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Do trumpet players have a greater expiratory capacity than those who do not play a wind instrument?

Homsi et al. | Feb 01, 2022

Do trumpet players have a greater expiratory capacity than those who do not play a wind instrument?

With healthy lung performance being critical to daily function and maintenance of physical health, the authors of this study explored the impact of airflow training from playing a wind instrument on respiratory system function. With careful quantification of peak expiratory flow of individuals who played the trumpet, the authors found no expiratory capacity difference between students who played the trumpet and students who did not play a wind instrument.

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Artificial Intelligence-Based Smart Solution to Reduce Respiratory Problems Caused by Air Pollution

Bhardwaj et al. | Dec 14, 2021

Artificial Intelligence-Based Smart Solution to Reduce Respiratory Problems Caused by Air Pollution

In this report, Bhardwaj and Sharma tested whether placing specific plants indoors can reduce levels of indoor air pollution that can lead to lung-related illnesses. Using machine learning, they show that plants improved overall indoor air quality and reduced levels of particulate matter. They suggest that plant-based interventions coupled with sensors may be a useful long-term solution to reducing and maintaining indoor air pollution.

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Expressional correlations between SERPINA6 and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma-linked genes

Selver et al. | Oct 06, 2021

Expressional correlations between <em>SERPINA6</em> and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma-linked genes

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common form of pancreatic cancer, with early diagnosis and treatment challenges. When any of the genes KRAS, SMAD4, TP53, and BRCA2 are heavily mutated, they correlate with PDAC progression. Cellular stress, partly regulated by the gene SERPINA6, also correlates with PDAC progression. When SERPINA6 is highly expressed, corticosteroid-binding globulin inhibits the effect of the stress hormone cortisol. In this study, the authors explored whether there is an inverse correlation between the expression of SERPINA6 and PDAC-linked genes.

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Presence of Vegetation in Relation to Slope in Yosemite Valley, California

Saltzgaber et al. | Sep 11, 2021

Presence of Vegetation in Relation to Slope in Yosemite Valley, California

This study examined the relationship between the slope of a terrain and vegetation, measured by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). It was hypothesized that lower slope ranges would be more supportive of vegetation growth than higher slope ranges. Analysis showed that no slope (even as extreme as 85–90°) prohibits the growth of vegetation completely; even the steepest slopes examined contain plant life. Knowing that steep slopes can still support plant life, agriculturalists can begin to explore and start planting additional crops and plants at these extreme slopes.

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The Effect of Anubias barteri Plant Species on Limiting Freshwater Acidification

Ramanathan et al. | Jul 06, 2021

The Effect of <i>Anubias barteri</i> Plant Species on Limiting Freshwater Acidification

Research relating to freshwater acidification is minimal, so the impact of aquatic plants, Anubias barteri var. congensis and Anubias barteri var. nana, on minimizing changes in pH was explored in an ecosystem in Northern California. Creek water samples, with and without the aquatic plants, were exposed to dry ice to simulate carbon emissions and the pH was monitored over an eight-hour period. There was a 25% difference in the observed pH based on molar hydrogen ion concentration between the water samples with plants and those without plants, suggesting that aquatic plants have the potential to limit acidification to some extent. These findings can guide future research to explore the viable partial solution of aquatic plants in combating freshwater acidification.

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