Curated News: PLOS

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Released: 24-Mar-2023 2:20 PM EDT
“What we’ve got here is failure to communicate,” which might actually be helpful
University at Buffalo

Failing to clearly communicate when problem solving can actually benefit groups that lack diversity, and the degree to which miscommunication helps or hinders the search for a solution is strongly based on factors such as team dynamics, according to a new paper co-written by a University at Buffalo researcher.

Newswise: New study uncovers unprecedented declines in iconic kelp forests along Monterey Peninsula, with glimmers of hope in Oregon and Mexico
Released: 23-Mar-2023 2:35 PM EDT
New study uncovers unprecedented declines in iconic kelp forests along Monterey Peninsula, with glimmers of hope in Oregon and Mexico
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

A new study provides novel documentation of kelp forest decline along the west coast of the U.S. and Mexico in response to the 2014–2016 record-breaking marine heatwave, along with evidence of regional recovery.

Released: 23-Mar-2023 1:00 PM EDT
For stressed-out grad students, mindfulness makes big difference
University of Wisconsin–Madison

While recent studies and polls indicate the nation is in the midst of a mental health crisis, the situation in academia is even more grim: Within the high-stress, high-pressure, often socially isolated world of advanced education, graduate students experience depression and anxiety at six times the rate of the general population.

   
Released: 22-Mar-2023 5:05 PM EDT
Copper artifacts unearth new cultural connections in southern Africa
University of Missouri, Columbia

Chemical and isotopic analysis of copper artifacts from southern Africa reveals new cultural connections among people living in the region between the 5th and 20th centuries according to a University of Missouri researcher and colleagues.

Newswise: Perceived Russia-Ukraine conflict linked to endorsement of false news about adversary
15-Mar-2023 12:50 PM EDT
Perceived Russia-Ukraine conflict linked to endorsement of false news about adversary
PLOS

In a 2020 survey, Ukrainians who perceived a higher level of conflict between Ukraine and Russia were less inclined to endorse false, negative news about the European Union, but were more likely to endorse false, negative news about Russia.

Released: 21-Mar-2023 8:00 AM EDT
Forest growing season in eastern U.S. has increased by a month
Ohio State University

The growing period of hardwood forests in eastern North America has increased by an average of one month over the past century as temperatures have steadily risen, a new study has found.

Newswise: Humans bite back by deactivating mosquito sperm
Released: 16-Mar-2023 2:40 PM EDT
Humans bite back by deactivating mosquito sperm
University of California, Riverside

New UC Riverside research makes it likely that proteins responsible for activating mosquito sperm can be shut down, preventing them from swimming to or fertilizing eggs.

   
Newswise: Characterizing abnormal neural networks in dogs with anxiety
10-Mar-2023 11:30 AM EST
Characterizing abnormal neural networks in dogs with anxiety
PLOS

Researchers at Ghent University in Belgium report abnormalities in functional neural networks of dogs diagnosed with anxiety.

Newswise: People should have right to shape marine environmental decisions
Released: 13-Mar-2023 6:55 PM EDT
People should have right to shape marine environmental decisions
University of Exeter

Government and political institutions should do more to make citizens feel empowered within marine environment decisions and give them the right to participate, new research shows.

   
Newswise: Study explores how community engagement can help improve clinical trial diversity
Released: 9-Mar-2023 9:00 AM EST
Study explores how community engagement can help improve clinical trial diversity
Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

In an effort to improve clinical trial diversity, researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine led a study to create solutions to barriers of access, awareness, discrimination and racism and workforce diversity.

Newswise: Anthropogenic climate change poses systemic risk to coffee cultivation
7-Mar-2023 6:20 PM EST
Anthropogenic climate change poses systemic risk to coffee cultivation
PLOS

Coffee is important to the economies of coffee producing regions. A study published in PLOS Climate by Doug Richardson at CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and colleagues suggests that climate change may significantly affect land where coffee is cultivated.

