Dolphins adapt to survive invasive coastal constructions

Bottlenose dolphins learn to cope with coastal construction activities. That is the conclusion of a study published in Frontiers in Marine Science. The study is the first to provide a longitudinal perspective on the cumulative impacts of coastal construction. Dolphins adapted to the construction of a bridge by establishing feeding locations outside of the construction zone, and by shifting the timings of behaviors to a time in the day when construction activities were minimized.

Astronomers map silk of cosmic web

An international team of astronomers, including several from the Netherlands, has mapped a piece of the cosmic web without using bright quasars for the first time. Their findings will be published shortly in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

Wearable fitness trackers/step counters help the overweight/obese to shed the pounds: study

Wearable fitness trackers and step counters help people who are overweight/obese and/or who have weight-related health conditions to shed the pounds, finds a pooled data analysis of the existing evidence, published online in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Preschoolers' extensive electronic media use linked to emotional/behavioural issues

Preschoolers' extensive use of electronic media, including game consoles, mobile phones, and tablets, is linked to a heightened risk of emotional and behavioral problems by the age of 5, finds research published in the online journal BMJ Open.

In women, higher body fat may protect against heart disease death, study shows

A new UCLA study shows that while men and women who have high muscle mass are less likely to die from heart disease, it also appears that women who have higher levels of body fat—regardless of their muscle mass—have a greater degree of protection than women with less fat.

Pandemic has increased pregnancy stress for US women

COVID-19 has created new problems for pregnant women in the United States, a group that already faced the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world even before the pandemic.

Researchers discover how 'cryptic species' respond differently to coral bleaching

Certain brightly colored coral species dotting the seafloor may appear indistinguishable to many divers and snorkelers, but Florida State University researchers have found that these genetically diverse marine invertebrates vary in their response to ocean warming, a finding that has implications for the long-term health of coral reefs.

Patient wait times reduced thanks to new study

The first known study to explore optimal outpatient exam scheduling given the flexibility of inpatient exams has resulted in shorter wait times for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) patients at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center in Burlington, Mass. A team of researchers from Dartmouth Engineering and Philips worked to identify sources of delays for MRI procedures at Lahey Hospital in order to optimize scheduling and reduce overall costs for the hospital by 23 percent.

Astronauts in crewed missions to Mars could misread vital emotional cues

Living for nearly 2 months in simulated weightlessness has a modest but widespread negative effect on cognitive performance that may not be counteracted by short periods of artificial gravity, finds a new study published in Frontiers in Physiology. While cognitive speed on most tests initially declined but then remained unchanged over time in simulated microgravity, emotion recognition speed continued to worsen. In testing, research participants were more likely to identify facial expressions as angry and less likely as happy or neutral.

Patients value staff dedication most when evaluating substance use treatment facilities

Machine learning can be used to comb through online reviews of substance use treatment facilities to home in on qualities that are important to patients but remain hard to capture via formal means, such as surveys, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania show. The researchers found that professionalism and staff dedication to patients were two of the top qualities that could be attributed to either a negative or positive review of the facility. Findings from this study were published today in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Helping stevia plants brave the cold

It's a fact—humans love sugar. For those of us who also like to watch our calories, sugar substitutes can help.

Researchers identify head impact rates in four major high school sports

As high school athletes return to practice and games for a variety of sports, the threat of concussions remains. A new study from researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) used head impact sensors in four different sports and studied male and female athletes to determine which of these sports put students at the highest risk for head impacts that could lead to concussions. The findings were published online by the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine.

Researchers reveal UK trends in inflammatory eye disease

Scleritis is a vision-threatening inflammatory condition of the white portion of the eye, or the sclera, that is thought to be the result of an over-reaction of the body's immune system. A new study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology provides estimates of the incidence and prevalence of scleritis between 1997 and 2018 in the U.K.

Predicting the likelihood of bone fractures in older men

Fractures in the vertebrae of the spine and calcification in a blood vessel called the abdominal aorta can both be visualized through the same spinal imaging test. A new study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research that included 5,365 older men indicates that each of these measures are linked with a higher risk of developing hip and other fractures.

20 years of research on the use of virtual reality in education

An analysis published in the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning highlights 20 years of research on the use of virtual reality (VR) in K-12 schools and higher education.

The role of adult playfulness in romantic life

While play and playfulness have been studied well in children, their structure and consequences are understudied in adults. A new article published in Social and Personality Psychology Compass highlights available research on this topic and also examines why playfulness is important in romantic relationships.

Study examines the use of electroconvulsive therapy in England

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which involves passing electricity through the brain, remains a controversial psychiatric treatment for depression and other conditions because it can cause side effects such as memory loss and is ineffective for many patients. A recent study published in Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice has examined how ECT is currently administered and monitored throughout England.

Subsidies most effective way to encourage sustainable food choices, study shows

Subsidizing low carbon emission meals could encourage more people to choose them, according to new research.

Cancer mutations insight could boost detection and personalize treatments

Cancer develops when changes occur with one or more genes in our cells. A change in a gene is called a fault or a mutation.

Could environmental pollution from industry contribute to cryptorchidism increase?

Environmental pollution from industries such as coal mining and metal works may play a role in the increasing numbers of boys born with undescended testicles, according to a study published today in Human Reproduction.

Artificial light at night may disrupt firefly mating

New research published in Insect Conservation and Diversity indicates that artificial light at night likely interferes with the courtship and mating of bioluminescent fireflies.

Boosting insect diversity may provide more consistent crop pollination services

Fields and farms with more variety of insect pollinator species provide more stable pollination services to nearby crops year on year, according to the first study of its kind.