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27-Apr-2018 12:05 PM EDT
Bacteria’s Appetite May Be Key to Cleaning Up Antibiotic Contamination
Washington University in St. Louis

Some bacteria not only escape being killed by bacteria, they turn it into food. Until now, scientists have understood little about how bacteria manage to consume antibiotics safely, but new research from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis illuminates key steps in the process. The findings, published April 30 in Nature Chemical Biology, could lead to new ways to eliminate antibiotics from land and water, the researchers said. Environmental antibiotic contamination promotes drug resistance and undermines our ability to treat bacterial infections.

   
20-Apr-2018 4:00 PM EDT
Scientists Use Quantum “Spooky Action” to Entangle Objects You Can Actually See
University of Chicago

A group of researchers announced April 26 in Nature that they had managed to entangle perhaps the largest items yet, at a whopping 20 microns across—about the diameter of a single human hair.

16-Apr-2018 9:00 AM EDT
Even a Single Mindfulness Meditation Session Can Reduce Anxiety
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB)

Mindfulness meditation programs have shown promise for the treatment of anxiety, one of the most common mental health disorders in the U.S. New research suggests people can begin to derive psychological and physiological benefits from the practice after a single introductory session.

19-Apr-2018 4:00 PM EDT
Nanoparticle Breakthrough Could Capture Unseen Light for Solar Energy Conversion
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

An international team, led by Berkeley Lab scientists, has demonstrated a breakthrough in the design and function of nanoparticles that could make solar panels more efficient by converting light usually missed by solar cells into usable energy.

Released: 20-Apr-2018 10:05 AM EDT
Meditation Could Help Anxiety and Cardiovascular Health
Michigan Technological University

In a student-led study, one hour of mindfulness meditation shown to reduce anxiety and some cardiovascular risk markers.

Released: 16-Apr-2018 8:00 AM EDT
Evidence Mounts that Daily Opioid Users May Fare Worse After Spine Surgery, Study Finds
Johns Hopkins Medicine

In a multicenter database study of adults who had undergone surgery for spinal deformities, researchers say that those who had used narcotics daily on average had worse outcomes, such as longer intensive care unit stays and more severe postop disability, compared with those who did not use opioids preoperatively.

Released: 12-Apr-2018 3:55 PM EDT
Study: Hotels Need to Be Home Smart Home
University of Delaware

A new study by the University of Delaware has found that hotels need to be more than a "home away from home" in order to satisfy guests. The survey showed that when it comes to technology, hotels should be competing with their customers' homes, not other hotels.

11-Apr-2018 3:25 PM EDT
Sitting Is Bad for Your Brain – Not Just Your Metabolism or Heart
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Sitting, like smoking, increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and premature death. Researchers at UCLA wanted to see how sedentary behavior influences brain health, especially regions of the brain that are critical to memory formation.

11-Apr-2018 4:15 PM EDT
How Highly Contagious Norovirus Infection Gets Its Start
Washington University in St. Louis

Researchers have shown, in mice, that norovirus infects a rare type of intestinal cell called a tuft cell. Inside tuft cells, norovirus is effectively hidden from the immune system, which could explain why some people continue to shed virus long after they are no longer sick. These “healthy carriers” are thought to be the source of norovirus outbreaks, so understanding how the virus evades detection in such people could lead to better ways to prevent outbreaks.

Released: 12-Apr-2018 10:05 AM EDT
DHS S&T Helps Solve Mystery of 4,000-Year-Old Mummy
Homeland Security's Science And Technology Directorate

DHS S&T recently used advanced DNA sequencing to determine the identity of a 4,000-year-old mummy head found in 1915, when American explorers entered an ancient tomb cut in the parched limestone cliffs of the eastern bank of the Nile River, 155 miles south of Cairo.

Released: 27-Mar-2018 3:30 PM EDT
Exclusive Research: Where the Youth Vote Could Matter Most in 2018
Tufts University

The 2018 Youth Electoral Significance Index (YESI) from Tisch College at Tufts University may answer how young voters will shape the future American political landscape by ranking the top districts and states where young people could have significant influence.

Released: 23-Mar-2018 10:05 AM EDT
Decades of Research Identify Source of Galaxy-Sized Stream of Gas
University of Wisconsin–Madison

A cloud of gas 300,000 light-years long is arching around the Milky Way, shunted away from two dwarf galaxies orbiting our own. For decades, astronomers have wanted to know which of the two galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, is the source of the gas that has been expelled as the two galaxies gravitationally pull at one another. The answer will help astronomers understand how galaxies form and change over time.