Newswise: Unprecedented increase in ocean plastic since 2005 revealed by four decades of global analysis
2-Mar-2023 11:15 AM EST
Unprecedented increase in ocean plastic since 2005 revealed by four decades of global analysis
PLOS

A global dataset of ocean plastic pollution between 1979 and 2019 reveals a rapid and unprecedented increase in ocean plastics since 2005, according to a study published March 8, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Marcus Eriksen from The 5 Gyres Institute, USA, and colleagues.

28-Feb-2023 5:05 PM EST
Modifying messenger RNA may provide a new target for Alzheimer’s disease
PLOS

Reducing the methylation of a key messenger RNA can promote migration of macrophages into the brain and ameliorate symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in a mouse model, according to a new study publishing March 7th in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Rui Zhang of Air Force Medical University in Xian, Shaanxi, China. The results illuminate one pathway for entrance of peripheral immune cells into the brain, and may provide a new target for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Released: 6-Mar-2023 12:00 PM EST
Depression linked to deadly inflammation in lung cancer patients
Ohio State University

Lung cancer patients with moderate to severe depression are 2 to 3 times more likely to have inflammation levels that predict poor survival rates, a new study found. The results may help explain why a substantial portion of lung cancer patients fail to respond to new immunotherapy and targeted treatments that have led to significantly longer survival for many people with the disease.

Newswise: Tree rings and strontium point researchers to the provenance of 400-year-old timber
Released: 3-Mar-2023 10:30 AM EST
Tree rings and strontium point researchers to the provenance of 400-year-old timber
University of Copenhagen

Tree-ring analysis – so-called dendrochronological analysis – has been part of archaeology for many years and has made it possible for archaeologists to date old wooden objects with great precision.

28-Feb-2023 4:05 AM EST
Animals best to supress individual personalities for group efficiency
University of Bristol

Social animals should limit individuality to conform with the behaviour of the group, a University of Bristol study has found.

Released: 1-Mar-2023 3:15 PM EST
Researchers Examine Career Confidence in Underrepresented Biomedical Scientist Trainees
University of North Carolina School of Medicine

After polling 6,000 graduate and postdoctoral respondents across 17 US institutions, researchers found that self-efficacy was generally lower than anticipated, particularly among those with higher levels of expertise and experience. Their results were recently published in the journal PLOS ONE.

Released: 1-Mar-2023 2:00 PM EST
Obstacles for breast cancer prevention in high-risk Black women
Ohio State University

Black women at high risk of breast cancer face a variety of obstacles that may keep them from care that could prevent cancer and increase the chances they’ll survive if they develop the disease, new research has found.

22-Feb-2023 11:15 AM EST
What distinguishes fans from celebrity stalkers?
PLOS

A survey study of U.S. college students provides new insights into factors associated with the tendency to engage in celebrity stalking behaviors.

23-Feb-2023 3:05 PM EST
Profiling abortions in low- and middle-income countries
PLOS

Researchers found factors— including marriage, age and education— associated with pregnancy termination in 36 countries.

Newswise: Could a naturally occurring amino acid lead us to a cure for COVID-19?
Released: 24-Feb-2023 7:10 PM EST
Could a naturally occurring amino acid lead us to a cure for COVID-19?
Tokyo Institute of Technology

After more than two years since its discovery, six million deaths, and half a billion reported cases, there is still no effective cure for COVID-19. Even though vaccines have lowered the impact of outbreaks, patients that contract the disease can only receive supportive care while they wait for their own body to clear the infection.

Newswise: A simpler way to track the spread of infectious diseases
Released: 24-Feb-2023 6:20 PM EST
A simpler way to track the spread of infectious diseases
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciencia

How society organizes affects different phenomena, from the transmission of information to the spread of contagious diseases. The more links we establish with each other via social and transportation networks, the more spread is favored.

21-Feb-2023 1:40 PM EST
How does a person’s ethnicity impact their risk of death?
PLOS

In the UK, disparities in mortality risk factors exist between ethnic groups, with differences in overall mortality, top causes of mortality and individual mortality risk factors, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS Global Public Health by I. King Jordan of Georgia Institute of Technology, US, and colleagues.

