Here, the authors investigated the role of nonpharmacological interventions in preventing or delaying cognitive impairment in individuals with and without dementia. By using a retrospective case-control study of 22 participants across two senior centers in San Diego, they found no significant differences in self-reported activities. However, they found that their results reflected activity rather than the activity itself, suggesting the need for an alternative type of study.
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The effect of COVID-19 on the USA house market
COVID-19 has impacted the way many people go about their daily lives, but what are the main factors driving the changes in the housing market, particular house prices?
Read More...The influence of purpose-of-use on information overload in online social networking
Here, seeking to understand the effects of social media in relation to social media fatigue and/or overload in recent years, the authors used various linear models to assess the results of a survey of 27 respondents. Their results showed that increased duration of use of social media did not necessarily lead to fatigue, suggesting that quality may be more important than quantity. They also considered the purpose of an individual's social media usage as well as their engagement behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read More...Contrasting role of ASCC3 and ALKBH3 in determining genomic alterations in Glioblastoma Multiforme
Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant brain tumor with the highest fraction of genome alterations (FGA), manifesting poor disease-free status (DFS) and overall survival (OS). We explored The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and cBioportal public dataset- Firehose legacy GBM to study DNA repair genes Activating Signal Cointegrator 1 Complex Subunit 3 (ASCC3) and Alpha-Ketoglutarate-Dependent Dioxygenase AlkB Homolog 3 (ALKBH3). To test our hypothesis that these genes have correlations with FGA and can better determine prognosis and survival, we sorted the dataset to arrive at 254 patients. Analyzing using RStudio, both ASCC3 and ALKBH3 demonstrated hypomethylation in 82.3% and 61.8% of patients, respectively. Interestingly, low mRNA expression was observed in both these genes. We further conducted correlation tests between both methylation and mRNA expression of these genes with FGA. ASCC3 was found to be negatively correlated, while ALKBH3 was found to be positively correlated, potentially indicating contrasting dysregulation of these two genes. Prognostic analysis showed the following: ASCC3 hypomethylation is significant with DFS and high ASCC3 mRNA expression to be significant with OS, demonstrating ASCC3’s potential as disease prediction marker.
Read More...Examining the Growth of Methanotrophic Bacteria Immersed in Extremely Low-Frequency Electromagnetic Fields
Scientist are investigating the use of methane-consuming bacteria to aid the growing problem of rising greenhouse gas emissions. While previous studies claim that low-frequency electromagnetic fields can accelerate the growth rate of these bacteria, Chu et al. demonstrate that this fundamental ideology is not on the same wavelength with their data.
Read More...Milkweed sustainability in the Sonoran Desert: A. erosa is more water-efficient compared to two other species
This study assesses the capacity for milkweed species, an important host plant for Monarch butterflies, to grow in desert environments with different water levels.
Read More...A study on the stretching behavior of rubber bands
Here, the authors considered the stretching behavior of rubber bands by exposing the rubber bands to increasing loads and measuring their stretch response. They found that a linear stretch response was observed for intermediate loading steps, but this behavior was lost at lower or higher loads, deviating from Hooke's Law. The authors suggest that studies such as these can be used to evaluate other visco-elastic structures.
Read More...Heat conduction: Mathematical modeling and experimental data
In this experiment, the authors modify the heat equation to account for imperfect insulation during heat transfer and compare it to experimental data to determine which is more accurate.
Read More...TNF signaling pathway upregulation as a potential pharmaceutical target for cocaine-addicted individuals
In this article, the authors investigate the RNA expression differences between groups of chronic cocaine abusers and drug-free subjects.
Read More...Examining effects of E. muscae on olfactory function in D. melanogaster
In this article, the authors investigate the effects of fungus E. muscae on fruit fly behavior. More specifically, they investigate whether this fungus affects olfaction. Their findings contribute to a broader set of studies seeking to understand how host's central nervous systems can be affected by infections.
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