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Science News for May 19, 2024


Extreme heat associated with children’s asthma hospital visits

Research finds daily high temperatures and prolonged extreme heat events significantly increase risk of asthma hospital visits among children. Children from vulnerable populations are particularly affected by climate-sensitive events, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to mitigate health disparities.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateMay 19, 2024

Genetic resilience and adaptation of the endangered Chinese hazelnut

Researchers analyzed the genome of Corylus chinensis to understand its demographic history and adaptive potential. They found species-specific gene families involved in adaptation and identified diverged genetic lineages with southwest-northern differentiation patterns.

SourceKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.·JournalPlant Diversity·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 19, 2024
Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter

Fluke 87V Industrial Digital Multimeter is a trusted meter for precise measurements during instrument integration, repairs, and field diagnostics.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) may improve pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular function

A recent study found that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was associated with improved pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular function in women. The researchers analyzed data from over 700 women with pulmonary hypertension and found that those who used HRT had lower mean pulmonary artery pressure and higher right ventricular fr...

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateMay 19, 2024

Hospitals caring for diverse patient populations have higher mechanical ventilation mortality

A recent study published at the ATS 2024 International Conference found that hospitals caring for diverse patient populations experience strain that affects all patients, leading to higher mechanical ventilation mortality rates. The researchers suggest that systemic factors such as hospital resources and income levels contribute to dis...

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateMay 19, 2024

DIProT: An interactive deep learning toolkit for efficient protein design

The DIProT toolkit leverages a non-autoregressive deep generative model to tackle the protein inverse folding problem. It allows users to specify target structures and preserve fixed sequences, improving protein design efficiency through a virtual design loop.

SourceKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.·JournalSynthetic and Systems Biotechnology·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMay 19, 2024

Social media: the stuff of nightmares?

A new scale, SMNS, measures social media's impact on nightmares, finding a link between excessive social media use and negative mental health outcomes. The study suggests that responsible social media use can help mitigate the occurrence of social media-related nightmares.

SourceFlinders University·JournalBMC Psychology·TypeSurvey·DateMay 19, 2024
Apple iPhone 17 Pro

Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers top performance and advanced cameras for field documentation, data collection, and secure research communications.

Pamrevlumab for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

A phase 3 trial found that pamrevlumab did not significantly improve lung function in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The study's results underscore the need for effective treatments to slow disease progression and improve patient outcomes.

SourceJAMA Network·JournalJAMA·DateMay 19, 2024

Measuring lung function more accurately and more equitably

Researchers at Harvard Medical School analyzed 370,000 participants to find that removing race from lung function tests would shift disease severity categorization across patient populations. This could lead to more white and Hispanic people being reclassified as having less advanced illness.

SourceHarvard Medical School·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMay 19, 2024
CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock

CalDigit TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock simplifies serious desks with 18 ports for high-speed storage, monitors, and instruments across Mac and PC setups.

Meerkat chit-chat

Researchers from the University of Konstanz and Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour found that meerkats use two different types of vocal interactions to communicate within their groups. Close calls are call-and-response exchanges between animals, while short notes announce 'I am here' but don't necessarily get a direct reply.

SourceUniversity of Konstanz·JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences·DateMay 19, 2024

World-first trial shows benefits of finding, treating undiagnosed asthma and COPD

A world-first clinical trial found that finding and treating people with undiagnosed asthma or COPD improves their health and reduces healthcare visits. The study, which involved 508 patients, showed that those treated by a lung specialist and educator averaged fewer healthcare visits and improved symptoms compared to usual care.

SourceThe Ottawa Hospital·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateMay 19, 2024
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB

SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 2TB transfers large imagery and model outputs quickly between field laptops, lab workstations, and secure archives.

Three-terminal light emitter boosts speed and functions in optoelectronic chips

A breakthrough innovation introduces a multifunctional three-terminal diode, revolutionizing optoelectronic integrated chip technology. The integration of traditional photodiodes with a metal-oxide-semiconductor structure enables effective control over carrier transport during light emission or detection processes.

SourceUniversity of Science and Technology of China·JournalNature Electronics·DateMay 19, 2024

DGIST-Stanford joint research team successfully developed novel medical AI model based on federated learning! Expected to take the first step in the era of large-scale AI

The DGIST-Stanford joint research team successfully developed a novel medical AI model based on federated learning, which can accurately segment body organs by effectively learning medical image data from different hospitals. The technique uses shared embedding learning to enable federated learning without data breaches and leaks.

SourceDGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology)·JournalMedical Image Analysis·DateMay 19, 2024
Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars

Nikon Monarch 5 8x42 Binoculars deliver bright, sharp views for wildlife surveys, eclipse chases, and quick star-field scans at dark sites.

BESIII collaboration discovers glueball-like particle—X(2370)

The BESIII experiment has made the first measurements of the quantum numbers of X(2370), a particle consistent with a glueball. The study confirms the existence of glueballs, a crucial test of the Standard Model, and provides strong experimental evidence.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalPhysical Review Letters·DateMay 19, 2024

Spirometry clinical trial eligibility may differ with race-neutral equations

Research found that race-neutral spirometry equations tend to decrease severity for white patients and increase severity for Black patients, leading to higher enrollment rates of Black patients in COPD clinical trials. This shift resulted in more Black subjects meeting typical inclusion criteria, while fewer white subjects were eligible.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateMay 19, 2024

Improved ultrasound wireless charging for implantable biomedical devices

Researchers have developed an oblong-shaped ultrasound transmitter and receiver to improve energy harvesting from ultrasound beams, increasing efficiency by up to 50% compared to conventional systems. The new technology has been tested in various conditions, including water and tissue, with promising results.

SourceDGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology)·JournalNano Energy·DateMay 19, 2024

Poor access to in-home nursing for medically complex children quantified

A recent study found that 87.8% of families with medically-complex children reported having to make significant employment changes due to lack of in-home nursing. The study also revealed that 37.9% of families reported extended hospital stays solely due to lack of access to available in-home nursing.

SourceAmerican Thoracic Society·JournalAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine·DateMay 19, 2024
Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter

Kestrel 3000 Pocket Weather Meter measures wind, temperature, and humidity in real time for site assessments, aviation checks, and safety briefings.

Evolutionary history of extinct duck revealed

A University of Otago-led study has uncovered the origins of a mysterious lineage of mergansers in Aotearoa New Zealand, revealing that they arrived from the Northern Hemisphere at least seven million years ago. The research used ancient DNA techniques to extract genetic material from extinct species and reconstruct their family tree.

SourceUniversity of Otago·JournalZoological Journal of the Linnean Society·DateMay 19, 2024

Cooperative hunting requires less brainpower than previously thought

Researchers at Nagoya University found that cooperative hunting does not require complex cognitive processes, but rather simple rules and experience. The study used computational models and simulations to demonstrate the effectiveness of cooperation in hunting, with AI agents learning to work together through reinforcement learning.

SourceNagoya University·JournaleLife·DateMay 19, 2024