We laugh when we see Homer Simpson falling asleep while driving, while in church, and while even operating the nuclear reactor.
Category: Research Results
Neither ‘meniscal’ nor ‘mechanical’ symptoms predict findings on knee arthroscopy
Orthopaedic surgeons have traditionally been taught that certain types of knee symptoms indicate damage to specialized structures called the menisci. But these “meniscal” and “mechanical” symptoms do not reflect what surgeons will find at knee arthroscopy, reports a study in The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio in partnership with Wolters Kluwer.
Study shows sharp decline in cancer screenings and diagnoses during the first COVID-19 surge
In one of the first studies to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer diagnoses, researchers at Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center document a substantial decline in cancer and precancer diagnoses at the Northeast’s largest health care system during the first peak of the pandemic because of a drop in the number of cancer screening tests performed.
Cardiac Rehabilitation is Underused Across the Country. One Simple Change Could Fix That.
Making doctors opt out from prescribing cardiac rehabilitation instead of opting in increased referrals by roughly 70 percent
Scientists Take Important Step Toward Using Retinal Cell Transplants to Treat Blindness
Retinal cells derived from a cadaver human eye survived when transplanted into the eyes of primate models, an important advance in the development of cell therapy to treat blindness, according to a study published on January 14 in Stem Cell Reports.
New method makes better predictions of material properties using low quality data
By combining large amounts of low-fidelity data with smaller quantities of high-fidelity data, nanoengineers at UC San Diego have developed a machine learning method to more accurately predict the properties of new materials including, for the first time, disordered materials.
The Richer You are, The More Likely You’ll Social Distance, Study Finds
The higher a person’s income, the more likely they were to protect themselves at the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States, Johns Hopkins University economists find.
When it comes to adopting behaviors including social distancing and mask wearing, the team detected a striking link to their financial well-being. People who made around $230,000 a year were as much as 54% more likely to increase these types of self-protective behaviors compared to people making about $13,000.
Scientists discover the secret of Galápagos’ rich ecosystem
New research has unlocked the mystery of how the Galápagos Islands, a rocky, volcanic outcrop, with only modest rainfall and vegetation, is able to sustain its unique wildlife habitats.
New Classification Marks Paradigm Shift in how Conservationists Tackle Climate Change
A new study introduces a classification called Resistance-Resilience-Transformation (RRT) that enables the assessment of whether and to what extent a management shift toward transformative action is occurring in conservation.
Behaviors Surrounding Oral Sex May Increase HPV-Related Cancer Risk
A wide breadth of behaviors surrounding oral sex may affect the risk of oral HPV infection and of a virus-associated head and neck cancer that can be spread through this route, a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center suggests. These findings add nuance to the connection between oral sex and oropharyngeal cancer — tumors that occur in the mouth and throat — and could help inform research and public health efforts aimed at preventing this disease.
Researchers link cellular transport pathway to aggressive brain cancer
Researchers at McGill University have identified a new cellular pathway that limits the growth and spread of brain tumors by controlling the recycling of cell surface receptor proteins. The study, which will be published January 14 in the Journal of Cell Biology (JCB), suggests that the pathway, which involves a protein called Rab35, is defective in many patients with glioblastoma and that restoring Rab35’s activity could be a new therapeutic strategy for this deadly form of brain cancer.
Restricting Malt Liquor Sales is Linked to Reductions in Neighborhood Crime
Restricting the sale of malt liquor beer can help reduce crime in some communities, according to a new study. Malt liquor beer — high in alcohol content, low cost, and widely sold in liquor stores and convenience stores — is linked to heavy drinking, public inebriation, disorderly conduct, drug activity and other crimes. Consequently, since the 1990s, some cities have restricted its sale. In Washington state, certain urban neighborhoods were designated Alcohol Impact Areas and targeted with policies including restrictions on sales of malt liquor and similar products. Unpublished evaluations of these interventions have suggested positive social and health effects, but the research on crime impacts has been limited, with mixed findings. The study in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research found that malt liquor sales restrictions are associated with declining urban crime.
People Feeling Angry Are Willing to Purchase Alcohol at Higher Prices But May Not Know It
People who’ve been provoked to anger are willing to purchase alcohol at higher prices, but may not be aware of their increased urge to drink, according to a new study. Anger, hostility, and aggression are known to relate to drinking, with anger a risk factor for heavy alcohol use. Building on previous studies that have deliberately manipulated emotional states to explore their effects on substance use, researchers at Wayne State University, Michigan, designed an experiment that could help clarify whether anger can motivate people to drink . For the study in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, the investigators sought to induce anger in participants and measure the effect of that anger on the desire to drink. They used two measures of drinking urges: self-reported alcohol craving and a behavioral task that assesses people’s motivation to drink.
Males of all ages more affected by COVID-19 than females, study finds
Males are more likely to test positive for COVID-19, more likely to have complications and more likely to die from the virus than females, independent of age, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Farhaan Vahidy of Houston Methodist Research Institute, US, and colleagues.
