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Novel imaging method to visualize respiratory activity of 3D tissue models

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
Cells breathe, to an extent, exchanging gases, taking in energy sources from the environment and processing it. Now, researchers from Tohoku University in Japan have shone a light on the process in a new way.
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Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions updates consensus guidelines on best practices

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) has released an expert consensus statement providing cardiologists, cath lab directors, and hospital leadership guidance for contemporary cath lab standards. The document, "SCAI Expert Consensus Update on Best Practices in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory" will be presented today at the SCAI 2021 Virtual Scientific Sessions with simultaneous publication in Catheterization & Cardiovascular Interventions.
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Spring forest flowers likely key to bumble bee survival, Illinois study finds

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
For more than a decade, ecologists have been warning of a downward trend in bumble bee populations across North America, with habitat destruction a primary culprit in those losses. While efforts to preserve wild bees in the Midwest often focus on restoring native flowers to prairies, a new Illinois-based study finds evidence of a steady decline in the availability of springtime flowers in wooded landscapes.
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Dead lithium: The culprit of low Coulombic efficiency with LIBs

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
The formation of dead Lithium during stripping process is investigated in the whole course from the electron transfer, the conversion of Li0 to Li+ and the diffusion of Li+.
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Ageing impairs critical final egg maturation stage

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
Age may influence an a human egg cell's ability to process gene products essential for the last steps of its development. The final maturation stage is critical for reproduction because it provides the material early embryos need to develop normally and survive. The researchers also found that abnormal BMI also impacted oocyte development, but through different root mechanisms compared to the fertility decline caused by age.
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Scientists' discovery of blood clotting mechanism could lead to new antithrombotic drugs

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
Scientists have identified the specific structural element of von Willebrand Factor that allows it to bind with platelets and initiate blood clotting. The team says that the specific unit, which they call the discontinuous autoinhibitory module, or AIM, is a prime site for new drug development. The work is described in an article published last week in Nature Communications, "Activation of von Willebrand factor via mechanical unfolding of its discontinuous autoinhibitory module."
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Many children with cardiomyopathy have a genetic mutation but few are screened

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
A national, University at Buffalo-led study on genes in pediatric cardiomyopathy demonstrates strong evidence for routine genetic screening in children with the disease.
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Using microbes to remove microplastics from the environment

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms have been modified to capture microplastics from water, trapping them for release and recycle.
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Researchers find how tiny plastics slip through the environment

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
Researchers found that a silica surface such as sand has little effect on slowing down the movement of the plastics, but that natural organic matter resulting from decomposition of plant and animal remains can either temporarily or permanently trap the nanoscale plastic particles, depending on the type of plastics. The work could lead to the development of better ways to filter out and clean up pervasive plastics from the environment.
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Treating neurological symptoms of CHARGE syndrome

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
CHARGE syndrome is a rare genetic disorder affecting about 1 in 10,000 newborns. It can lead to neurological and behavioural disorders for which no treatment is currently available. Dr. Kessen Patten and his team, from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) have just discovered a compound that could alleviate these symptoms. The results of their research were published in the journal EMBO Reports.
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Espresso, latte or decaf? Genetic code drives your desire for coffee

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
Whether you hanker for a hard hit of caffeine or favour the frothiness of a milky cappuccino, your regular coffee order could be telling you more about your cardio health than you think.In a world first study of 390,435 people, University of South Australia researchers found causal genetic evidence that cardio health - as reflected in blood pressure and heart rate - influences coffee consumption.
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Can genetics predict bothersome hot flashes?

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
Hot flashes are a hallmark of the menopause transition. Yet, they don't strike with the same frequency or severity for all women. A new study suggests that some of the same genetic factors that affect a woman's reproductive life cycle may also help predict her likelihood of having bothersome hot flashes. Study results are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
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Parents more lenient about alcohol with teens who experience puberty early

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
Parents of teens who went through puberty early may be more lenient when it comes to letting them consume alcohol, according to a new Penn State study. But the researchers said that even if adolescents appear more mature, drinking alcohol is still not safe for them.
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GeneSight Mental Health Monitor shows misunderstanding of depression and treatment

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
A new GeneSight Mental Health Monitor national survey finds 83 percent of those diagnosed with depression say life would be easier if others could understand what they're going through. Yet, most reported they were more likely to hear statements that demonstrate a lack of understanding and support for what they are experiencing.
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Policies designed to protect public health from fracking may be ineffective in practice

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
A new study shows growing evidence that Pennsylvania's 500 ft. unconventional natural gas (UNG) well setback distance may not be protective against routine exposures to toxic substances such as benzene, hydrogen sulfide, carbon disulfide and PM2.5. This is the first study to assess the effectiveness of setback regulations for UNG development, and the findings suggest that protectiveness of setback policies also depends upon opportunities for exemptions from these siting restrictions.
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Study shows both parents and peers play a role in greater alcohol use among adolescents who experience early puberty

Eurekalert - Apr 28 2021 - 00:04
A new study examined why early developing 14-year-old adolescents are more likely to drink alcohol compared to those whose pubertal development is on-time or late. The findings show these adolescents are more likely to have peers who drink alcohol and are also given greater permission to drink by their parents.
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New algorithm makes it easier for computers to solve decision making problems

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
Decision making problems involving multiple agents are often solved using policy iteration, in which a given policy generates a better one. However, the required amount of computation is often prohibitively large. In a new study, a computer scientist takes things to the next level with an approach where decisions are made sequentially and the computations grow only linearly with agents, drastically reducing its complexity and opening doors to a revolution in studying multiagent systems.
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Lactic acid bacteria can extend the shelf life of foods

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
Researchers at the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, have generated a lactic acid bacterium that efficiently secretes a food-grade preservative when grown on dairy waste.
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The growing promise of community-based monitoring and citizen science

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
Over recent decades, volunteer environmental monitoring (often called "citizen science") has exploded in popularity, aided both by smartphones and rapid gains in computing power that make the analysis of large data sets far easier.
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Drones provide bird's eye view of how turbulent tidal flows affect seabird foraging habits

Eurekalert - Apr 27 2021 - 00:04
In a first-of-its-kind study, scientists from the UK and Germany used drones to provide a synchronised bird's eye view of what seabirds see and how their behaviour changes depending on the movement of tidal flows beneath them.
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