In two states, legalization of recreational marijuana found to have little effect on crime

Eleven states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana. A new study funded by a grant from the National Institute of Justice sought to determine the effect of this legal change on crimes rates. The study, which looked at legalization and sales of recreational cannabis in Colorado and Washington, found minimal to no effect on rates of violent and property crimes in those states.

Regular exercise is good for your heart, no matter how old you are: study

Regular exercise is highly beneficial for all patients with cardiovascular disease regardless of age, report investigators in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology. Their results showed that the patients who benefited most from cardiac rehabilitation were those who started out with the greatest physical impairment.

UNAIDS HIV targets will be missed among gay men in Africa, study suggests

Despite improvements in HIV testing among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Africa, many are missing out on HIV treatment.

This flat structure morphs into shape of a human face when temperature changes

Researchers at MIT and elsewhere have designed 3-D printed mesh-like structures that morph from flat layers into predetermined shapes, in response to changes in ambient temperature. The new structures can transform into configurations that are more complex than what other shape-shifting materials and structures can achieve.

* This article was originally published here

Physicists shine light on properties of potential solar cell material

Research led by University of Texas at Dallas physicists has altered the understanding of the fundamental properties of perovskite crystals, a class of materials with great potential as solar cells and light emitters.

Extreme solar storms may be more frequent than previously thought

Researchers propose in a new study why an extreme solar storm in 1859 was so damaging to Earth's magnetic field. They compared the storm with other extreme storms in history, suggesting this storm is not likely unique.

One-dimensional objects morph into new dimensions

A line is the shortest distance between two points, but "A-line," a 4-D printing system developed at Carnegie Mellon University, takes a more circuitous route. One-dimensional, "line"-shaped plastic structures produced with the A-line system can bend, fold and twist themselves into predetermined shapes when triggered by heat.

Astronomers find cyanide gas in interstellar object 2I/Borisov

When the mysterious object known as 'Oumuamua passed Earth in October of 2017, astronomers rejoiced. In addition to being the first interstellar object detected in our solar system, its arrival opened our eyes to how often such events take place. Since asteroids and comets are believed to be material left over from the formation of a planetary system, it also presented an opportunity to study extrasolar systems.

Hobbies can fuel people's careers, research shows

Pursuing a hobby in an intense or serious way can boost people's confidence at work—but only if it uses different skills to their job, according to new research by Dr. Ciara Kelly and colleagues at the University of Sheffield's Institute of Work Psychology.

Why it's dangerous for Tanzania to withhold information about Ebola fears

In the past few weeks there have been unofficial reports that some people in Tanzania, including one in Dar es Salaam, had died of what was suspected to be Ebola virus disease. As we know, there is an ongoing outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in which thousands have died.

Literature sheds light on the history and mystery of the Southern Ocean

If you look at a globe, you'll see that the Southern Hemisphere is bluer than the Northern Hemisphere. A huge 80% of it is ocean compared to 60% of the North.

This microbe is spreading antibiotic resistance to other bacteria

Antibiotic resistance is spreading fast all over the world. When infectious bacteria mutate in a certain way and then multiply, they can become resistant to even the most powerful drugs. But research has revealed a worrying alternative way that antibiotic resistance can spread: an organism that passes on its resistance on to other living bacteria.

Computer model helps make sense of human memory

Brains are a mazy network of overlapping circuits—some pathways encourage activity while others suppress it. While earlier studies focused more on excitatory circuits, inhibitory circuits are now understood to play an equally important role in brain function. Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) and the RIKEN Center for Brain Science have created an artificial network to simulate the brain, demonstrating that tinkering with inhibitory circuits leads to extended memory.

The last mammoths died on a remote island

The last woolly mammoths lived on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Ocean; they died out 4,000 years ago within a very short time. An international research team from the Universities of Helsinki and Tübingen and the Russian Academy of Sciences has now reconstructed the scenario that could have led to the mammoths' extinction. The researchers believe a combination of isolated habitat and extreme weather events, and even the spread of prehistoric man may have sealed the ancient giants' fate. The study has been published in the latest edition of Quaternary Science Reviews.

Proximity to paths and roads is a burden for white-tailed sea eagles

The white-tailed sea eagle is known for reacting sensitively to disturbances. However, research into which factors have which effects on the animals and how these impacts influence breeding success has so far only just begun. A research team led by Dr. Oliver Krone from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) has now measured concentrations of the hormone corticosterone and its metabolic products in white-tailed sea eagles in northern Germany and correlated these values with potential causes of "stress". They found that the levels of corticosterone in the birds' urine are higher the closer a breeding pair's nest is to paths or roads. From this, the scientists derive implications for the management and protection of white-tailed sea eagles, in particular for protection zones around the nests. The study was published in the journal General and Comparative Endocrinology.

Researchers develop quantum-mechanical variant of the twin paradox

One of the fundamental challenges of physics is the reconciliation of Einstein's theory of relativity and quantum mechanics. The necessity to critically question these two pillars of modern physics arises, for example, from extremely high-energy events in the cosmos, which so far can only ever be explained by one theory at a time, but not both theories in harmony. Researchers around the world are therefore searching for deviations from the laws of quantum mechanics and relativity that could open up insights into a new field of physics.

More energy means more effects—in proton collisions

The higher the collision energy of particles, the more interesting the physics. Scientists from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Cracow have found further confirmation of this assumption, this time, in the high energy collision of protons with protons or lead nuclei.

GM strike negotiations take 'turn for the worse': union

Negotiations to resolve a three-week-old strike at General Motors for better pay, benefits and job security have taken "a turn for the worse," a top negotiator with the United Autoworkers Union said Sunday.

In Brazil, Amazon fires threaten millenary rock paintings

Ancient rock paintings in Brazil's Monte Alegre park are being threatened by some of the fires burning in the Amazon region.

Nobel season opens with Medicine Prize

The announcement of the Nobel Medicine Prize on Monday opens an unusual 2019 Nobel season in which two literature laureates will be crowned after a scandal postponed last year's award, amid speculation Greta Thunberg could nab the prestigious Peace Prize.

Cancer patients who exercise have less heart damage from chemotherapy

Patients with cancer should receive a tailored exercise prescription to protect their heart, reports a paper published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Study provides insights on treatment and prognosis of male breast cancer

A recent analysis reveals that treatment of male breast cancer has evolved over the years. In addition, certain patient-, tumor-, and treatment-related factors are linked with better survival. The findings are published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

OTC medications commonly used in cases of attempted suicide by self-poisoning in youth

A new study from Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Central Ohio Poison Center found rates of suicide attempts by self-poisoning among youth and adolescents are higher in rural communities, higher during the academic school year and involve common medications found in many households.

A Canadian essential medicines list must be evidence-based

An essential medicines list in Canada should be evidence-based and independent of conflicting interests, found a study of decision-makers and policy-makers that is published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Computer kidney sheds light on proper hydration

A new computer kidney developed at the University of Waterloo could tell researchers more about the impacts of medicines taken by people who don't drink enough water.