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Science News for May 19, 2024


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

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

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

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

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.

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

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