When stars like our sun die, all that remains is an exposed core – a white dwarf. A planet orbiting a white dwarf presents a promising opportunity to determine if life can survive the death of its star, according to Cornell University researchers.
Category: Research Results
MTU and Argonne engineers improve signal processing for smaller fiber optic cables
Small circuits can go the distance. Researchers at Michigan Tech have mapped a noise-reducing magneto-optical response that occurs in fiber-optic communications, opening the door for new materials technologies.
A White Dwarf’s Surprise Planetary Companion
For the first time, an intact, giant exoplanet has been discovered orbiting close to a white dwarf star. This discovery shows that it is possible for Jupiter-sized planets to survive their star’s demise and settle into close orbits around the remaining stellar ember, near the habitable zone. This foretells one possible future for our own Solar System when the Sun ages into a white dwarf.
Building bridges: PARP enzymes bring broken DNA together
St. Jude researchers capture the structure of PARP enzymes at work, leading to a new understanding of DNA repair that may aid cancer treatments targeting the process.
Research reveals an enormous planet quickly orbiting a tiny, dying star
MADISON – Thanks to a bevy of telescopes in space and on Earth — and even a pair of amateur astronomers in Arizona — a University of Wisconsin–Madison astronomer and his colleagues have discovered a Jupiter-sized planet orbiting at breakneck speed around a distant white dwarf star.
Potential COVID-19 drug azithromycin may increase risk for cardiac events
Azithromycin — a commonly-prescribed antibiotic — also is being investigated as a potential treatment for COVID-19. Researchers have found that azithromycin by itself is not associated with an increase in cardiac events; however, if the drug is taken with certain other drugs that affect the electrical functioning of the heart, then cardiac events increased.
One in 10 older dental patients inappropriately prescribed opioids
A new study by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago and the University of Pittsburgh suggests that a significant proportion of older patients receiving opioids at dental visits also use psychotropic medications — a potentially harmful combination. Their findings are published in the journal Pharmacotherapy.
Pollution Exposure Linked to Stroke Risk in People with Common Heart Rhythm Disorder
People with atrial fibrillation who are exposed to greater levels of pollution have a higher risk of stroke than their peers who live with less pollution.
Factors Inherent to Obesity Could Increase Vulnerability to COVID-19
DALLAS – Sept. 15, 2020 – Conditions related to obesity, including inflammation and leaky gut, leave the lungs of obese patients more susceptible to COVID-19 and may explain why they are more likely to die from the disease, UTSW scientists say in a new article published online in eLife. They suggest that drugs used to lower inflammation in the lungs could prove beneficial to obese patients with the disease.
Injectable hydrogel could someday lead to more effective vaccines
Researchers reporting in ACS Central Science developed an injectable hydrogel that allows sustained release of vaccine components, increasing the potency, quality and duration of immune responses in mice.
Many Americans still ignore safety precautions for COVID-19, one-fifth will refuse a vaccine, reports study by the USC Center for the Digital Future
Six months into the most severe global pandemic in more than a century, are Americans complying with basic precautions to avoid infection and spread of the coronavirus? And will they be vaccinated when a proven treatment for COVID-19 is released? For many Americans, the answer to both questions is, “No.”
Potent Drug Supply Drop, Not U.S. Domestic Drug Policies, Likely Behind 2018’s Overdose Death Downturn
The slight decline in drug overdose deaths in 2018 coincides with Chinese regulations on the powerful opioid carfentanil, rather than the result of domestic U.S. efforts to curb the opioid epidemic, a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health analysis revealed today.
Devi mangiare! Why culture may be contributing to disordered eating among Italian-Australian women
“You have to eat!” It’s a sentiment that illustrates how central food is to Italian culture, but the woman who uttered these words also happens to be struggling with bulimia nervosa.
Tail regeneration in lungfish provides insight into evolution of limb regrowth
A new study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B from researchers at the University of Chicago and Universidade Federal do Pará explores regenerative ability in the tails of West African lungfish for the first time, and finds that the process shares many of the same traits as tail regeneration in salamanders. Their results indicate that this trait was likely found in a common ancestor – and provide a new opportunity for better understanding and harnessing the mechanisms of limb regrowth.
TV Ads for Psoriasis and Eczema Medications Portray Few People of Color
Commercials from pharmaceutical companies advertising medication to treat psoriasis and eczema lack people from racial and ethnic minorities, according to research from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Black heart failure patients have worse prognosis even after reaching treatment targets
A new study published in Circulation by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers showed that Black heart failure patients have worse prognoses even after achieving biomarker-based treatment goals.
Study suggests financial holdings influenced key votes for house lawmakers
A recent study found strong associations between the financial holdings of legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives and how those lawmakers voted on key financial legislation.
Teacher stress linked with higher risk of student suspensions
Just how stressed are teachers? A recent Gallup poll found teachers are tied with nurses for the most stressful occupation in America today.
