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How Sacred Ibis mummies provided the first test of evolution

The discovery of mummified Sacred Ibises in France after Napoleon's conquest of Egypt played a significant role in delaying the acceptance of evolutionary theory. The debate between Georges Cuvier and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck over these birds' classification highlighted the influence of charismatic personalities on scientific thought.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateSep 27, 2018

Gaia detects a shake in the Milky Way

The Gaia satellite has detected substructures in the Milky Way's star disk, indicating a 300-million-year-old gravitational disturbance caused by the Sagittarius Dwarf galaxy. Researchers used precise data to analyze shapes and twisting patterns, leading to new findings on galactic archaeology

SourceUniversity of Barcelona·JournalNature·DateSep 19, 2018

Why some human genes are more popular with researchers than others

A recent study reveals that historical bias in research funding mechanisms and social forces reinforce the focus on established genes, leading to an under-studied 80% of all human genes. The researchers discovered that poorly characterized genes have a 50% lower chance of becoming independent researchers.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateSep 18, 2018

What's your data privacy style?

Researchers aim to understand how individuals protect their personal data in the digital age. The new study will develop survey instruments and conduct qualitative fieldwork to identify different strategies for navigating algorithmic privacy. It also plans to create experimental prototype tools to explore the design space around algori...

Clinical need absent, unclear in nearly 30 percent of outpatient opioid prescriptions

A national analysis of physician visit records found that nearly 30 percent of outpatient opioid prescriptions lack clear documentation of the reason for use. This raises concerns about inappropriate prescribing and lax documentation practices. The study highlights the need for stricter requirements on documenting the need for opioids.

SourceHarvard Medical School·JournalAnnals of Internal Medicine·DateSep 10, 2018

Robat uses sound to navigate and map a novel environment

A fully autonomous robot, Robat, utilizes a bat-like approach by emitting sound and analyzing echoes to create a detailed map of its surroundings. It successfully navigates through a new outdoor environment and classifies objects using an artificial neural network.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Computational Biology·DateSep 6, 2018

Pay of NHS doctors varies by ethnic group

A study by The BMJ reveals a small but significant pay gap between white and black minority ethnic (BME) hospital doctors in England. For consultant grades, the gap is larger, with white consultants earning an extra £4,644 per year compared to BME consultants. Further investigation into the reasons behind these differences is warranted.

SourceBMJ Group·JournalThe BMJ·DateSep 5, 2018

Lymph node structural cells rein in human immune responses

Researchers identified four mechanisms by which Fibroblastic Reticular Cells dampen down T cell responses, including pathways involving prostaglandin E2 and transforming growth factor beta. The study's findings have significant implications for understanding immune responses in situations where T cells don't work as well as they should.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateSep 5, 2018

No evidence that moral reminders reduce cheating behavior, replication effort concludes

A replication effort of a 2008 study found no evidence that making a list of the Ten Commandments reduces cheating behavior. The original study suggested that people are less likely to cheat after thinking about moral reminders, but the new findings contradict this result. Despite using large sample sizes and following the same protoco...

SourceAssociation for Psychological Science·JournalAdvances in Methods and Practices in Psychological Science·DateSep 4, 2018

Dementia symptoms peak in winter and spring, study finds

Adults with and without Alzheimer's disease show better cognition skills in late summer and early fall than in winter and spring, equivalent to a 4.8-year difference in age-related decline. The odds of mild cognitive impairment or dementia were also higher in winter and spring.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·DateSep 4, 2018

Pushing big data to rapidly advance patient care

The article highlights the need for harnessing technology to analyze healthcare data and generate new evidence, which can be combined with published reviews to improve health outcomes. Michigan Medicine's Knowledge Grid platform is taking the lead in transforming biomedical knowledge into computable forms that can inform medical practice.

SourceMichigan Medicine - University of Michigan·JournalJournal of General Internal Medicine·DateAug 30, 2018

Smartphones may be used to better predict the weather

Researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a system to harness data from smartphones to forecast weather patterns, particularly those that lead to flash floods. The smartphone sensors can monitor various atmospheric conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and light levels, providing valuable data for accurate forecasts.

SourceAmerican Friends of Tel Aviv University·JournalJournal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics·DateAug 23, 2018

Living close to urban green spaces is associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer

A new study from Barcelona Institute for Global Health found that women living closer to urban green spaces had a lower risk of breast cancer. The study, which analysed data from over 3,600 women in Spain, concluded that proximity to parks or gardens was associated with reduced breast cancer risk.

SourceBarcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)·JournalInternational Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health·DateAug 21, 2018

Precipitation and fire activity in the US west

A recent study found that summer precipitation declines contribute to increased wildfire activity in the western United States, particularly on wetting rain days. The research suggests that precipitation may drive wildfire activity through its effect on air moisture, with decreased rainfall forecasted to exacerbate future wildfires.

SourceProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateAug 20, 2018

Password managers vulnerable to insider hacking

Researchers from Aalto University and the University of Helsinki discovered over ten computer security-critical applications, including password managers, are susceptible to insider attacks. These vulnerabilities arise from inadequate protection of internal communication channels, allowing malicious processes to access sensitive data.

Why the system needs sleep

A systems genetics study in mice identified molecular signaling pathways that predict resilience or susceptibility to sleep loss. The analysis revealed that fatty acid metabolism influences brain activity and phenotypes, challenging the brain-centric view of sleep regulation.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateAug 9, 2018

How people view crime depends on the politics of when they were growing up

A recent study published in the British Journal of Criminology reveals that people's perceptions of crime are heavily influenced by the political climate of their youth. Researchers analyzed data from the British Crime Survey and found a strong correlation between respondents' current fears about crime and the political generation they...

SourceOxford University Press USA·JournalThe British Journal of Criminology·DateAug 7, 2018

Father's genes can impact motherly love

Research in genetically altered mice reveals that paternal genes can affect the type of care a mother provides to her offspring both before and after birth. This study suggests that a father's genes can impact maternal behavior, potentially affecting the wellbeing of the new baby and their lifelong mental health.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateJul 31, 2018

Medical errors in the emergency room: Understanding why

A study published in De Gruyter's Journal Diagnosis found that doctors in emergency departments with trainees make similar types of errors as admitted patients, primarily due to information processing issues. Patients with abdominal complaints are particularly vulnerable to these errors.

SourceDe Gruyter·JournalDiagnosis·DateJul 27, 2018

High glucose spikes are common in 'healthy' people

Continuous glucose monitoring in healthy participants showed that large fluctuations in blood glucose occur more commonly than expected. Researchers identified three distinct glucose behaviors: low, moderate, and severe, with certain foods causing significant spikes. The study aims to provide actionable advice to shift individuals towa...

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Biology·DateJul 24, 2018

Study explores risk factors linked to chikungunya and dengue outbreaks

A large-scale study of chikungunya and dengue outbreaks over 50 years revealed that population density and neighboring outbreak countries are key risk factors for new outbreaks. The research suggests focusing resources on densely populated areas near existing outbreaks to mitigate the spread of these mosquito-borne diseases.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalSpatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology·DateJul 24, 2018