110 articles from FRIDAY 5.8.2022

Growing cereal crops with less fertilizer

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have found a way to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizers needed to grow cereal crops. The discovery could save farmers in the United States billions of dollars annually in fertilizer costs while also benefiting the environment.

No, the human brain did not shrink 3,000 years ago: research

Did the 12th century B.C.E.—a time when humans were forging great empires and developing new forms of written text—coincide with an evolutionary reduction in brain size? Think again, says a UNLV-led team of researchers who refute a hypothesis that's growing increasingly popular among the science community.

Research team first to develop 3D structure of twinkle protein

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have developed a three-dimensional structure that allows them to see how and where disease mutations on the twinkle protein can lead to mitochondrial diseases. The protein is involved in helping cells use energy our bodies convert from food. Prior to the development of this 3D structure, researchers only had models and were unable to determine how...

Corruption is sending shock waves through China’s chipmaking industry

China’s chipmaking industry descended into chaos last week, with at least four top executives associated with a state-owned semiconductor fund arrested on corruption charges. It’s an explosive turn of events that could force the country to fundamentally rethink how it invests in chip development, according to analysts and experts.  On July 30, China’s top anticorruption institution...

Falling Space Debris is a Bigger Menace Than Ever

History remembers October 4, 1957, a lot better than it remembers January 4, 1958—though in recent weeks, the second date is coming to loom larger than the first. October 4, 1957, was the day the Soviet Union Launched Sputnik—the world’s first satellite—an achievement that heralded the start of the space age. “RUSS SATELLITE CIRCLING EARTH,” shouted the Los...

No trace of Nathan: the desperate family waiting for news of a missing brother

When Nathan Brosnan went missing his family was plunged into the agony of ‘not knowing’. A national DNA program is trying to give families like theirs answersGet our free news app, morning email briefing and daily news podcastIn a life punctuated by cycles of chaos, there was always one thing 35-year-old Nathan Brosnan kept constant. “It didn’t matter if he was having a mental health...

Common weed may be 'super plant' that holds key to drought-resistant crops

A common weed harbors important clues about how to create drought resistant crops in a world beset by climate change. Scientists describe how Portulaca oleracea, commonly known as purslane, integrates two distinct metabolic pathways to create a novel type of photosynthesis that enables the weed to endure drought while remaining highly productive.

New study explores cell receptor crucial for cardiovascular health

Cardiovascular diseases remain a leading cause of death around the world. A primary contributor to these afflictions is high blood pressure, or hypertension. While treatments exist for the condition, which affects tens of millions of Americans, these remedies are not without side effects, and some variants of the disorder are treatment-resistant. The need for more effective therapies to address...

The many ways nature nurtures human well-being

A systematic review of 301 academic articles on 'cultural ecosystem services' has enabled researchers to identify how these nonmaterial contributions from nature are linked to and significantly affect human well-being. They identified 227 unique pathways through which human interaction with nature positively or negatively affects well-being. These were then used to isolate 16 distinct underlying...

Dual-plasmid editing system improves DNA digital storage potential

DNA-based information is a new interdisciplinary field linking information technology and biotechnology. The field hopes to meet the enormous need for long-term data storage by using DNA as an information storage medium. Despite DNA's promise of strong stability, high storage density and low maintenance cost, however, researchers face problems accurately rewriting digital information encoded in...

The many ways nature nurtures human well-being

A systematic review of 301 academic articles on "cultural ecosystem services" has enabled researchers to identify how these nonmaterial contributions from nature are linked to and significantly affect human well-being. They identified 227 unique pathways through which human interaction with nature positively or negatively affects well-being. These were then used to isolate 16 distinct underlying...

New research on the emergence of the first complex cells challenges orthodoxy

In the beginning, there was boredom. Following the emergence of cellular life on earth, some 3.5 billion years ago, simple cells lacking a nucleus and other detailed internal structure dominated the planet. Matters would remain largely unchanged in terms of evolutionary development in these so-called prokaryotic cells—the bacteria and archaea—for another billion and a half years.

New at-home, saliva-based COVID test as effective as PCR in preliminary analysis

PCR tests, also called molecular tests or nucleic acid tests, are considered the gold standard in detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that gives rise to COVID-19. However, they can take a few days to process, resulting in unnecessary quarantine for negative individuals or delays for those who require proof of negative testing for travel or other commitments. Rapid antigen-detecting...

'Shouting distance': That's how close the Inflation Reduction Act would get US to its climate goals

Fires, heat waves, floods—the reality of climate change is front and center for millions of Americans. Yet among the downbeat of climate-related disasters, some hopeful news rang out last week with Democrats' surprise announcement of a bill designed to help the country meet its goals of curbing greenhouse gas emissions enough to help the planet avoid the worst projections of global warming.