A new smartphone app has been developed to detect fluid buildup in the middle ear, a common cause of ear infections in children. The app uses machine learning to analyze sound waves and determine the likelihood of fluid presence, showing promise as a quick and non-invasive screening tool.
A national study led by University of Washington professor Alexes Harris reveals the disproportionate impact of court-imposed fines and fees on low-income individuals and people of color. The study highlights how private companies profit from a captive population while government agencies direct them.
A study by Clara Berridge found that surveillance cameras in nursing homes can record personal moments, compromising resident privacy and dignity. The survey also highlighted issues with consent and the security of camera feeds, highlighting the need for reform and increased funding for long-term care systems.
Researchers at the University of Washington developed a method to synthesize nanodiamonds with intentional doping, enabling useful traits for medical research, computation, and beyond. The team used high-pressure and temperature to dope nanodiamonds with silicon, argon, and other elements.
Researchers found that echolocation was a major driver of skull shape evolution in bats from 58-34 million years ago. Diet played a more dominant role in shaping skulls starting around 26 million years ago, but not uniformly across all bat species. The study provides new insights into the evolutionary forces behind bat diversity.
Scientists confirm Alaska lake seals, a distinct population from ocean-dwelling cousins, rely on freshwater food sources throughout their lives. The study provides critical baseline information for developing conservation strategies, particularly as the region faces proposed industrial developments and climate change.
Researchers found that microorganisms can use arsenic as an electron acceptor to extract energy from food, a strategy thought to be a holdover from Earth's early history. The discovery opens up new avenues for studying organisms that thrive in low-oxygen environments.
A new study analyzed fossil mammal communities and found that the rise of flowering plants, evolved teeth, and dinosaur extinction drove changes in mammalian diversity. Ecological richness was primarily driven by vegetation type, with modern mammals focusing on plant-based diets.
A study by University of Washington researchers identified common triggers for compulsive smartphone use, including waiting for a friend, tedious tasks, and social awkwardness. The team also found that users can find meaning in phone use through apps like meme generators and Kindle, which promote lasting connections to the real world.
Researchers found that blind individuals have narrower neural tuning in the auditory cortex, allowing them to extract more information from sound. Additionally, the brain's hMT+ region is recruited to track moving objects in space using sound.
Project Sidewalk uses crowdsourcing to collect street-level data on accessibility in cities. Volunteers use Google Street View to label curb ramps, missing sidewalks, and obstacles, providing valuable insights for government officials and people with mobility impairments.
A novel body awareness training, MABT, helps women recover from drug addiction by teaching them to recognize physical and emotional signals in their bodies. Participants who received the intervention showed significant improvements in substance use, distress, and emotion regulation, with lasting effects over a year.
Researchers have found that logging practices can cause significant bedrock incision, eroding geology at a rate of up to 100 times the natural rate. The study, conducted on the Teanaway River in Washington state, shows that human activity has transformed the riverbank, creating new terraces and altering the landscape.
Researchers have developed synthetic peptides that target and inhibit small, toxic aggregates of amyloid beta, implicated as the toxic elements behind Alzheimer's disease. The peptides reduce amyloid beta-triggered toxicity in human neural cells and inhibit oligomers in laboratory animal models.
A new study by University of Washington professor Jane Lee finds that partisan rhetoric and cultural divides contribute to poor health among immigrants. The study identifies 'sociopolitical context' as a key factor in shaping health-related behaviors, with participants reporting fear, uncertainty, and discrimination as major stressors.
Researchers at the University of Washington tested the impact of water disinfection methods on antibiotic resistance genes. Three disinfectant methods showed greater than 90% degradation or deactivation, while two others had little to no effect.
A University of Washington-led study reveals that declining nitrogen oxides due to tightened standards can lead to cleaner air, but the process may take longer. The research found that NOx affects the formation of PM2.5 by changing the chemistry of hydrocarbon vapors.
A new mapping technique using satellite imagery helps track huckleberry distribution across Glacier National Park, enabling biologists to predict where grizzly bears will be found. This tool also aids in conserving the plant, which is crucial for the bears' survival and informs strategies to minimize human-bear conflicts.
Researchers have discovered over 1,700 bubble plumes emitting methane along Washington's coast, linked to faults generated by tectonic plate motion. These gas emissions provide clues about major offshore earthquakes and contribute to the region's productive fishing grounds.
Researchers created a novel system to measure platelet function within two minutes, allowing doctors to estimate trauma patients' risk of bleeding. The device uses microfluidic technology and activates platelets with obstacle blocks, enabling real-time assessment of platelet forces.
Researchers observed coyote families at a Utah facility during breeding seasons and found that parental influence plays a major role in shaping their behavior. Coyotes become bolder when parents are more fearless, and this trait is passed on to their offspring, which can lead to negative interactions with humans.
Researchers at the University of Washington have created a robotic system that can strategize how to use a fork to pick up and deliver bites to a person's mouth. The robot used an object-detection algorithm and a new skewing-and-feeding strategy to successfully pick up hard foods but struggled with soft foods.
Research found that mule deer shift to higher, steeper elevations away from roads and toward brushy terrain when faced with wolves. White-tailed deer stick to normal behavior, sprinting across open terrain with good visibility. The changes may affect hunting opportunities and ecosystem dynamics.
Researchers create a unique platform to study quantum optical physics on the nanoscale by stacking 2D materials at angles to trap particles. The team successfully traps hundreds of excitons using a moiré pattern, which can be controlled by a twist, enabling precise manipulation and interaction with individual excitons.