Sharp attention explains why the early bird gets the worm
Many of the characteristics related to auditory attention in birds match those of humans, according to a study from the University at Buffalo.
The findings published in the journal PLOS ONE provide novel insights into evolutionary survival mechanisms, and are the first to behaviorally measure the cognitive process responsible for a non-human animal’s ability to segregate and respond to meaningful targets heard in simultaneous sound streams.
Henry Ford Study Finds Concussions Are a Risk for Young Athletes In All Sports – Not Just Football
DETROIT – A recent study from the Henry Ford Sports Medicine Research team suggests that high school athletes competing, not only in football, but in soccer, hockey, basketball, swimming, cheerleading and other sports are not only at risk for concussions, but may need a longer recovery than first thought. The study’s results published by Orthopedics, a nationally recognized, peer-reviewed journal for orthopedic surgeons found that the most common sports for brain injuries were indeed football, hockey and soccer.
1 in 10 COVID Patients Return to Hospital After Being Sent Home from ER
Penn study finds patients with low pulse oximetry readings or fever were more than three times as likely to require hospitalization after their initial discharge as compared to other COVID patients
An effective way to increase capacity for mental health
Researchers at UW Medicine found that primary-care physicians and rural clinic staff felt more skilled in delivering mental health care if they used a model known as collaborative care.
In the model, primary-care physicians retain primary responsibility to treat behavioral health disorders with the support of two team members: a care manager (e.g., social workers, therapists, nurses) and a consulting psychiatrist. Consulting psychiatrists provide recommendations on patient care through weekly caseload reviews conducted online.
Telehealth supports collaborative mental health care in the needs of rural patients
Traditionally, primary care clinics connect patients who have mental health care needs to specialists like psychiatrists in a collaborative care model.
Dermatologists warn consumers about the dangers of buying cosmetic injectables — such as fillers — online
A new article published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology reveals just how common these illicit products are on popular e-commerce sites, increasing the public’s risk for severe and potentially long-term complications, including blindness, disfiguration, and stroke.
New dopamine sensors could help unlock the mysteries of brain chemistry
In 2018, Tian Lab at UC Davis Health developed dLight1, a single fluorescent protein-based biosensor. This sensor allows high resolution, real-time imaging of the spatial and temporal release of dopamine in live animals. Now, the team expanded the color spectrum of dLight1 to YdLight1 and RdLight1. The increased light penetration and imaging depth of these variants provide enhanced dopamine signal quality allowing researchers to optically dissect dopamine’s release and model its effects on neural circuits.
Study finds new #MDsToo curriculum sensitizes faculty members and residents to mistreatment
In a new University of California, Irvine-led study, the #MDsToo curriculum, recently introduced by UCI’s School of Medicine, was successful in helping medical students recognize mistreatment that may have occurred during medical training, a problem that is pervasive nationwide.
Mayo scientists develop mathematical index to distinguish healthy microbiome from diseased
What causes some people to develop chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and metabolic syndrome while others stay healthy? A major clue could be found in their gut microbiome — the trillions of microbes living inside the digestive system that regulate various bodily functions.
A New Approach to Understanding the Biology of Wound Healing
Researchers use discarded wound dressings as a novel and non-invasive way to study the mechanisms that promote healing.
With Digital Phenotyping, Smartphones May Play a Role in Assessing Severe Mental Illness
Digital phenotyping approaches that collect and analyze Smartphone-user data on locations, activities, and even feelings – combined with machine learning to recognize patterns and make predictions from the data – have emerged as promising tools for monitoring patients with psychosis spectrum illnesses, according to a report in the September/October issue of Harvard Review of Psychiatry. The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.
CU Researchers Come Together to Better Understand Ovarian Cancer Tumors and Treatment Outcomes
After nearly four years of work, a group of researchers and clinicians from the University of Colorado (CU) published a paper this week in the Clinical Cancer Research that shares findings from research looking at how the composition of ovarian cancer tumors changes during chemotherapy and contributes to therapeutic response.
Pet laser pointers have enough power to “blast away” cells in the back of the eye
Laser pointers used to exercise pets may seem like safe and simple low-powered devices, but an Ohio teen learned the hard way that staring at the narrow beam can cause permanent eye damage.
Many women suffering from severe migraine might avoid pregnancy, but should they?
A survey of 607 women who suffer from severe migraine found twenty percent of the respondents are currently avoiding pregnancy because of their migraines.
Study: Decreasing Wildfires Observed Over Central Africa
A new observational study has revealed a decreasing burned area trend that could impact African ecosystems.
Study shows difficulty in finding evidence of life on Mars
While scientists are eager to study the red planet’s soils for signs of life, researchers must ponder a considerable new challenge: Acidic fluids – which once flowed on the Martian surface – may have destroyed biological evidence hidden within Mars’ iron-rich clays, according to researchers at Cornell University and at Spain’s Centro de Astrobiología.
