167 articles from TUESDAY 22.11.2022
COP27's 'loss and damage' fund for developing countries could be a breakthrough—or another empty climate promise
Developing nations were justifiably jubilant at the close of COP27 as negotiators from wealthy countries around the world agreed for the first time to establish a dedicated "loss and damage" fund for vulnerable countries harmed by climate change.
Opinion: How the fossil fuel lobby crowded out calls for climate justice at COP27
COP27 has just wrapped up. Despite much excitement over a new fund to address "loss and damage" caused by climate change, there is also anger about perceived backsliding on commitments to lower emissions and phase out fossil fuels.
Researchers evaluate performance of MODIS land reflectance products in water monitoring
Satellite ocean color instruments are used to characterize physical, chemical, and biological variabilities in oceanic, coastal, and inland waters. However, the massive loss and large uncertainty of remote sensing reflectance data result in difficulty in monitoring nearshore coastal and inland waters.
Scientists say chemicals could undercut global plastics treaty
Next week the United Nations intergovernmental negotiating committee will meet in Uruguay to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. There is concern brewing among scientists that the negotiations will overlook the diversity and complexity of chemicals present in plastics. This would severely undermine the treaty's effectiveness, according to a new article...
Green stormwater control measures clean up urban streams
Catching urban runoff in raingardens and rainwater capture tanks improves the water quality of nearby streams and rivers and lowers water temperatures that have risen in the region due to climate change and the urban heat island effect, according to a new report spanning two decades in the greater Melbourne metropolitan area of Australia.
Researchers introduce a Persian language tool for evaluating aesthetic responsiveness
Some people have strong reactions to art and music, others hardly any. In 2020, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics (MPIEA) in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, developed a method that scientists can use to predict the general receptivity of potential study participants to aesthetic stimuli. Initially, the Aesthetic Responsiveness Assessment (AReA) was available only in...
Researchers find decrease in crucial trace element preceded ancient mass extinction
A decline in the element molybdenum across the planet's oceans preceded a significant extinction event approximately 183 million years ago, new research from Florida State University shows.
Researchers working to improve and simplify models for how PFAS flow through ground
As a growing number of communities are forced to confront PFAS contamination in their groundwater, a key hurdle in addressing this harmful group of chemicals lies in unraveling how they move through a region of the environment called the unsaturated zone—a jumble of soil, rock and water sandwiched between the ground's surface and the water table below.
Secretion secrets revealed: Pathogen effector characterization for a devastating plant disease
Sometimes the most niche plant pathogens pack the greatest punch. Such is the case for the Florida citrus industry, which has seen a 70% decline in its orange production since the introduction of Huanglongbing (citrus greening) in 2005.
Opinion: COP27 will be remembered as a failure—here's what went wrong
Billed as "Africa's COP", the 27th UN climate change summit (otherwise known as COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, was expected to promote climate justice, as this is the continent most affected but least responsible for the climate crisis. Negotiations for a fund that would compensate developing countries for the loss and damage that climate change has wrought dominated the negotiations. In the...
New insights into how long-banned PCBs unleash their toxicity inside the body
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been widely used in industrial and commercial products including plastics, paints, electronic equipment and insulating fluids. Their manufacture was extensively banned from the late 1970s onwards due to their toxicity, but large amounts still remain in our environment and accumulate inside animals' bodies.
Researchers use low-cost 3D printer to develop new method for creating microspheres
Researchers use powerful microchannel droplet generation equipment to create uniform polymer microsphere materials, which have high economic values. These microspheres are spherical microparticles that can be used in many applications including medical devices, biotechnology, the construction industry, veterinary science, and environmental studies.
New way to synthesize mRNAs could enhance effectiveness of mRNA drugs and vaccines
A team of synthetic biologists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has recently discovered a way that could increase synthetic mRNA's protein production efficiency by up to 10 times, which means the effectiveness of mRNA vaccines and drugs—such as those used against cancer, COVID-19 or other genetic diseases, will be greatly boosted with even less dosage of the mRNAs.