Moffitt Researchers Discover Biochemical Pathway That Protects Cells from Ferroptosis Cell Death
In an article published in Cell Metabolism, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers report on a newly discovered biochemical pathway that protects cells from a type of cell death called ferroptosis.
Sexual harassment claims by less feminine women perceived as less credible
Women who do not fit female stereotypes are less likely to be seen as victims of sexual harassment, and if they claim they were harassed, they are less likely to be believed, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Sexual harassment claims considered more credible if made by ‘prototypical’ women, study finds
A new UW study reveals people’s perceptions that sexual harassment primarily affects young, feminine and conventionally attractive women. Women who fall outside that prototype not only are perceived as unharmed by harassment, but also have a harder time convincing others that they have been harassed.
Greenland Melting Likely Increased by Bacteria in Sediment
Bacteria are likely triggering greater melting on the Greenland ice sheet, possibly increasing the island’s contribution to sea-level rise, according to Rutgers scientists. That’s because the microbes cause sunlight-absorbing sediment to clump together and accumulate in the meltwater streams, according to a Rutgers-led study – the first of its kind – in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The findings can be incorporated in climate models, leading to more accurate predictions of melting, scientists say.
Spectacular fossil discovery: 150 million-year-old shark was one of the largest of its time
In a new study, an international research team led by Sebastian Stumpf from the University of Vienna describes an exceptionally well-preserved skeleton of the ancient shark Asteracanthus. This extremely rare fossil find comes from the famous Solnhofen limestones in Bavaria, which was formed in a tropical-subtropical lagoon landscape during the Late Jurassic, about 150 million years ago.
New way to control electrical charge in 2D materials: Put a flake on it
Physicists at Washington University in St. Louis have discovered how to locally add electrical charge to an atomically thin graphene device by layering flakes of another thin material, alpha-RuCl3, on top of it. A paper published with scientists at Boston College describes the charge transfer process in detail. Gaining control of the flow of electrical current through atomically thin materials is important to potential future applications in photovoltaics or computing.
NUS scientists find new mechanism of cancer formation
A team of scientists at the National University of Singapore (NUS), led by Dr Polly Leilei Chen from the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at NUS, has discovered a previously unknown mechanism of cancer formation, the understanding of which may lead to more effective treatment. They discover that doing nothing to the DNA code of the COPA gene can promote cancer.
Low cost chlorine dispensing device improves tap water safety in low-resource regions
Engineers have developed an inexpensive chlorine dispensing device that improves the safety of drinking water in remote and low resource regions at the point of collection. It requires no electricity and very little maintenance, and provides a quick and easy way to eliminate water borne pathogens.
Climate Change is Hurting Children’s Diets, Global Study Finds
A first-of-its-kind, international study of 107,000 children finds that higher temperatures are an equal or even greater contributor to child malnutrition than the traditional culprits of poverty, inadequate sanitation, and poor education.
The 19-nation study is the largest investigation to date of the relationship between our changing climate and children’s diet diversity.
Of the six regions examined–in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America–five had significant reductions in diet diversity associated with higher temperatures.
New Combination Drug Therapy Offers Hope Against Methamphetamine Addiction
DALLAS – Jan. 13, 2021 – A new treatment that combines two existing medications may provide long-sought relief for many battling debilitating methamphetamine use disorder, according to a study to be published tomorrow in The New England Journal of Medicine.
A Climate in Crisis Calls for Investment in Direct Air Capture, News Research Finds
New research from the University of California San Diego explores one possible mode of response to a climate in crisis: a massively funded program to deploy direct air capture (DAC) systems that remove CO2 directly from the ambient air and sequester it safely underground.
Plant Reproduction Finding by University of Kentucky Scientists Could Lead to More Reliable Crop Production
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 5, 2021) —Understanding the mechanisms behind successful plant reproduction can lead to more reliable crop production and higher yields. In a recent study, an international group of scientists led by researchers from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture,…
Memory May Be Preserved in Condition with Brain Changes Similar to Alzheimer’s Disease
Primary progressive aphasia is a rare neurodegenerative condition characterized by prominent language problems that worsen over time. About 40% of people with the condition have underlying Alzheimer’s disease. But a new study has found that people with the condition may not develop the memory problems associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The study is published in the January 13, 2021, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
KU studies show breakfast can improve basketball shooting performance
Parents around the world have long told us that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Soon, basketball coaches may join them.
New study suggests that college campuses are COVID-19 superspreaders
College campuses are at risk of becoming COVID-19 superspreaders for their entire county, according to a new vast study which shows the striking danger of the first two weeks of school in particular.
Families’ remote learning experience during lockdown more positive than widely believed
The remote learning experience of parents who had their children at home in Spring 2020, as schools across the US closed during the United States’ COVID-19 lockdown, was more positive than widely believed.
Research: EU Model Overestimates Environmental Exposure of Key Surfactant
A European Union model used to predict the environmental exposure of a major detergent ingredient is overly conservative and “significantly overestimates” effluent concentrations, new research shows. A study co-authored by the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), “Comparing the European Union System for the Evaluation of Substances (EUSES) environmental exposure calculations with monitoring data for alkyl sulphate surfactants,” is now available in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe.