20-Mar-2018 1:00 PM EDT
Whether Sustained or Sporadic, Exercise Offers Same Reductions in Death Risk
Duke Health

New data shows that all moderate or vigorous exercise can add up to reduce the risk of disease or death, even if you are exercising only in short bursts throughout the day.

Released: 20-Mar-2018 9:30 AM EDT
Why Aren't Humans ‘Knuckle-Walkers’?
Case Western Reserve University

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University have cracked the evolutionary mystery of why chimpanzees and gorillas walk on their knuckles: The short explanation is that these African apes climb trees and they are mobile on the ground.

Released: 14-Mar-2018 5:05 PM EDT
Scientists Design Conceptual Asteroid Deflector and Evaluate It Against Massive Potential Threat
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Scientists have designed a conceptual spacecraft to deflect Earth-bound asteroids and evaluated whether it would be able to nudge a massive asteroid – which has a remote chance to hitting Earth in 2135 – off course.

Released: 14-Mar-2018 12:05 PM EDT
Humans Flourished Through Super Volcano 74,000 Years Ago
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)

Humans not only survived a massive volcanic eruption 74,000 years ago, they flourished during the resulting climate change that occurred, a new study by UNLV geoscientist Eugene Smith and colleagues found.

Released: 7-Mar-2018 5:05 PM EST
Bullying Based on Stigma Has Especially Damaging Effects
University of Delaware

In a new study, two professors are looking at bullying based on stigma – where one is treated unfairly or unjustly due to one's race, sexual orientation, gender, or other characteristic – and examining the methods used to prevent this type of bullying and address it when it happens.

Released: 7-Mar-2018 1:05 PM EST
When Fee-Pressured Audit Offices Focus on Non-Audit Services, Financial Statements Suffer, Study Shows
University of Notre Dame

According to new research from the University of Notre Dame, as companies pressure auditors to lower their fees as a way to reduce costs, auditors place greater emphasis on more-profitable non-audit services, such as consulting, which can negatively impact audit quality.

Released: 6-Mar-2018 5:05 AM EST
Bright Nighttime Light Kills Melatonin Production in Preschoolers
University of Colorado Boulder

A new CU Boulder study shows that one hour of bright light at night nearly eliminates melatonin production in young children and keeps it suppressed an hour after light's out. Structural differences may make children's immature eyes more vulnerable to body clock disruption from light.

Released: 1-Mar-2018 10:00 AM EST
What Zombie Ants Are Teaching Us About Fungal Infections: Q & A with Entomologists David Hughes and Maridel Fredericksen
NIH, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

I can still remember that giddy feeling I had seven years ago, when I first read about the “zombie ant.” The story was gruesome and fascinating

Released: 28-Feb-2018 12:00 PM EST
FAU Poll Finds Floridians Support Ban on Assault-Style Rifles, Universal Background Checks and Raising Age to Buy Guns
Florida Atlantic University

In the wake of a mass shooting that took the lives of 17 students and teachers at a South Florida high school, a vast majority of Floridians support stricter gun laws, including a ban on assault-style rifles, universal background checks and raising the minimum age for gun purchasers, according to a statewide survey by the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI).

26-Feb-2018 9:00 AM EST
Records Study Suggests Gender Affirming Surgeries On The Rise Along with Insurance Coverage
Johns Hopkins Medicine

In a national medical records analysis, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine say there is evidence that the number of gender affirming surgeries performed in hospitals for transgender individuals is on the rise, along with increased access made possible by Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance coverage for the procedures.

Released: 22-Feb-2018 4:20 PM EST
Followers, “Likes,” Attractiveness Increase Social Media Likability. Selfies? Not So Much, Baylor Study Says
Baylor University

A new Baylor University study published in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture looks at the value that outside observers place on social media cues (followers, likes, etc.) and measures the perceived likability of the people whose profiles were viewed.

Released: 22-Feb-2018 8:05 AM EST
Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Without Intravenous Contrast May Help Better Assess Need for Mitral Valve Surgery
Atlantic Health System

Atlantic health system cardiologist authors new review on value of non-invasive imaging techniques in valvular heart disease patients

19-Feb-2018 11:30 AM EST
New Therapeutic Gel Shows Promise Against Cancerous Tumors
University of North Carolina Health Care System

UNC and NC State scientists created an injectable gel-like scaffold that can hold combination chemo-immunotherapeutic drugs and deliver them locally to tumors in a sequential manner. The results in animal models suggest this approach could one day ramp up therapeutic benefits for cancer patients.