It is still too early to use artificial intelligence for criminal justice, claims new paper
Artificial intelligence is poised to reshape our world in countless ways and in almost every field. This includes the criminal justice system. Algorithm-based, data-driven decision-making is being increasingly used in pre-trial risk assessments in the United States as a tool to calculate a defendant's risk of reoffending. Proponents argue that this removes inherent bias present in criminal justice...
Experiment demonstrates nanoscale structures can improve reverse osmosis seawater desalination
A multinational team of researchers have developed a process that builds on the success of current reverse osmosis processes that remove salt from seawater. Researchers led by Professor Heqing Jiang, of the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences published their findings Nov. 18, 2022 in Nano Research.
NOAA's GOES-U completes thermal vacuum testing
NOAA's GOES-U, the final satellite in the GOES-R Series of advanced geostationary environmental satellites, recently completed thermal vacuum (TVAC) testing as part of a rigorous assessment program to ensure the satellite can withstand the harsh conditions of launch and orbiting 22,236 miles above Earth's equator. The testing is taking place at Lockheed Martin Space's Littleton, Colorado,...
NASA, ESA reveal tale of death, dust in Orion constellation
A new image combining previously released data from three telescopes shows a region that includes the Orion Nebula, named after the mighty hunter from Greek mythology who was felled by a scorpion's sting. But the story of how this dusty region came to be is just as dramatic.
Limiting global warming now can preserve valuable freshwater
Snowcapped mountains not only look majestic, they're also vital to a delicate ecosystem that has existed for tens of thousands of years. Mountain water runoff and snowmelt flows down to streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans—and today, around a quarter of the world depends on these natural "water towers" to replenish downstream reservoirs and groundwater aquifers for urban water supplies,...
New microscope can take 3D images of cells while working in a natural environment
To observe living cells through a microscope, a sample is usually squeezed onto a glass slide. It then lies there calmly and the cells are observable. The disadvantage is that this limits how the cells behave and it only produces two-dimensional images.
New study brings personalized immunotherapy prescriptions a step closer
- ScienceDaily
- 22/11/22 21:28
In a step likely to advance personalized cancer treatment, scientists have for the first time shown in patients that levels of biomarkers are not enough to tell which patients are likely to respond best to immunotherapy. Instead, clinicians need to understand how immune cells and tumors are interacting within a patient, rather than simply the levels of each associated proteins present, to...
Quantum algorithms save time in the calculation of electron dynamics
- ScienceDaily
- 22/11/22 21:28
Quantum computers promise significantly shorter computing times for complex problems. But there are still only a few quantum computers worldwide with a limited number of so-called qubits. However, quantum computer algorithms can already run on conventional servers that simulate a quantum computer. A team has succeeded in calculating the electron orbitals and their dynamic development using an...
'Primordial super-enhancers' provide early snapshot of the mechanisms that allowed for multicellularity
- ScienceDaily
- 22/11/22 21:28
A new study has found that organelle-like transcriptional condensates are an ancient and flexible tool used by cells to drive rapid gene expression.
COVID-19 vaccine gives substantial protection against reinfection, study finds
- ScienceDaily
- 22/11/22 21:28
Individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, still benefit from vaccination, gaining 60% to 94% protection against reinfection, depending on the variant, according to a new study.
Birth choices after previous cesarean and risk of pelvic floor surgery
- ScienceDaily
- 22/11/22 21:27
Vaginal birth after a previous cesarean section is associated with an increased risk of pelvic floor surgery compared with planning another cesarean, according to a new study. The findings provide useful information to help women who have had a previous cesarean section when planning how to give birth in their next pregnancy.
Challenging guidelines on pregnancy interval following miscarriage or abortion
- ScienceDaily
- 22/11/22 21:27
Conception within three months of a miscarriage or an abortion is not associated with increased risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to new research. The study suggests that, contrary to current advice, women could attempt pregnancy after a previous miscarriage or induced abortion without elevated perinatal risks and reassures those who want to try again sooner than guidelines recommend....