186 articles from TUESDAY 28.3.2023
Fast-growing open-access journals stripped of coveted impact factors
Nearly two dozen journals from two of the fastest growing open-access publishers, including one of the world’s largest journals by volume, will no longer receive a key scholarly imprimatur. On 20 March, the Web of Science database said it delisted the journals along with dozens of others, stripping them of an impact factor, the citation-based measure of quality that, although...
Promising Alzheimer’s therapy and related drugs shrink brains
A class of Alzheimer’s drugs that aims to slow cognitive decline, including the antibody lecanemab that was granted accelerated
approval in the United States in January
, can cause brain shrinkage, researchers report in a new analysis. Although scientists and drug developers have documented this loss of brain volume in clinical trial participants for years, the scientific...
The cure for winter flooding might be in this swamp—if California actually funds it
Matt Kaminski stood on a road scarcely higher than the floodplain, glassy pools on all sides stretched out like something from a dream. In the distance, a storm lumbered over the Coast Ranges.
Modeling agriculture matters for carbon cycling
To understand Earth's changing climate, scientists often turn to science-based computer simulations. Researchers strive to make these Earth system models as accurate as possible. Factors such as wind currents, air quality, and weather patterns all play a role. But current modeling has often overlooked one important activity: agriculture.
Researchers develop technology to protect food's bioactive compounds during digestion
Bioactive compounds present mostly in fruit and vegetables perform different bodily functions relating to health and well-being. Their effects are considered antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiaging and anticancer, among others.
Scientists develop model for more efficient simulations of protein interactions linked to cancer
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists have developed a theoretical model for more efficient molecular-level simulations of cell membranes and their lipid-protein interactions, part of a multi-institutional effort to better understand the behavior of cancer-causing membrane proteins.
A wise tool for modifying microbes
A DNA editing tool adapted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists makes engineering microbes for everything from bioenergy production to plastics recycling easier and faster.
Some coastal salt marshes are keeping up with sea level rise—for now
The world's salty, tidal marshes are hotspots of carbon storage and productivity, building up sediments and plant material to stay above sea level. However, as sea level rises at an increasing rate, scientists debate whether it's possible for wetlands to win the race. New research reveals how salt marshes along the U.S. East Coast have responded to accelerating sea level rise by building elevation...
An epigenetic fingerprint as proof of origin for chicken, shrimp and salmon
Free-range organic chicken or factory farming? Scientists at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) have developed a new detection method that can reveal such differences in husbandry. The so-called epigenetic method is based on the analysis of the characteristic patterns of chemical markers on the genome of the animals.
Highly charged ions melt nano gold nuggets
Normally, we have to make a choice in physics: Either we deal with big things—such as a metal plate and its material properties, or with tiny things—such as individual atoms. But there is also a world in between: The world of small but not yet tiny things, in which both effects of the macroscopic world and effects of the microscopic world play a role.
New method for fast, efficient and scalable cloud tomography
How do clouds shape the planet's future? Clouds are not just fluffy white shapes in the sky. They are vital for regulating the Earth's climate, as they influence the water cycle, atmospheric dynamics and energy balance. However, studying clouds is not easy. One way to do so is to use spaceborne imagers, but these imagers still face challenges of efficiency and scalability.
Preschoolers prefer to learn from a competent robot than an incompetent human, study shows
Who do children prefer to learn from? Previous research has shown that even infants can identify the best informant. But would preschoolers prefer learning from a competent robot over an incompetent human?
Natural-waste pads developed to keep packaged meat fresh
Pads incorporated into fresh meat packaging, whose function is to absorb the moisture generated in it, and that can cause food spoilage, are generally composed of plastic polymers derived from petroleum by-products.
Improved chip-scale color conversion lasers could enable many next-generation quantum devices
In two new studies, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have greatly improved the efficiency and power output of a series of chip-scale devices that generate laser light at different colors while all using the same input laser source.
