapeutically, including those that can efficiently degrade or stabilize target proteins.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 22, 2024

Electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis: Towards an environmentally means of producing ammonia

Researchers at Tohoku University's AIMR have developed a novel approach to electrocatalytic ammonia synthesis, utilizing transition metal disulfides as catalysts. The breakthrough relies on the in-situ generation of S-vacancies on the catalyst surface, significantly enhancing nitrogen reduction activity.

SourceAdvanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University·JournalJournal of Materials Chemistry A·DateMar 22, 2024

Movement disorder ALS and cognitive disorder FTLD show strong molecular overlaps, new study shows

A recent study published in Cell reveals significant similarities between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), two distinct neurological disorders. The research found shared gene expression patterns across various brain regions, suggesting potential therapeutic targets for both conditions.

SourcePicower Institute at MIT·JournalCell·TypeExperimental study·DateMar 22, 2024

Scientists close in on TB blood test which could detect millions of silent spreaders

Scientists have discovered six proteins that can accurately diagnose tuberculosis (TB). The breakthrough study paves the way for a simple blood test to detect the bacteria, which could prevent millions of cases annually. TB is the world's deadliest infectious disease, killing over one million people each year.

SourceUniversity of Southampton·JournalJournal of Clinical Investigation·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateMar 22, 2024

Research uncovers a rare resin fossil find: A spider that aspires to be an ant

Paleobiologist George Poinar Jr. presents an early record of an ant-mimicking spider in fossilized resin, shedding light on defense strategies and evolutionary processes. The specimen, Myrmarachne colombiana, has developed a remarkable transformation to resemble ants, with adaptations including modified body parts and behavior.

SourceOregon State University·JournalHistorical Biology·TypeObservational study·DateMar 22, 2024

An avocado a day may improve overall diet quality, researchers report

A team led by Kristina Petersen and Penny Kris-Etherton found that eating avocados daily significantly increased participants' adherence to dietary guidelines. The study suggested that using avocados as a substitute for refined grains and sodium may play a role in achieving improved diet quality.

SourcePenn State·JournalCurrent Developments in Nutrition·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateMar 22, 2024

Mystery of unexplained kidney disease revealed to patients

Researchers at Newcastle University have developed a new approach to analyzing genomic data, enabling doctors to provide a precise diagnosis for patients with unexplained kidney failure. This breakthrough has huge implications for families affected by kidney disease, allowing for more accurate investigations, treatments, and management.

SourceNewcastle University·JournalGenetics in Medicine Open·TypeMeta-analysis·DateMar 22, 2024

A reliable and efficient computational method for finding transition states in chemical reactions

Researchers have developed a reliable and efficient computational method to find transition states in chemical reactions, reducing computational costs by 50-70%. The new method outperforms existing methods like Nudged Elastic Band (NEB), achieving high accuracy in identifying transition states in 98% of cases.

SourceNational Institutes of Natural Sciences·JournalJournal of Chemical Theory and Computation·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMar 22, 2024

Study finds that for each 10% increase of certain bacteria type in the gut microbiome, the risk of hospitalisation for infections falls by up to a quarter

A study of two large European patient cohorts found that increased abundance of butyrate-producing gut bacteria is associated with reduced risk of hospitalization for infections. Each 10% increase in these bacteria resulted in a 14-25% lower risk of hospitalization, regardless of demographics or comorbidities.

Is active screening for tuberculosis among vulnerable populations cost-effective?

A systematic review by Gogichadze et al. suggests that active pulmonary TB screening programs targeting vulnerable populations in low-TB-incidence countries are cost-effective. The authors conclude that screening immigrants and other high-risk groups is a viable approach to detecting latent infections.

SourceEuropean Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)·JournalEurosurveillance·TypeSystematic review·DateMar 22, 2024