Newswise: Archaeologists uncover early evidence of brain surgery in Ancient Near East
Released: 22-Feb-2023 5:30 PM EST
Archaeologists uncover early evidence of brain surgery in Ancient Near East
Brown University

Archaeologists know that people have practiced cranial trephination, a medical procedure that involves cutting a hole in the skull, for thousands of years.

   
Newswise: Research Team Creates Statistical Model to Predict Covid-19 Resistance
Released: 22-Feb-2023 2:35 PM EST
Research Team Creates Statistical Model to Predict Covid-19 Resistance
Johns Hopkins Medicine

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine and The Johns Hopkins University have created and preliminarily tested what they believe may be one of the first models for predicting who has the highest probability of being resistant to COVID-19 in spite of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes it.

Newswise: AI experts suggest 39 percent of time currently spent on chores could be automated within the next decade
15-Feb-2023 4:30 PM EST
AI experts suggest 39 percent of time currently spent on chores could be automated within the next decade
PLOS

On average, 39 percent of time currently spent on unpaid domestic work could be automated within the next decade, suggest AI experts from the UK and Japan. The findings are published February 22, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by a team led by Ekaterina Hertog at the University Oxford, UK, and colleagues in Japan.

   
Newswise: Symbiotic fungi transform terpenes from spruce resin into attractants for bark beetles
Released: 21-Feb-2023 8:50 PM EST
Symbiotic fungi transform terpenes from spruce resin into attractants for bark beetles
Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

The mass outbreaks of bark beetles observed in recent years have caused shocking amounts of forest damage throughout Germany.

Released: 16-Feb-2023 2:05 PM EST
AI could improve mental health care
Lund University

Patients are often asked to rate their feelings using a rating scale, when talking to psychologists or doctors about their mental health. This is currently how depression and anxiety are diagnosed.

   
Released: 16-Feb-2023 12:45 PM EST
Multiple sclerosis discovery could end disease’s chronic inflammation
University of Virginia Health System

UVA Health neuroscientists have discovered a potential way to disrupt the chronic inflammation responsible for multiple sclerosis.

Newswise: Back to the time of the first Homo Sapiens with a futuristic clock, the new Radiocarbon 3.0
Released: 15-Feb-2023 6:50 PM EST
Back to the time of the first Homo Sapiens with a futuristic clock, the new Radiocarbon 3.0
Universita di Bologna

It is called Radiocarbon 3.0: it is the newest method developments in radiocarbon dating, and promises to reveal valuable new insights about key events in the earliest human history, starting with the interaction between Homo Sapiens and Neanderthals in Europe.

Released: 15-Feb-2023 6:35 PM EST
Where do stolen bikes go?
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Amsterdam is one of the most bike-friendly major cities in the world. That also means the city is a happy hunting ground for thieves, who steal tens of thousands of bikes per year — a substantial chunk of the estimated 850,000 or so that Amsterdam residents own.

Newswise: North American mountain vegetation is rapidly shifting higher as the climate warms
8-Feb-2023 2:05 PM EST
North American mountain vegetation is rapidly shifting higher as the climate warms
PLOS Climate

Study suggests some plants are responding unexpectedly quickly to climate change – often outpacing animals’ adaptations.

Newswise: Scientists discover receptor that blocks COVID-19 infection
Released: 9-Feb-2023 7:10 PM EST
Scientists discover receptor that blocks COVID-19 infection
University of Sydney

University of Sydney scientists have discovered a protein in the lung that blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection and forms a natural protective barrier in the human body.

Newswise: Geography, language dictate social media and popular website usage, study finds
Released: 9-Feb-2023 6:50 PM EST
Geography, language dictate social media and popular website usage, study finds
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Since its inception, the internet has been viewed by technology experts and scholars as a way to access information at a global scale without having to overcome hurdles posed by language and geography.

   
7-Feb-2023 3:50 PM EST
ChatGPT can (almost) pass the US Medical Licensing Exam
PLOS

The AI software was able to achieve passing scores for the exam, which usually requires years of medical training.

