COVID-19 cuts into college students' drinking

When college campuses closed in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the quantity of alcohol consumed by students decreased significantly if they went from living with peers to living with parents, according to a new report in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Researchers discover surprising connection between prehistoric dinosaurs and mammals in their teeth

When most people think of ferocious, blade-like teeth on prehistoric creatures they picture Smilodon, better known as the saber-toothed tiger. But in the world of dinosaurs, theropods are well known for having blade-like teeth with serrated cutting edges used for biting and ripping their prey. And until recently, the complex arrangement of tissues that gave rise to these terrifying teeth was considered unique to these meat-eating dinosaurs.

source https://phys.org/news/2020-12-prehistoric-dinosaurs-mammals-teeth.html

Researchers discover surprising connection between prehistoric dinosaurs and mammals in their teeth

When most people think of ferocious, blade-like teeth on prehistoric creatures they picture Smilodon, better known as the saber-toothed tiger. But in the world of dinosaurs, theropods are well known for having blade-like teeth with serrated cutting edges used for biting and ripping their prey. And until recently, the complex arrangement of tissues that gave rise to these terrifying teeth was considered unique to these meat-eating dinosaurs.

Much of the world may not have access to a COVID-19 vaccine until 2022

Nearly a quarter of the world's population may not have access to a COVID-19 vaccine until at least 2022, warns a study published by The BMJ today.

Salt-tolerant bacteria with an appetite for sludge make biodegradable plastics

The United States generates seven million tons of sewage sludge annually, enough to fill 2,500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. While a portion of this waste is repurposed for manure and other land applications, a substantial amount is still disposed of in landfills. In a new study, Texas A&M University researchers have uncovered an efficient way to use leftover sludge to make biodegradable plastics.

Research explores the relationship between nitrogen and carbon dioxide in greenhouse gas emissions

A University of Oklahoma-led interdisciplinary study on a decade-long experiment (1997-2009) at the University of Minnesota found that lower nitrogen levels in soil promoted release of carbon dioxide from soils under high levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and could therefore contribute to furthering rising atmospheric greenhouse gases and climate change.

Researchers use origami to solve space travel challenge

WSU researchers have used the ancient Japanese art of paper folding to possibly solve a key challenge for outer space travel—how to store and move fuel to rocket engines.

Study finds more than half of respondents are unlikely to get COVID-19 vaccine under emergency use authorization

The first COVID-19 vaccine has received emergency use authorization. Yet a key question remains: Will U.S. adults be willing to get it?

Nanoengineered cement shows promise for sealing leaky gas wells

Leaking natural gas wells are considered a potential source of methane emissions, and a new nanomaterial cement mixture could provide an effective, affordable solution for sealing these wells, according to a team of Penn State scientists.

An unexpected role for the brain's immune cells

An important part of the brain's immune system, cells called microglia constantly extend and retract "branches" from their cell body to survey their environment. Think of an octopus, not moving its body, but reaching its tentacles in every direction. That's how microglia operate. In the span of an hour, each cell will have covered the entire three-dimensional space that surrounds it. And then, it will start all over again.

Emerging from the fog: Little understood post-stroke cognitive issues are verified

After Julia had a minor stroke, she was thankful for receiving rapid treatment and recovering well. But she did notice an unexpected aftereffect as she returned to normal activities. In meetings at work, she was unable to follow the back and forth among attendees. And when she was asked for her own opinions, she found she hadn't grasped well enough what had been discussed to participate. At home, if she was working on a task like cooking dinner, she realized she couldn't easily carry on a conversation with her husband.

Recovery of an endangered Caribbean coral from parrotfish predation

Parrotfishes are abundant herbivores that primarily graze upon algae, which may indirectly benefit corals by mitigating coral-algae competition. At a local scale, management efforts to increase populations of parrotfishes are believed to be critically important to maintaining resilient, coral-dominated reefs. Yet, some parrotfish species also occasionally graze coral—a behavior known as corallivory. Corallivory can cause the partial to total mortality of coral colonies and may have long-term impacts such as reduced coral growth and reproductive capacity and increased susceptibility to disease. While evidence suggests that parrotfishes likely have an overall net positive impact on coral communities, they may have detrimental impacts on heavily predated coral species, such as O. annularis.

Black children diagnosed with severe sepsis more likely to die than White or Hispanic children, hospital data suggests

Black children hospitalised in the U.S. due to severe sepsis have 20% greater odds of death than White or Hispanic children, according to research published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal.

Researchers uncover blind spots at the intersection of AI and neuroscience

Is it possible to read a person's mind by analyzing the electric signals from the brain? The answer may be much more complex than most people think.

Structural racism severely impacts the health of foreign-born Blacks and Latinx

Structural racism can lead to discrimination in many aspects of life including criminal justice, employment, housing, health care, political power, and education. A new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine examines the impact of structural racism on health and confirms that chronic exposure to stressors leads to a marked erosion of health that is particularly severe among foreign-born Blacks and Latinx. Investigators say largescale structural policies that address structural racism are needed.

West Nile virus infection risk is higher in less affluent neighborhoods in Baltimore, MD

In Baltimore, Maryland, people living in low-income urban neighborhoods are more at risk of contracting West Nile virus, a mosquito-borne disease, than people living in more affluent neighborhoods. So reports a new study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

Robotic exoskeleton training improves walking in adolescents with acquired brain injury

A team of New Jersey researchers has shown that gait training using robotic exoskeletons improved motor function in adolescents and young adults with acquired brain injury. The article, "Kinetic gait changes after robotic exoskeleton training in adolescents and young adults with acquired brain injury," was published October 28, 2020 in Applied Bionics and Biomechanics.

Vaccines must prevent infection, progression and transmission—in every country—to truly bring COVID-19 under control

An editorial co-authored by a member of the UK's influential SAGE committee that advises the UK Government on COVID-19, and published in Anaesthesia (a journal of the Association of Anaesthetists) says that in order for the global COVID-19 vaccination program to be successful, the available vaccines must be able to do all three of: prevent infection becoming established in an individual, prevent disease progression and prevent onward transmission.

Scientists warn of likely massive oil spill endangering the Red Sea, region's health

A paper to be published in Frontiers in Marine Science on December 15 is calling for action to remove the oil from a decaying and inactive tanker in the Red Sea that holds approximately one million barrels of oil—four times the amount of oil contained in the Exxon Valdez, the tanker that had a disastrous environmental oil spill in 1989—before its current seepage turns into a massive oil spill into the sea. The paper, a policy brief, is authored by a team of international scientists led by Karine Kleinhaus, MD, MPH, an Associate Professor of the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) at Stony Brook University.