Alaska's longline fisheries have reduced seabird bycatch by 77-90% since adopting streamer lines in 2002, saving thousands of birds per year. However, recent years have seen an increase in bycatch rates, particularly for albatrosses and northern fulmars.
A national study found that US counties with greater income inequality have a higher rate of firearm homicide deaths. The association was positively correlated across all races and individual groups, with African-Americans experiencing a nearly 10% increase in firearm homicide rates for every 0.04 greater value of the Gini index.
Researchers found that Magellanic penguin parents divide food equally among their offspring, regardless of age or size. This unusual behavior was observed in nests with two chicks, who received the same amount of food despite being 22% apart in weight.
Researchers found that many Arctic lakes are self-contained units with low carbon emissions, contradicting previous assumptions about the region's role in global carbon cycles. The study's findings suggest that these lakes may not be significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, at least for now.
The study highlights the importance of riverside corridors in helping animals navigate a changing climate, with the Northwest's mountainous regions emerging as critical habitats. Riparian areas along rivers and streams will become vital 'superhighways' for wildlife seeking refuge from warmer or drier conditions.
A study by the University of Washington's Social Development Research Group examines parents' attitudes and challenges around marijuana use, highlighting the need for guidance and education. Parents want to learn how to talk to their kids about marijuana risks and effects, and seek information from trustworthy sources.
The Zwicky Transient Facility has identified thousands of new objects in the night sky, including binary star systems and black holes. The facility's automated alert system has successfully generated over 1.2 million alerts each night, sharing data with survey partners who are experimenting with machine-learning classification systems.
A recent study found that early spring rainfall warms up thawing permafrost bogs in Alaska, promoting plant growth and increasing methane emissions. The team discovered a 30% increase in methane production compared to previous years, highlighting the sensitivity of these regions to thermal effects.
Researchers uncover fossilized remains of Antarctanax shackletoni, an iguana-sized reptile with unique adaptations for hunting and survival. The discovery provides insights into prehistoric Antarctica's rapid evolution and diversification following a mass extinction event.
A one-hour workshop on houseplant-potting improved the moods of incarcerated women and provided a respite from their surroundings. The study highlights the value of interaction with nature for therapeutic and rehabilitative goals, suggesting that such activities can have a lasting impact on quality of life while in prison.
A new study models food consumption patterns by city block, finding that salad eaters and soda drinkers differ by socioeconomic status. Higher property values are associated with healthier diets, while lower values are linked to more soda consumption.
A new study by University of Washington researchers found that free-floating bike share programs in Seattle have low helmet usage, with only 20% of riders wearing helmets. The study also showed that bikes were available in all neighborhoods across economic and racial lines, but more bikes were located in affluent areas.
Researchers identified hydrogen-rich debris shed by a companion star, revealing it was likely a red giant or similar star that made its partner go supernova. This discovery sheds light on the types of companions that trigger Type Ia supernovae, which are used for cosmological studies.
The Second Chance app uses sonar to monitor breathing rate and detect opioid overdose symptoms. It has been shown to accurately identify overdoses 90% of the time and can track movement and breathing from a distance.
Researchers propose alternative methods to improve grant-funding efficiency, such as partial lotteries or merit-based awards. By reducing the emphasis on perfecting individual applications, professors can focus more time on teaching and discovery.
A study by University of Washington researchers reveals that rising single male Magellanic penguins are a result of higher juvenile female mortality and population decline. The data suggests that protecting the penguins' food supply during non-breeding seasons is crucial for conservation.
Researchers have developed a new statistical method to estimate migration flows between countries, revealing higher rates of migration and return migration. The pseudo-Bayes approach provides more accurate estimates than previous methods, with rates fluctuating between 1.1 and 1.3 percent of global population from 1990 to 2015.
Researchers have genetically modified a common houseplant to remove chloroform and benzene from the air, two hazardous compounds linked to cancer. The modified pothos ivy plants express a protein that converts these pollutants into harmless molecules, which can support plant growth.
New research finds that ocean acidification from carbon emissions can alter coho salmon's processing and response to smells, affecting their ability to detect predators and navigate. This study highlights the potential consequences of climate change on salmon populations.
Engineers at the University of Washington have developed a sensing system that can ride on top of a bumblebee, allowing for long-term data collection without power constraints. The system uses a tiny rechargeable battery and a receiver to triangulate the bee's position, enabling precise location tracking.
A new study reveals that anticipation of touch in children's brains relates to their executive function skills, including selective attention. Children's ability to anticipate a tactile impact is associated with better cognitive control and academic performance.
Researchers at the University of Washington found that delaying school start times for Seattle high schools resulted in a median increase of 34 minutes of sleep each night. This led to improved academic performance and more consistent wake-up times, with students sleeping in longer and waking up closer to their natural wake-up times.
Researchers studied the impact of social status on macaques' immune systems and found that lower-status individuals had less responsive cells to glucocorticoid hormones. The study suggests a possible mechanism underlying glucocorticoid resistance in humans, which can lead to chronic stress and related health issues.
A new study from the University of Washington and Stanford University reveals that global warming was the primary cause of the Permian mass extinction, which wiped out 80% of oxygen in the oceans. The research predicts that high-latitude species were nearly completely wiped out due to their high oxygen demands.
A team of researchers has conducted a comprehensive survey of healthy corals, revealing that coral bacteria form complex associations with different sections of the coral body. The study found that distinct microbial communities exist in each tissue type, with the hard skeleton containing the greatest diversity of bacteria.
A new study from the University of Washington shows that parents who learn to speak parentese can improve their infants' language skills. Parents in the intervention group increased their use of parentese and directed more speech to their child, resulting in babies babbling more and producing more words by 14 months.