High insulin levels during childhood a risk for mental health problems in adulthood, study suggests
Researchers have shown that the link between physical and mental illness is closer than previously thought. Certain changes in physical health, which are detectable in childhood, are linked with the development of mental illness in adulthood.
Can menopause be blamed for increased forgetfulness and lack of attention?
If you’re a bit more forgetful or having more difficulty processing complex concepts than in the past, the problem may be your menopause stage.
Could we harness energy from black holes?
A remarkable prediction of Einstein’s theory of general relativity–the theory that connects space, time, and gravity–is that rotating black holes have enormous amounts of energy available to be tapped.
2021 Economic Report to the Governor shows sudden halt to historic economic expansion
The Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute this week presented the 33rd Economic Report to the Governor to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox at the 2021 Economic Outlook & Public Policy Summit, hosted by the Salt Lake Chamber. The report has been the preeminent source for data and commentary on Utah’s economy for over 30 years, with the latest edition highlighting the sudden halt to the states’ decade-long economic expansion with the emergence of COVID-19.
Is it Safe to Perform CPR During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
A new study analyzes the potential transmission risk of airborne respiratory pathogens during bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR.
Adults with Cerebral Palsy Need Better Access to Health Care
Once viewed as a pediatric condition, patients with cerebral palsy are aging, but the health care system is not prepared to offer them the care they need.
New Insights Into the Control of Inflammation
Wistar scientists discovered that EGR1 inhibits expression of pro-inflammatory genes in macrophages. The discovery expands the understanding of how macrophages are set off and deactivated in the inflammatory process, which is critical in many normal and pathological conditions.
A niche for the eye
What if the degenerative eye conditions that lead to glaucoma, corneal dystrophy, and cataracts could be detected and treated before vision is impaired? Recent findings from the lab of Investigator Ting Xie, PhD, at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research point to the ciliary body as a key to unlocking this possibility.
COVID-19 vaccine creates incentive to improve our health
While we wait for our turn to get vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, we could – and probably should – use the time to make sure we bring our healthiest emotional and physical selves to the treatment, a new review of previous research suggests.
Depression and Stress Could Dampen Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines
Health behaviors and emotional stressors can alter the body’s ability to develop an immune response to vaccines, including—potentially—the new COVID-19 vaccines. Simple interventions, including exercising and getting a good night’s sleep in the 24 hours before vaccination, may maximize the vaccine’s initial effectiveness.
CHOP and Penn Researchers Identify Nanoparticles that Could Be Used in Therapeutic mRNA Delivery before Birth
Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania have identified ionizable lipid nanoparticles that could be used to deliver mRNA as part of fetal therapy. The proof-of-concept study, published today in Science Advances, engineered and screened a number of lipid nanoparticle formulations for targeting mouse fetal organs and has laid the groundwork for testing potential therapies to treat genetic diseases before birth.
Earth to reach temperature tipping point in next 20 to 30 years, new NAU study finds
Postdoctoral scholar Katharyn Duffy led an international team that looked at 20 years of data from throughout the world and found that record-breaking temperates are contributing to a significant decrease in plants’ ability to absorb human-caused carbon emissions.
Pivotal discovery in quantum and classical information processing
Researchers have achieved, for the first time, electronically adjustable interactions between microwaves and a phenomenon in certain magnetic materials called spin waves. This could have application in quantum and classical information processing.
Vaping Disrupts Blood, Air Flow Matching in Asymptomatic Users
There is more evidence that vaping causes abnormal lung function in young, otherwise healthy people.
Study: Many Summer Camps Don’t Require Childhood Immunizations
Nearly half of summer camps surveyed by researchers didn’t have official policies requiring campers be vaccinated, according to findings led by Michigan Medicine C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in JAMA Pediatrics.
Of 378 camps represented, just 174 reportedly had immunization policies for campers and 133 (39%) mandated staffers be vaccinated.
UAH scientists are part of first discovery of giant neutron star flare outside Milky Way
The first-time discovery of a giant flare from a neutron star that’s outside Earth’s galactic neighborhood is the subject of a new research paper in the journal Nature that has four co-authors from The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System.
New studies support blood test for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease
In three recent publications in Molecular Psychiatry, Brain and JAMA Neurology researchers from the University of Gothenburg provide convincing evidence that an in-house developed blood test for Alzheimer’s disease can detect the disease early and track its course, which has major implications for a potential use in clinical practice and treatment trials.
Northern lakes at risk of losing ice cover permanently, impacting drinking water
Close to 5,700 lakes in the Northern Hemisphere may permanently lose ice cover this century, 179 of them in the next decade, at current greenhouse gas emissions, despite a possible polar vortex this year, researchers at York University have found.
Researcher Developing Scoring System to Redefine How U.S. Patients are Prioritized for Liver Transplant
Researchers with Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine are collaborating with faculty at the University of Pennsylvania to develop a risk score that more comprehensively prioritizes liver cancer patients for transplantation.