Released: 21-Feb-2018 8:05 AM EST
Psychopathic Employees Thrive Under Abusive Supervisors, Study Finds
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

A new study shows that individuals who possess high primary psychopathic characteristics appear to have distinct advantages over those who don’t, when working for an abusive supervisor.

   
20-Feb-2018 1:45 PM EST
Brain Size of Human Ancestors Evolved Gradually Over 3 Million Years
University of Chicago Medical Center

Modern humans have brains that are more than three times larger than our closest living relatives, chimpanzees and bonobos. Scientists don't agree on when and how this dramatic increase took place, but new analysis of 94 hominin fossils shows that average brain size increased gradually and consistently over the past three million years.

16-Feb-2018 11:00 AM EST
African Americans with Atrial Fibrillation at Significantly Higher Risk for Stroke Compared to Caucasians with the Disease
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

African Americans with atrial fibrillation (AF) – a quivering or irregular heartbeat that can lead to a host of dangerous complications – have a significantly higher risk of stroke than Caucasians with the condition, according to new research published today in HeartRhythm by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The new findings build on previous studies examining the impact of race on the risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF), which is linked to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other complications. It’s well reported that African Americans have a lower risk of developing AF as compared to Caucasians, but until now, there was little data on the additional risks that come with AF for each race.

19-Feb-2018 8:05 AM EST
Astronomers Reveal Secrets of Most Distant Supernova Ever Detected
University of Southampton

An international team of astronomers led by the University of Southampton has confirmed the discovery of the most distant supernova ever detected – a huge cosmic explosion that took place 10.5 billion years ago, or three-quarters the age of the Universe itself.

7-Feb-2018 8:05 AM EST
Researchers Successfully Reverse Alzheimer’s Disease in Mouse Model
The Rockefeller University Press

A team of researchers from the Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute have found that gradually depleting an enzyme called BACE1 completely reverses the formation of amyloid plaques in the brains of mice with Alzheimer’s disease, thereby improving the animals’ cognitive function. The study, which will be published February 14 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, raises hopes that drugs targeting this enzyme will be able to successfully treat Alzheimer’s disease in humans.

Released: 13-Feb-2018 4:50 PM EST
Newly Discovered Gene May Protect Against Heart Disease
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences

Scientists have identified a gene that may play a protective role in preventing heart disease. Their research revealed that the gene, called MeXis, acts within key cells inside clogged arteries to help remove excess cholesterol from blood vessels.

6-Feb-2018 1:05 AM EST
Diet May Influence the Spread of a Deadly Type of Breast Cancer, Study Finds
Cedars-Sinai

A single protein building block commonly found in food may hold a key to preventing the spread of an often-deadly type of breast cancer, according to a new multicenter study published today in the medical journal Nature. Investigators found that by limiting an amino acid called asparagine in laboratory mice with triple-negative breast cancer, they could dramatically reduce the ability of the cancer to travel to distant sites in the body. Among other techniques, the team used dietary restrictions to limit asparagine.

Released: 1-Feb-2018 3:40 PM EST
Even Small Changes Within an Ecosystem Can Have Detrimental Effects
Binghamton University, State University of New York

A mutualistic relationship between species in an ecosystem allows for the ecosystem to thrive, but the lack of this relationship could lead to the collapse of the entire system. New research from Binghamton University, State University of New York reveals that interactions between relatively small organisms are crucial to mutualistic relationships in an ecosystem dominated by much larger organisms, including trees and elephants.

Released: 1-Feb-2018 3:40 PM EST
Pre-Clinical Research Aided by Customized Collection Capabilities
Streck

Conversant Bio™ has partnered with Streck to provide cancer researchers with customized clinical plasma samples that are research-ready, allowing researchers to focus on their studies and not their sample collection processing and logistics.

Released: 31-Jan-2018 4:55 PM EST
Coastal Water Absorbing More Carbon Dioxide
University of Delaware

New research by the University of Delaware and other institutions reveals that water over continental shelves is shouldering more atmospheric carbon dioxide, which may have implications for scientists studying how much carbon dioxide can be released into the atmosphere while keeping warming limited.

29-Jan-2018 12:05 PM EST
Like Zika, West Nile Virus Causes Fetal Brain Damage, Death in Mice
Washington University in St. Louis

Two viruses closely related to Zika – West Nile and Powassan – can spread from an infected pregnant mouse to her fetuses, causing brain damage and fetal death, according to a new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The findings suggest that Zika may not be unique in its ability to cause miscarriages and birth defects.

