302 articles from MONDAY 1.2.2021
Study links intensive BP lowering to reduced CV risk in patients exposed to air pollution
In the study 'The Benefits of Intensive Versus Standard Blood Pressure Treatment According to Fine Particulate Matter Air Pollution Exposure' published this week in the journal Hypertension, researchers at University Hospitals (UH) and Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine found intensive BP lowering is effective in reducing cardiovascular risk in patients exposed to high...
Subset of COVID-19 patients have increased bleeding risk
A new potential biomarker raises concerns over the current standard for treating COVID-19 induced blood clots with high dose blood thinners.
Summer weather conditions influence winter survival of honey bees
Winter survival of honey bee colonies is strongly influenced by summer temperatures and precipitation in the prior year, according to Penn State researchers, who said their findings suggest that honey bees have a 'goldilocks' preferred range of summer conditions outside of which their probability of surviving the winter falls.
Supersaturation: The barrier between protein folding and misfolding
It's commonly accepted that protein folding/misfolding are alternative reactions of unfolded proteins but the principles governing this remain unknown. Here, researchers from Osaka University describe a general concept that links protein folding and misfolding: protein folding and amyloid formation are separated by the supersaturation barrier of a denatured protein. Breakdown of this...
Synthetic biology reinvents development
The research team have used synthetic biology to develop a new type of genetic design that can reproduce some of the key processes that enable creating structures in natural systems, from termite nests to the development of embryos.
Tesla's advantage: EVs cannot succeed without developing parallel supercharging networks
What has Tesla done right and where have other electric vehicle makers gone wrong?
The first steps toward a quantum brain
An intelligent material that learns by physically changing itself, similar to how the human brain works, could be the foundation of a completely new generation of computers. Radboud physicists working toward this so-called 'quantum brain' have made an important step. They have demonstrated that they can pattern and interconnect a network of single atoms, and mimic the autonomous behaviour of...
Toxin-antitoxin function fuels antibiotic-resistance research
Toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are now known to negatively control plasmid replication, according to Thomas Wood, Biotechnology Endowed Chair and professor of chemical engineering in the Penn State College of Engineering.
Traffic noise makes mating crickets less picky
New research has found that the mating behaviour of crickets is significantly affected by traffic noise and other man-made sounds. When man-made noise pollution was present, the females didn't take into account the courtship song of the male crickets during mating. As the courtship song is energetically costly and provides crucial information about the health of the male, this could affect...
Troubles paying rent or being forced to move linked to lower levels of sleep
The first study to analyze the relationship between housing insecurity and sleep outcomes after controlling for sleep duration and sleep quality measured prior to experiences with housing insecurity finds that people who have trouble paying rent sleep less than their peers who don't have such troubles.
Tsunamis and tsunami warning: recent progress and future prospects
There have been frequent tsunamis since the 21st century, drawing the attention of many countries on the study of tsunami mechanism and warning. Tsunami records also play an essential role in deriving earthquake rupture models in subduction zones. A recent paper reviews the recent progress and limitations of tsunami research, from the aspects of tsunami generation, propagation, inversion and...
UK life expectancy declining after financial crisis
Life expectancy in the UK and elsewhere slowed even before 2016 - and COVID-19 is expected to further eliminate any gains.
UMass Amherst researchers discover materials capable of self-propulsion
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have discovered how to make materials that snap and reset themselves, only relying upon energy flow from their environment. The discovery may prove useful for various industries that want to source movement sustainably, from toys to robotics, and is expected to further inform our understanding of how the natural world fuels some types of...
Unmatched dust storms raged over Western Europe during Ice age maximum
Huge dust storms swirled across the bare and frozen landscapes of Europe during the coldest periods of the latest ice age. The tempests, which we seldom see the equal of today, frequently covered Western Europe in the thickest layers of ice-age dust studied anywhere on Earth.
Ural Federal University scientists discover ways to increase oil production efficiency
The study of the researchers of Ural Federal University Department of Technical Physics can make the oil production more efficient and anticipate consequences of environmental emergencies
Use of pronouns may show signs of an impending breakup
Evidence of an impending breakup may exist in the small words used in everyday conversations months before either partner realizes where their relationship is heading, according to new psychology research.
Virtual conference CO2 emissions quantified in new study
The virtual conferencing that has replaced large, in-person gatherings in the age of COVID-19 represents a drastic reduction in carbon emissions, but those online meetings still come with their own environmental costs, new research from the University of Michigan shows.
Wearable sensor monitors health, administers drugs using saliva and tears
A new kind of wearable health device would deliver real-time medical data to those with eye or mouth diseases, according to Huanyu 'Larry' Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in the Penn State Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM).
What makes people want more self-control?
A new study shows that people differ greatly in their desire to increase their self-control, and that merely having low self-control is not sufficient to induce a strong desire for better self-control. Desire for better self-control shows most potently after people acknowledge the relevance of self-control for their present needs. As such, the findings explain why so many self-control...
When rhinos fly: Upside down the right way for transport
When it comes to saving endangered species of a certain size, conservationists often have to think outside the box.
Why do psychiatric drugs help some, but not others? Study offers clues
New University of Colorado Boulder research shows that a key protein in the brain called AKT may function differently in males than females. The study also offers a closer look at where, precisely, in the brain things may go wrong with it, marking an important step toward more targeted and less harmful therapies.
Why it is harder for Brazilians of African descent to find bone marrow donors
According to a study published in Frontiers in Immunology, the reason is their genetic heterogeneity and lack of proportional representation in the Brazilian bone marrow bank.
Wonder fungi
Michelle O'Malley(link is external) has long been inspired by gut microbes. Since she began studying the herbivore digestive tract, the UC Santa Barbara chemical engineering professor has guided several students to their doctoral degrees, won early and mid-career awards (including a recognition from President Obama), attained tenure and advanced to the position of full professor. She even had...
Your toothbrush reflects you, not your toilet
After studying microbial communities living on bristles from used toothbrushes, Northwestern University researchers found those communities matched microbes commonly found inside the mouth and on skin.
Youth with autism see sharp decline in physical activity between ages 9-13
A recent study from Oregon State University has found that to best help kids with autism maintain healthy rates of physical activity, interventions should be targeted during the ages of 9 to 13, as that's when kids show the biggest drop in active time.