Connecting Research and Experts with Journalists

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In APL Bioengineering, researchers employed analysis tools and machine learning algorithms to identify two genes linked to rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis that could serve as diagnostic tools and potential targets for treatments. Drawing from a large database of genetic information, they gathered dozens of sequenced genomes from people with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis to look for any similarities, using recently developed computational methods to narrow down their search. They identified genes ATXN2L and MMP14 as significantly associated with the progression of both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis.

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In this week’s Chaos, researchers used an electrophysiological computer model of the heart’s electrical circuits to examine the effect of the applied voltage field in multiple fibrillation-defibrillation scenarios. They discovered far less energy is needed than is currently used in state-of-the-art defibrillation techniques. The authors applied an adjoint optimization method and discovered adjusting the duration and the smooth variation in time of the voltage supplied by defibrillation devices is a more efficient mechanism that reduces the energy needed to stop fibrillation by three orders of magnitude.

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Human activities have led to the pollution of some of the remotest places in the world, a new study shows.

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A large study co-led by Kori Flower, MD, MS, MPH, division chief of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the UNC School of Medicine demonstrates that combining text messaging with in-person clinic counseling reduces obesity in the first two years of life.

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Materials called cubic rare earth hydrides could be superconductors in everyday conditions

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To expand the potential use of diamond in semiconductor and quantum technologies, researchers are developing improved processes for growing the material at lower temperatures that won’t damage the silicon in computer chips. These advances include insights into creating protective hydrogen layers on quantum diamonds without damaging crucial properties like nitrogen-vacancy centers.

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When it comes to what’s most important in deciding who to vote for in the 2024 presidential election, New Jersey registered voters – much like the rest of the nation – say it’s the economy, according to the latest Rutgers-Eagleton Poll.  Voters cite the economy or fiscal issues as No. 1 (22%), followed by immigration (13%), candidate character (11%) and then reproductive rights (9%).

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Science can be difficult to explain to the public. Explaining a theoretical science concept to high school students requires a new way of thinking altogether, which is precisely what researchers at UC San Diego did when they orchestrated a dance with high school students at Orange Glen High School in Escondido as a way to explain topological insulators. The experiment was led by former graduate student Matthew Du and UC San Diego Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Joel Yuen-Zhou.

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Scientists from Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University showed that spraying of selenium stimulates the growth of garden sage – a plant, that is used in medicine for treatment of inflammations and diseases of gastrointestinal tract.

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Led by Dr. Jae Sung Yoon at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), and Ph.D. candidate Nguyen Hoang Minh from the UST-KIMM School, the research team drew inspiration from the structural coloration observed in natural phenomena such as peacock feathers and morpho butterflies.