Scientists simulate the climate of Game of Thrones
Winter is coming.....as anyone who watches the hit TV series, Game of Thrones, knows. Some even have their own theories for what causes the strange extended seasons in that world of dragons, kings, queens, and magic. But scientists from the Universities of Bristol, Cardiff, and Southampton have gone one stage further, by using a Climate Model to simulate and explore the climate of the world of Game of Thrones.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/uob-sst121817.php
Climate change may favor large plant eaters over small competitors
In the drive to survive changing climates, larger herbivores may fare slightly better than their smaller competitors, according to new research from the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/nifm-ccm121917.php
Timing of regulatory stick and supportive carrot may keep businesses focused
Coordinating the stick of regulation with the carrot of technical assistance may help small companies perform better environmentally and economically, according to a team of researchers.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/ps-to121917.php
NIH study uncovers clues about why common cancer drug causes hearing loss
Cisplatin is retained in the cochlea indefinitely following chemotherapy.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/niod-nsu121917.php
Silky secrets to make bones
A study activated genes in human stem cells that initiate biomineralization, a key step in bone formation, according to a science team from Tufts University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Nottingham Trent University. Scientists engineered spider web silk combined with silica to activate cell membrane protein receptor integrin. The research will help scientists model intracellular pathways that govern bone formation and efforts to cure diseases such as osteoporosis and calcific aortic valve disease.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/uota-sst121917.php
Robotic device improves balance and gait in Parkinson's disease patients
Sunil Agrawal, professor of mechanical engineering and of rehabilitation and regenerative medicine at Columbia Engineering, working with Movement Disorders faculty from the department of neurology at Columbia University Medical Center, find that a single session of perturbation-based training, using their Tethered Pelvic Assist Device, increased stability of patients during walking while exposed to unexpected perturbations. (Scientific Reports).
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/cuso-rdi121917.php
Acoustic device makes piezoelectrics sing to a different tune
In today's 'internet of things,' devices connect primarily over short ranges at high speeds, an environment in which surface acoustic wave devices have shown promise for years. To obtain faster speeds, however, SAW devices need to operate at higher frequencies, limiting output power and overall performance. Researchers have demonstrated a new device that can achieve frequencies six times higher than most current devices. Their results are published this week in Applied Physics Letters.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/aiop-adm121917.php
Ludwig researchers uncover mechanism behind metabolic vulnerability of some breast cancers
Many cancer cells are relatively sensitive to the deprivation of an essential amino acid known as methionine. Now, a Ludwig Cancer Research study published in the journal Science Signaling and led by Alex Toker, an investigator in the Ludwig Center at Harvard, has elucidated one mechanism behind that dependency.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/lifc-lru121917.php
Study examines insecticide's effects on honey bees
Neonicotinoid insecticides, including Syngenta's insecticide thiamethoxam, have been used globally on a wide range of crops through seed, soil, and foliage treatments.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/w-sei121917.php
In delaying aging, caloric restriction becomes powerful research tool in human studies
'Caloric Restriction and Restrictive Diets: Interventions that Target the Biology of Aging,' as the latest special issue of The Journals of Gerontology, Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences is titled, contains a collection of articles with new research on a proven method for increasing longevity in many organisms -- including the results of the first-ever clinical trial of caloric restriction (CR) in humans.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/tgso-ida121917.php
People with rare diseases are at more risk for poor quality of life, study finds
People with rare diseases are at high risk for experiencing poor quality of life, including increased levels of anxiety, depression, pain, fatigue and limited ability to participate in society, a new study from an Oregon State University shows.
Source: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/osu-pwr121917.php
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/