Released: 31-Jan-2018 12:05 PM EST
ID’ing Features of Flu Virus Genome May Help Target Surveillance for Pandemic Flu
Washington University in St. Louis

A pandemic flu outbreak could kill millions. Now, researchers have found features of the virus's genome that influence how well it multiplies. The findings could help target pandemic flu surveillance efforts to make it easier to find the next outbreak before it spreads widely.

   
Released: 30-Jan-2018 2:00 PM EST
Stellar Embryos in Nearby Dwarf Galaxy Contain Surprisingly Complex Organic Molecules
National Radio Astronomy Observatory

New observations with ALMA have uncovered the surprisingly clear chemical “fingerprints” of the complex organic molecules methanol, dimethyl ether, and methyl formate.

Released: 30-Jan-2018 10:05 AM EST
Disclosing Weaknesses Can Undermine Some Workplace Relationships
Georgia Institute of Technology

Sharing personal information with friends and family has long been held by researchers as a way to build rapport and healthy relationships. But between coworkers, that’s not always true.

   
26-Jan-2018 4:30 PM EST
Body Clock Disruptions Occur Years Before Memory Loss in Alzheimer’s
Washington University in St. Louis

People with Alzheimer’s disease have disturbances in their internal body clocks that affect the sleep/wake cycle and may increase risk of developing the disorder. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found that such circadian rhythm disruptions also occur much earlier in people whose memories are intact but whose brain scans show early, preclinical evidence of Alzheimer’s.

Released: 26-Jan-2018 10:35 AM EST
Research Suggests Colonoscopy Link to Appendicitis
University of North Dakota

Although the incidence of appendicitis in the United States has been in decline for many years, the condition still affects approximately seven percent of Americans annually.

25-Jan-2018 1:05 PM EST
Mammals Moving Less in Human Landscapes May Upset Ecology
Stony Brook University

Could baboons and other mammals worldwide soon need pedometers? Not likely, but a new study to be published in Science reveals that on average, mammals move distances two to three times shorter in human-modified landscapes than they do in the wild.

22-Jan-2018 9:00 AM EST
Tiny Particles Have Outsize Impact on Storm Clouds, Precipitation
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Tiny particles fuel powerful storms and influence weather much more than has been appreciated, according to a study in the Jan. 26 issue of the journal Science. The tiny pollutants – long considered too small to have much impact on droplet formation – are, in effect, diminutive downpour-makers.

23-Jan-2018 3:00 PM EST
A New 'Atmospheric Disequilibrium' Could Help Detect Life on Other Planets
University of Washington

A University of Washington study has found a simple approach to look for life that might be more promising than just looking for oxygen.

22-Jan-2018 2:45 PM EST
Scientific Breakthrough Could Lead to Better Antipsychotic Drugs
University of North Carolina Health Care System

Published in Nature, research from the UNC School of Medicine and UCSF revealed the first-ever crystal structure of the dopamine 2 receptor bound to an antipsychotic drug – a much-needed discovery in the quest to create effective drugs with fewer side effects.

   
Released: 24-Jan-2018 8:05 AM EST
Research Asks Why Some Private Equity Firms Add Jobs After Buyouts
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

A University of Arkansas finance professor and his colleague at Purdue University found that some private equity firms, despite their reputation as job destroyers, increased employment following a buyout. Most of these firms had political connections, and the jobs they created or retained after buyouts were concentrated during election years in swing states or states that the researchers identified as having “high corruption.”

17-Jan-2018 3:00 PM EST
Climate Change and Snowmelt - Turn Up the Heat, but What About Humidity?
University of Utah

changes in humidity may determine how the contribution of snowpack to streams, lakes and groundwater changes as the climate warms. Surprisingly, cloudy, gray and humid winter days can actually cause the snowpack to warm faster, increasing the likelihood of melt during winter months when the snowpack should be growing, the authors report. In contrast, under clear skies and low humidity the snow can become colder than the air, preserving the snowpack until spring.

15-Jan-2018 9:00 AM EST
Previous Influenza Virus Exposures Enhance Susceptibility in Another Influenza Pandemic
McMaster University

New data analysis suggests that people born at the time of the 1957 H2N2 or Asian Flu pandemic were at a higher risk of dying during the 2009 H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic as well as the resurgent H1N1 outbreak in 2013-2014. And it is not the first time this has happened.



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