     
Released: 8-Feb-2023 4:55 PM EST
Fine particles in the air associated with higher blood pressure in London teens
King's College London

A study of adolescents aged 11-16 in London has found long-term exposure to PM2.5 is associated with higher blood pressure, with stronger associations seen in girls.

Newswise: Could Space Dust Help Protect the Earth from Climate Change?
7-Feb-2023 12:05 PM EST
Could Space Dust Help Protect the Earth from Climate Change?
Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian

Dust launched from the moon’s surface or from a space station positioned between Earth and the sun could reduce enough solar radiation to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Newswise: Space dust as Earth’s sun shield
7-Feb-2023 9:55 AM EST
Space dust as Earth’s sun shield
University of Utah

Dust launched from the moon’s surface or from a space station positioned between Earth and the sun could reduce enough solar radiation to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

1-Feb-2023 1:05 PM EST
We still don’t know which factors most affect cognitive decline as we age
PLOS

A new analysis explores relative statistical associations between various life factors and cognitive decline in elderly Americans, highlighting gaps in knowledge needed to reduce cognitive decline.

Newswise: Researchers mapped genomic risk factors for the complex eye disease AMD
Released: 6-Feb-2023 5:55 PM EST
Researchers mapped genomic risk factors for the complex eye disease AMD
Tel Aviv University

Researchers at Tel Aviv University identified a new genetic risk factor for the complex eye disease AMD (Age-related Macular Degeneration), a leading cause for loss of eyesight at an advanced age.

Newswise: First solid scientific evidence that Vikings brought animals to Britain
Released: 2-Feb-2023 1:45 PM EST
First solid scientific evidence that Vikings brought animals to Britain
Durham University

Archaeologists have found what they say is the first solid scientific evidence suggesting that Vikings crossed the North Sea to Britain with dogs and horses.

Released: 1-Feb-2023 5:25 PM EST
Immunocompromised patients remain at higher risk of COVID-19 death in hospital
University of Liverpool

People with weakened immune systems remain more likely to die if hospitalised with COVID-19 than patients with normal immune systems, a new UK study has confirmed.

26-Jan-2023 2:50 PM EST
Global antimicrobial use in animals could increase by 8% by 2030
PLOS

Despite concerns over antimicrobial resistance, global antimicrobial use in animals could increase by 8% by 2030.

   
26-Jan-2023 3:15 PM EST
Tweets reveal where in cities people express different emotions
PLOS

An analysis of nearly 2 million Tweets made by people in London and San Francisco explores specific events and types of locations that are associated with different emotions.

24-Jan-2023 2:20 PM EST
Β-blocker use associated with lower rates of violence
PLOS

Reductions in violence are seen in individuals using Beta adrenergic-blocking agents (β-blockers) compared with periods that they are not taking the medication, in a study published January 31st in the open access journal PLOS Medicine. If the findings are confirmed by other studies, β-blockers could be considered as a way to manage aggression and hostility in individuals with psychiatric conditions.

   
Released: 30-Jan-2023 3:55 PM EST
New mathematical model shows how the body regulates potassium
University of Waterloo

Having levels of potassium that are too high or too low can be fatal. A new mathematical model sheds light on the often mysterious ways the body regulates this important electrolyte.

   
27-Jan-2023 9:45 AM EST
Clemson scientists identify enzyme that reduces diet-induced obesity in humans
Clemson University

Clemson University researchers have identified an enzyme and its products in humans that reduce diet-induced obesity.

Newswise: 52-million-year-old fossils show near-primates were cool with colder climate
Released: 25-Jan-2023 6:40 PM EST
52-million-year-old fossils show near-primates were cool with colder climate
University of Kansas

Two sister species of near-primate, called “primatomorphans,” dating back about 52 million years have been identified by researchers at the University of Kansas as the oldest to have dwelled north of the Arctic Circle.

Released: 25-Jan-2023 5:10 PM EST
Study uncovers widespread unethical practice for assigning authorships
University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Science

A recently published survey study of PhD students reveals that an ethically questionable culture for assigning authorships to research papers is widespread within the medical and natural sciences across Europe.



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