Culture | Page 1573 | Science Codex

UK MP Twitter abuse increased between 2015 and 2017 general elections

Abuse of politicians online increased substantially in the snap 2017 general election compared to the 2015 general election, according to new research by the University of Sheffield.

The study shows for the first time that both the proportion and volume of Twitter abuse increased between 2015 and 2017. In most cases, this was regardless of the party or gender of the candidate for Member of Parliament.

Inch by inch, towards a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Researchers using CRISPR genome editing in a large animal model have boosted expression of the dystrophin gene to levels that could be therapeutic in humans, they say. The study represents progress on the road to developing a therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), though much work remains to be done. DMD is caused by a mutation in the gene for the protein dystrophin, important for muscle function, which prevents its expression. Boosting expression of this gene to 15% of normal levels could provide significant therapeutic benefits for DMD patients, studies have shown.

Scientists decode opium poppy genome

Scientists have determined the DNA code of the opium poppy genome, uncovering key steps in how the plant evolved to produce the pharmaceutical compounds used to make vital medicines.

The discovery may pave the way for scientists to improve yields and the disease resistance of the medicinal plant, securing a reliable and cheap supply of the most effective drugs for pain relief and palliative care.

Researchers are turning to deadly venoms in their quests for life-saving therapies

NEW YORK, August 30, 2018 - Venomous reptiles, bugs and marine life have notorious reputations as dangerous, sometimes life-threatening creatures.

WSU scientists clone virus to help stop overwhelming grape disease

PROSSER, Wash. - A new discovery by Washington State University scientists could help grape growers roll back a devastating virus that withers vines and shrivels harvests.

Named for how it curls the leaves of infected plants, grapevine leafroll disease costs growers millions of dollars in lost vines and productivity. Until now, no one has been able to replicate one of the main culprits behind the disease, a virus called grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 -- leafroll 3, for short.

Teen dating violence is down, but boys still report more violence than girls

When it comes to teen dating violence, boys are more likely to report being the victim of violence—being hit, slapped, or pushed—than girls. That’s the surprising finding of new research from the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.

Overall, fewer teens are reporting experiencing physical abuse from their dating partners, with five per cent of teens reporting dating violence in 2013, down from six per cent in 2003.

However, the researchers found 5.8 per cent of boys and 4.2 per cent of girls said they had experienced dating violence in the past year.

Study finds multiple sclerosis drug slows brain shrinkage

Results from a clinical trial of more than 250 participants with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) revealed that ibudilast was better than a placebo in slowing down brain shrinkage. The study also showed that the main side effects of ibudilast were gastrointestinal and headaches. The study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Hospital rating tools should allow patients to customize rankings

Publicly available hospital ratings and rankings should be modified to allow quality measures to be prioritized according to the needs and preferences of individual patients, according to a new RAND Corporation analysis.

Genetic susceptibility to lower vitamin D levels and calcium intake not linked to fracture

Having a genetic predisposition to lower vitamin D levels and calcium intake is not associated with an increased risk of osteoporotic fracture, conclude researchers in The BMJ today.

Their findings add to the ongoing debate over the benefits for the general population of vitamin D supplementation, which is recommended by clinical guidelines to prevent fractures.

The findings also back recent clinical trials that have failed to consistently demonstrate a beneficial effect of supplementation for people living in the community.

New genetics findings unravel key components of fracture risk in osteoporosis

The largest study ever to investigate the genetics of osteoporosis and fracture risk determined that only two examined factors - bone mineral density (BMD) and muscle strength - play a potentially causal role in the risk of suffering osteoporotic fracture, a major health problem affecting more than 9 million people worldwide very year. Other clinical risk factors like vitamin D levels and calcium intake, historically considered to be crucial mediators of fracture, were not found to directly predispose people in the general population to fracture.

Research study sheds new light on relationship between genes and bone fracture risk

Boston (August 29, 2018)--A paper titled "Assessment of the genetic and clinical determinants of fracture risk: genome wide association and mendelian randomization study" appeared today in the British Medical Journal. The paper reports findings from a large international collaboration that identified 15 variations in the genome that are related to the risk of suffering bone fractures, which are a major healthcare problem affecting more than 9 million persons worldwide every year.

Changes in breakfast and dinner timings can reduce body fat

Modest changes to breakfast and dinner times can reduce body fat, a new pilot study in the Journal of Nutritional Sciences reports.

During a 10-week study on 'time-restricted feeding' (a form of intermittent fasting), researchers led by Dr Jonathan Johnston from the University of Surrey investigated the impact changing meal times has on dietary intake, body composition and blood risk markers for diabetes and heart disease.

Model based on liquid biopsies may predict time to progression in colorectal cancer

Bottom Line: An evolutionary model utilizing serial blood samples from patients with advanced colorectal cancer treated with anti-EGFR therapies in a phase II trial could predict personalized waiting time for progression.

Journal in Which the Study was Published: Cancer Discovery, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research

What's that smell? Scientists find a new way to understand odors

LA JOLLA--(August 29, 2018) Every smell, from a rose to a smoky fire to a pungent fish, is composed of a mixture of odorant molecules that bind to protein receptors inside your nose. But scientists have struggled to understand exactly what makes each combination of odorant molecules smell the way it does or predict from its structure whether a molecule is pleasant, noxious or has no smell at all.

A climate 'wake-up call'

If we proactively implement effective fisheries management and limit global temperature rise, the world's oceans still have the potential to be significantly more plentiful in the future than today, despite climate change. This finding is among several that appear in a first-of-its kind study, "Improved fisheries management could offset many negative effects of climate change," that appears today in the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences' journal Science Advances.