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Marijuana legalization linked to temporary decrease in opioid-related emergency visits
States that legalize recreational marijuana experience a short-term decline in opioid-related emergency department visits, particularly among 25- to 44-year-olds and men, according to an analysis led by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. The study shows that even after the temporary decline wears off, recreational cannabis laws are not associated with increases in opioid-related emergency department visits.
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Shape-memory alloys might help airplanes land without a peep
Having a home near a busy airport certainly has its perks. It is close to many establishments and alleviates the problem of wading through endless traffic to catch flights. But it does come at a cost -- tolerating the jarring sounds of commercial airplanes during landing and takeoff. Researchers at Texas A&M University have conducted a computational study that validates using a shape-memory alloy to reduce the unpleasant plane noise produced during landing.
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Selective, toxin-bearing antibodies could help treat liver fibrosis
UC San Diego researchers discovered that immunotoxins targeting the protein mesothelin prevent liver cells from producing collagen, a precursor to fibrosis and cirrhosis, in mouse models of human disease.
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Crystal clear: Lepidopterans have many ways of being transparent
Breakthrough paper reveals multiple mechanisms for wing transparency in butterflies and moths; shows that wing transparency has evolved multiple times in lepidopterans.
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Sweet success: CABBI demonstrates first precision breeding of sugarcane with CRISPR-Cas9
Two recently published innovations by University of Florida researchers at the Department of Energy's Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI) demonstrated the first successful precision breeding of sugarcane by using CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing.The work gives researchers a targeted and efficient way to develop new sugarcane varieties with higher productivity, herbicide resistance, or more oil production - key to CABBI's goals to produce fuels and chemicals from plants instead of petroleum.
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Childhood lead exposure may adversely affect adults' personalities
A study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, sampled more than 1.5 million people in 269 U.S. counties and 37 European nations. Researchers found that those who grew up in areas with higher levels of atmospheric lead had less adaptive personalities in adulthood -- lower levels of conscientiousness and agreeableness and higher levels of neuroticism.
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New research suggests explosive volcanic activity on Venus
Traces of the gas phosphine point to volcanic activity on Venus, according to new research from Cornell University.
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Promising new research on aggressive breast cancer
A research shows how a new therapeutic target works to fight a very aggressive form of breast cancer.
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Sea-level rise solutions
By 2100, sea levels are expected to rise by almost seven feet in the Bay Area. New research shows how traditional approaches to combating sea-level rise can create a domino effect of environmental and economic impacts for nearby communities.
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Changes in gut microbiome in longitudinal study of infants precede onset of celiac disease
By implementing a long-term, prospective approach to the development of celiac disease, researchers have identified substantial microbial changes in the intestines of at-risk infants before disease onset.
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Symbionts sans frontieres: Bacterial partners travel the world
This pandemic year has restricted us from travelling the globe. Not so for some microscopic bacteria in the ocean: They partner up with clams living in the sand beneath the shimmering waters of coastal habitats throughout the globe. According to research by scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen and the University of Vienna now published in PNAS, the bacterial symbionts living in lucinid gills travel the world without borders.
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A common ancestor for cells involved in hearing and touch
There are striking similarities in the development of two types of specialized sensory cells: the so-called 'hair cells' that receive sound vibrations in the inner ear, and the Merkel cells that sense light touch at the surface of the skin. These developmental similarities are a legacy of shared evolutionary history.
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The promise of inclusive sustainability
In this episode of BioScience Talks (https://bioscience-talks.aibs.org/episodes/blackologists-and-the-promise-of-inclusive-sustainability), Yitbarek, Bailey, and Harris join us to discuss this model of inclusive sustainability and the ways in which it can be brought to bear in service of ecosystems and the humans who inhabit them.
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Gene therapy offers long-awaited hope for children with rare, incurable disorder
Children with a devastating genetic disorder characterized by severe motor disability and developmental delay have experienced sometimes dramatic improvements in a gene therapy trial launched at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals.
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Magnetic field from MRI affects focused-ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier
Washington University in St. Louis researchers have found for the first time that the magnetic field of the MRI scanner decreased the BBB opening volume by 3.3-fold to 11.7-fold, depending on the strength of the magnetic field, in a mouse model.
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Teardrop star reveals hidden supernova doom
International team led by University of Warwick makes rare sighting of a binary star system heading towards supernova.Star system's fate was identified from its unusual light variations, a sign that one star has been distorted into a teardrop shape by a massive white dwarf companion.Supernovas from such star systems can be used as 'standard candles' to measure expansion of the universe.
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Mapping extreme snowmelt and its potential dangers
Rapid snowmelt can be dangerous, and understanding its drivers is important for understanding the world under the influence of climate change.
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New technique reduces nicotine levels, harmful compounds simultaneously in tobacco
North Carolina State University researchers have developed a new technique that can alter plant metabolism. Tested in tobacco plants, the technique showed that it could reduce harmful chemical compounds, including some that are carcinogenic. The findings could be used to improve the health benefits of crops.
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Improving transitional care improves outcomes important to patients in the 'real world'
Transitions between healthcare sites - such as from the hospital to home or to a skilled nursing facility - carry known risks to patient safety. Many programs have attempted to improve continuity of care during transitions, but it remains difficult to establish and compare the benefits of these complex interventions.
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How learning Braille changes brain structure over time
Learning changes the brain, but when learning Braille different brain regions strengthen their connections at varied rates and time frames. A new study published in JNeurosci highlights the dynamic nature of learning-induced brain plasticity.
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