Fluorescent visualization and evaluation of NPC1L1-mediated cholesterol absorption at the levels of endocytic vesicles
Excessive cholesterol absorption from intestinal lumen contributes to the pathogenesis of hypercholesterolemia, which is a well-established risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The absorption of intestinal cholesterol is primarily mediated by Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 (NPC1L1) protein, which is responsible for about 70% cholesterol absorption. NPC1L1-deficient mice are resistant to...
New EU project will standardise access to biodiversity data to empower policymakers
The magnitude and dynamics of the global biodiversity crisis are hard to quantify and require rapid, reliable and repeatable biodiversity monitoring data which decision makers can use to evaluate policy options. Such information—from local to global level and within timescales relevant to policy—calls for improved integration of data on biodiversity from different sources such as museums,...
'Nature gave us a lifeline:' Southern California refills largest reservoir after wet winter
Following a series of winter storms that eased drought conditions across the state, Southern Californians celebrated a sight nobody has seen for several punishing years: water rushing into Diamond Valley Lake.
Exploring the atomic flow of nanojoints in Ag nanowire interconnect networks for flexible electronics
Researchers from Xi'an Jiaotong University revealed the atomic flow behavior of nano-joints in AgNWs Interconnect Network. In order to further improve the joint quality, the thermal welding process and atomic evolution behavior of Ag nanowires were studied through a combination of in situ experimental and molecular dynamics simulations.
A covalent organic framework for photosynthesis of hydrogen peroxide with high quantum efficiency
H2O2 is not only a green oxidant that is widely used in environmental remediation, industrial synthesis, and medical healthcare, etc., but also an emerging energy carrier with a high energy density comparable to compressed H2.
Insight-HXMT and GECAM-C observations of the brightest-of-all-time GRB 221009A
The Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), together with some 40 research institutions worldwide, has released their latest discoveries on the brightest gamma-ray burst (dubbed as GRB 221009A) ever detected by humans.
Brightest gamma-ray burst ever observed reveals new mysteries of cosmic explosions
On October 9, 2022, an intense pulse of gamma-ray radiation swept through our solar system, overwhelming gamma-ray detectors on numerous orbiting satellites, and sending astronomers on a chase to study the event using the most powerful telescopes in the world.
Sydney astronomers provide rapid radio-wave follow-up observation for gamma ray burst GRB 221009A
Australian astronomers have provided vital information in the global effort to understand the brightest-ever detected gamma ray burst, which swept through our solar system on October 9 last year.
Rural educators find solutions to support multilingual learners
A new study has found that a professional development program helped teachers in a rural school district in the Southeast to collaborate and identify innovative solutions to serve multilingual learners, or students learning English as a second language.
Study finds fish assess misinformation to avoid overreaction
Fish can adjust their sensitivity to the actions of others—such as fleeing due to a false alarm—to reduce the risk of responding to misinformation, according to a new study. Other animals, including humans, may also have these decision-making mechanisms.
New cars sold in EU must be zero-emission from 2035
The deal was delayed for weeks after Germany called for an exemption for cars running on e-fuels.
Tiny yet hazardous: New study shows aerosols produced by contaminated bubble bursting are far smaller than predicted
A cold sparkling water. Waves crashing on the beach. The crackle of a bonfire. Steam from a kettle.
Earliest galaxies challenge ideas about star birth in infant universe
Charlotte Mason, an astrophysicist at the University of Copenhagen, had modest expectations 9 months ago, when she and her collaborators began to use JWST, the giant new space telescope, to
look back in time for the universe’s first galaxies
. Modeling suggested the patch of sky they were examining would hold just 0.2 galaxies—none, in other words, unless they got...
New additives could turn concrete into an effective carbon sink
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:55
Introducing additives to concrete manufacturing processes could reduce the sizeable carbon footprint of the material without altering its bulk mechanical properties, a study shows.
Retinal scans: A non-invasive, inexpensive method to track human aging
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:55
Is the eye a window into aging? New research has shown how imaging of the fundus, the blood vessel-rich tissue in the retina, can be used to track human aging, in a way that is noninvasive, less expensive and more accurate than other aging clocks that are currently available. Researchers also did a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to establish the genetic basis for such a clock, which they...