Abandoned Buildings, Fear of Calling Police Contribute to High Rate of Fatal Overdoses in Philadelphia, New Study Shows
Abandoned Buildings, Fear of Calling Police Contribute to High Rate of Fatal Overdoses in Philadelphia, New Study Shows
From Star to Solar System: How Protoplanetary Rings Form in Primordial Gas Clouds
The star HL Tauri, 450 light-years from Earth, is glowing at the center of a system of concentric rings made from gas and dust and producing planets, one for each gap in the ring. Its discovery has shaken solar system origin theories to their core. Mayer Humi, a scientist from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, believes it provides an apt study target for theories about protoplanetary rings around stars. The research is published in the Journal of Mathematical Physics.
Energy Harvesting Goes Organic, Gets More Flexible
The race is on to create natural biocompatible piezoelectric materials for energy harvesting, electronic sensing, and stimulating nerves. Researchers decided to explore peptide-based nanotubes, and in the Journal of Applied Physics, they report using a combination of ultraviolet and ozone exposure to generate a wettability difference and an applied field to create horizontally aligned polarization of nanotubes on flexible substrates with interlocking electrodes. The group’s work will enable the use of organic materials more widely.
Fish, Seaweed Inspire Slippery Surfaces for Ships
Fish and seaweed secrete a layer of mucus to create a slippery surface, reducing their friction as they travel through water. A potential way to mimic this is by creating lubricant-infused surfaces covered with cavities. As the cavities are continuously filled with the lubricant, a layer is formed over the surface. In the journal Physics of Fluids, researchers in South Korea conducted simulations of this process to help explain the effects.
Progress Toward Antiviral Treatments for COVID-19
COVID-19 is caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, which is structurally similar to the viruses that cause SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. In The Journal of Chemical Physics, scientists report molecular-level investigations of these viruses, providing a possible pathway to antiviral drugs to fight the diseases. They looked at a viral protein that plays a role in the virus’s ability to replicate and in defeating the host’s immune system, making it an attractive target for potential drug treatments.
Governments must ‘change the way the economy works’ after Covid-19 pandemic, says OECD-commissioned report
Leading economists call on governments to go ‘beyond growth’ and radically reorient economic policy
Ocean Algae Get “Coup de Grace” from Viruses
Scientists have long believed that ocean viruses always quickly kill algae, but Rutgers-led research shows they live in harmony with algae and viruses provide a “coup de grace” only when blooms of algae are already stressed and dying. The study, published in the journal Nature Communications, will likely change how scientists view viral infections of algae, also known as phytoplankton – especially the impact of viruses on ecosystem processes like algal bloom formation (and decline) and the cycling of carbon and other chemicals on Earth.
Study Suggests Financial Holdings Influenced Key Votes For House Lawmakers
A recent study found strong associations between the financial holdings of legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives and how those lawmakers voted on key financial legislation.
The Long Road to Post-Pandemic Recovery
Following the 6-month economic lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, New Jersey is unlikely to experience a job resurgence anytime soon, according to the August 2020 Rutgers Economic Advisory Service (R/ECON) forecast.
Scientists uncover a novel approach to treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome have shown that pharmacological (drug) correction of the content of extracellular vesicles released within dystrophic muscles can restore their ability to regenerate muscle and prevent muscle scarring. The study, published in EMBO Reports, reveals a promising new therapeutic approach for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), an incurable muscle-wasting condition.
Predicting Poor Pain Control Following Elective Spine Surgery
Researchers at the University of Calgary have developed and validated a clinical prediction scale that can be used to determine which patients are more likely to experience inadequate pain control following elective spine surgery.
E-Beam Atomic-scale 3-D “Sculpting” Could Enable New Quantum Nanodevices
By varying the energy and dose of tightly-focused electron beams, researchers have demonstrated the ability to both etch away and deposit high-resolution nanoscale patterns on two-dimensional layers of graphene oxide. The 3D additive/subtractive “sculpting” can be done without changing the chemistry of the electron beam deposition chamber, providing the foundation for building a new generation of nanoscale structures.
Older people with early, asymptomatic Alzheimer’s at risk of falls
Older people without cognitive problems who experience a fall may have undetected neurodegeneration in their brains that puts them at high risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia, according to a study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Florida State-led team offers new rules for algae species classification
A team of evolutionary biologists and ecologists, led by a Florida State University researcher, has a new idea for how scientists should classify algae species.
Hints of life on Venus
n international team of astronomers, led by Professor Jane Greaves of Cardiff University, today announced the discovery of a rare molecule – phosphine – in the clouds of Venus. On Earth, this gas is only made industrially, or by microbes that thrive in oxygen-free environments.
Silent Spread
In July, after weeks of steady but relatively slow increases in COVID-19 infection rates in Santa Barbara County, the number of cases per day began a steep climb, setting records with alarming frequency.