This unique research study evaluated the potential use of the flatworm, brown planaria (Dugesia tigrine), as an alternative model for teratogenicity testing. In this study, we exposed amputated planaria to varying concentrations of a known teratogen, vitamin A (retinol), for approximately 2 weeks, and evaluated multiple parameters including the formation of blastema and eyes. The results from this study demonstrated that high concentrations of retinol caused defects in head and eye formation in regenerating planaria, with similarities to vitamin A related teratogenicity findings in mammals. Based on these results, regenerating brown planaria are a promising alternative model for teratogenicity testing, which can potentially be paradigm shifting as it can reduce cost, time, and pregnant animal use in research.
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Socio-economic and awareness correlates of physical activity of government school children in India
Here, based on the identified importance of physical activity in the development of young children, the authors investigated the effects of socioeconomic factors on the amount of physical activity of government-school children in India. They found significant differences between boys and girls, rural and urban, and children who were encouraged to exercise and those who were not. Overall, they suggest that their findings point to the important role of schools and communities in promoting healthy active lifestyles for developing children.
Read More...Deuterated solvent effects in the kinetics and thermodynamics of keto-enol tautomerization of ETFAA
In this study, the authors determined whether tautomerization dynamics in protic and aprotic solvents displayed differences in reaction rates and in the proportion of the keto and enol tautomers present.
Read More...Using economic indicators to create an empirical model of inflation
Here, seeking to understand the correlation of 50 of the most important economic indicators with inflation, the authors used a rolling linear regression to identify indicators with the most significant correlation with the Month over Month Consumer Price Index Seasonally Adjusted (CPI). Ultimately the concluded that the average gasoline price, U.S. import price index, and 5-year market expected inflation had the most significant correlation with the CPI.
Read More...Prediction of preclinical Aβ deposit in Alzheimer’s disease mice using EEG and machine learning
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common disease affecting 6 million people in the U.S., but no cure exists. To create therapy for AD, it is critical to detect amyloid-β protein in the brain at the early stage of AD because the accumulation of amyloid-β over 20 years is believed to cause memory impairment. However, it is difficult to examine amyloid-β in patients’ brains. In this study, we hypothesized that we could accurately predict the presence of amyloid-β using EEG data and machine learning.
Read More...An optimal pacing approach for track distance events
In this study, the authors use existing mathematical models to how high school athletes pace 800 m, 1600 m, and 3200 m distance track events compared to elite athletes.
Read More...The effects of food type on mediator-less microbial fuel cell electricity output
The authors look at how different food types impact the ability of bacteria to produce electricity.
Read More...Elevated levels of IL-8, TGF-β, and TNF-α associated with pneumoconiosis: A meta-analysis
The authors looked at previous studies to evaluate the ability to use serum levels of certain cytokines as biomarkers for pneumoconiosis.
Read More...An analysis of the feasibility of SARIMAX-GARCH through load forecasting
The authors found that SARIMAX-GARCH is more accurate than SARIMAX for load forecasting with respect to energy consumption.
Read More...Teenagers’ memory recall of narrative writing versus informational writing and its link to emotion
Here, seeking to understand the effects of emotion on memory recall, the authors used a study of 30 teenagers, comparing their ability to recall details from information or narrative writing. They found improved recall of narrative writing, suggesting emotional response can contribute to improved memory recall.
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