Eurekalert
The premier online source for science news since 1996. A service of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Updated: 3 years 3 months ago
New USask research will make bean crops hardier, help improve global food security
Tepary beans--a high protein legume common to the southwest United States and Mexico--may hold the key to adapting bean crops for the increasingly harsh conditions brought on by a changing climate, according to research led by University of Saskatchewan (USask) and Michigan State University.
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COVID-19 wastewater testing proves effective in new study
The research offers some of the first clear guidance on the most effective methods to perform testing to detect COVID-19 in wastewater.
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A scientist from HSE University has developed an image recognition algorithm
A scientist from HSE University has developed an image recognition algorithm that works 40% faster than analogues. It can speed up real-time processing of video-based image recognition systems. The results of the study have been published in the journal Information Sciences.
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New ancient shark discovered
In a new study, an international team led by Sebastian Stumpf from the University of Vienna describes a fossil skeleton of an ancient shark, which is assigned to a new, previously unknown genus and species.
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In the blood: Which antibodies best neutralize the coronavirus in COVID-19 patients?
Blood tests to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, are an important tool for diagnosing the disease, developing potential treatments, and checking vaccine efficacy. Although such tests are available, we have very little understanding on how different antibodies interact with virus antigens. Scientists from Fujita Health University set out to assess various antigen-specific antibodies and determined which of them had the strongest neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2.
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Adolescence is a window of opportunity for improving health literacy
A study by the University of Southampton has shown its LifeLab programme, aimed at improving adolescent health through hands-on learning, significantly increases young people's understanding of what it means to lead a healthy lifestyle.
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Better treatment for miscarriage patients is more cost effective than standard NHS treatment
A new drug combination that is better at treating miscarriage is also more cost effective than current standard NHS treatment, finds a new study led by the University of Birmingham and Tommy's National Centre for Miscarriage Research.
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Transferability of surface-functionalized metallic nanoparticles
Announcing a new article publication for BIO Integration journal. In this review the authors Muhammad Arif Asghar, Rabia Ismail Yousuf, Muhammad Harris Shoaib, Muhammad Arif Asghar and Nazish Mumtaz from Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan, Food and Marine Resources Research Centre, Pakistan and Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University, Karachi, Pakistan discuss toxicity and challenges in transferability of surface-functionalized metallic nanoparticles from animal models to humans.
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Online CBT effective against OCD symptoms in the young
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children and adolescents is associated with impaired education and worse general health later in life. Access to specialist treatment is often limited. According to a study from Centre for Psychiatry Research at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and Region Stockholm, internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) can be as effective as conventional CBT. The study, published in the prestigious journal JAMA, can help make treatment for OCD more widely accessible.
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Coral reef restorations can be optimized to reduce flood risk
A new study sets out guidelines to maximize the benefits of reef restoration, not only for the coral ecosystem, but also to protect local communities from coastal flooding. Researchers simulated waves travelling over different reef profiles at various stages of restoration and found that to reduce the risk of flooding, the upper fore reef and middle reef flat, typically characterized by physically-robust coral species, should be targeted for restoration.
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Gout treatment success doubled by combining two drugs, study finds
If left untreated, gout can cause severe disability. But unlike rheumatoid arthritis, there are only a handful of ways to treat it. Researchers say a combination of two existing drugs disrupts antibody production and doubles treatment efficacy.
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Using contrast MRI after a heart attack could increase survival
A new study from the University of Surrey and University College London has revealed that treatment for heart attacks could be improved thanks to a novel method of evaluating heart function using contrast-based MRI scans.
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The brain game: What causes engagement and addiction to video games?
While video games can be engaging, some have a higher potential of becoming addictive. However, the mechanisms underlying this addiction are difficult to analyze mathematically. Now, researchers from JAIST, Japan apply the concept of "motion in the mind" to investigate the subjective aspects of different games via analogies with physical models of motion. Their findings explain what makes certain videogames more addictive by nature and will help us tailor games better for specific purposes.
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Zebrafish brain shows that new neurons are formed in the brain in a coordinated manner
Researchers found that the process of activation of stem cells in the brain responsible for the production of neurons (nerve cells) is not random, but coordinated. According to the researchers, these findings are very important for understanding the proper development of the brain. The findings may form the basis for the development of future treatments using brain stem cells, such as for brain cancer, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and various brain injuries.
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Model bias corrections for reliable projection of extreme El Niño frequency change
In stark contrast to the current prevailing view that extreme El Niño frequency would increase by two-folds in warmer climate, Prof. Luo and his research team found that this view was misled by common biases in CMIP5's projection of the Pacific mean-state change in the future. Results after removing the bias impacts suggest that extreme El Niño frequency would hardly change, highlighting the great impacts of models' biases on the projection of future climate change.
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Scientists will protect the "Smart City" from cyber threats
St. Petersburg, like other cities in the Russian Federation, is actively participating in the establishment of the "Smart City" program, which will provide new services for residents of the megalopolis, increasing the safety of citizens. Digital services are essential for such a system. Due to the Internet of Things (IoT) systems, the environment can adapt to the needs of humanity on its own accord. Cybersecurity threats are especially dangerous for such infrastructure.
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Strong quake, small tsunami
The most energetic earthquakes occur where oceanic plates submerge beneath continental plates during plate tectonics. Quakes in these subduction zone settings commonly carry the risk of triggering severe tsunamis. But when the earth shook with a moment magnitude of 8.1 near the northern Chilean city of Iquique on 1 April 2014, the resulting tsunami was relatively small. A unique seismological data set, now published by researchers from GEOMAR provides a possible explanation.
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When conservation work pays off: After 20 years, the Saker Falcon breeds again in Bulgaria
Considered extinct as a breeding species in the early 2000s, the Saker Falcon was recovered when the first active nest from the new history of the species in Bulgaria was discovered in 2018, built by two birds that were reintroduced back in 2015. The results of the world's first reintroduction programme for this species are described in detail in the open-access, peer-reviewed Biodiversity Data Journal.
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Researchers reveal how PIF proteins regulate cytokinesis
To better understand how PIF proteins affect apical hook development, scientists from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences recently investigated their roles in an organ specific manner.
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Bioengineering approach for functional muscle regeneration
When trauma, illness, or injury causes significant muscle loss, reconstructive procedures for bioengineering functional skeletal muscles can fall short, resulting in permanent impairments. Finding a synergy in the importance of biochemical signals and topographical cues, researchers developed an efficient technique for muscle regeneration and functional restoration in injured rats. They describe results from the technique in Applied Physics Reviews.
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