Brightest gamma-ray burst ever observed reveals new mysteries of cosmic explosions
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:55
Scientists believe the gamma-ray emission, which lasted over 300 seconds, is the birth cry of a black hole, formed as the core of a massive and rapidly spinning star collapses under its own weight.
Pulsing ultrasound waves could someday remove microplastics from waterways
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:55
Colorful particles of plastic drift along under the surface of most waterways. These barely visible microplastics -- less than 5 mm wide -- are potentially harmful to aquatic animals and plants, as well as humans. Now, a team reports a two-stage device made with steel tubes and pulsing sound waves that removes most of the plastic particles from real water samples.
Modern origami method creates glass shapes by folding
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:55
The ancient art of origami is well known for transforming sheets of paper and other foldable materials into complex 3D shapes. But now, chemical engineers have extended the centuries-old practice to produce intricate shapes made of glass or other hard materials. Their thoroughly modern method, which can be combined with 3D printing, could have applications ranging from sculpture to catalysis and...
Components of cytoskeleton strengthen effect of sex hormones
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:55
Researchers discover that actin acts in the cell nucleus and is partly responsible for the expression of male sexual characteristics.
Early study shows cones in retinal degeneration, thought to be dormant, may retain visual function
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:55
New research in mice suggests that 'dormant' cone photoreceptors in the degenerating retina are not dormant at all, but continue to function, producing responses to light and driving retinal activity for vision.
Conserving wildlife can help mitigate climate change
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:55
Solving the climate crisis and biodiversity crisis are not separate issues. Animals remove billions of tons of carbon dioxide each year. Restoring species will help limit global warming, new science reveals.
New form of omega-3 could prevent visual decline with Alzheimer's disease
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:55
For the first time, researchers have developed a form of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) that is capable of crossing into the eye's retina to ward off visual declines related to Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and other disorders.
SMART warnings could protect communities at risk from flooding
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:55
Engaging communities in developing a real-time early warning system could help to reduce the often-devastating impact of flooding on people and property -- particularly in mountainous regions where extreme water events are a 'wicked' problem, a new study reveals.
Phthalate alternative may harm brain development and health
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:55
Growing concerns over the potential health effects of exposure to phthalates have led to a search for safer alternatives. Researchers found that the chemical acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) might not be the best replacement.
Early morning university classes correlate with poor sleep and academic performance
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:54
Sleep scientists' analyses show associations between early classes, less sleep, poor attendance and reduced grade point average. Studies in secondary and junior college students have shown that later start times can have positive impacts on grades.
Candidate found to inhibit malignant melanoma growth
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:54
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are key factors in the tumor microenvironment, which have been implicated in cancer cell progression. It has also been reported that vesicles called exosomes produced by these CAFs play an important role in cancer progression. A research group investigated the effect of CAF-derived exosomes on the growth of malignant melanoma cells. They found that CAF-derived...
Even Sonoran Desert plants aren't immune to climate change
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:54
In North America's hottest, driest desert, climate change is causing the decline of plants once thought nearly immortal and replacing them with shorter shrubs that can take advantage of sporadic rainfall and warmer temperatures.
Shedding pounds may benefit your heart -- even if some weight is regained
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:54
Weight loss was associated with decreased risk factors for cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes for at least five years -- even if some weight was regained, according to a review of research on behavioral weight loss programs. People who lost weight through an intensive behavioral weight loss program had lower systolic blood pressure levels, total cholesterol-to-good cholesterol ratio and...
Turtles and crocodiles with unique characteristics are more likely to go extinct
- ScienceDaily
- 23/3/28 20:54
New study demonstrates that the most endangered turtles and crocodile species are those that have evolved unique life strategies. Many of the most threatened species carry out important ecosystem functions that other species depend on. Habitat loss was identified as the key overall threat to turtles and crocodiles, followed by climate change and global trade. Unique species faced additional...