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Social Science19 Apr 2024

UBC research helps migrating salmon survive mortality hot-spot

When Kevin Ryan and the other hardworking volunteers at Mossom Creek Hatchery in Port Moody, B.C. release young coho smolts into the ocean, they’re never quite certain how many will return as adults. Mossom releases between 5,000 and 10,000 coho smolts each year, and is one of the few hatcheries to release coho directly into the ocean, rather than into a river. Until now, no research had looked at the success of direct ocean releases of coho. UBC researchers used acoustic telemetry to tag and track coho on their journey. The results were revealing: ...

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Science19 Apr 2024

Technical Trials for Easing the (Cosmological) Tension

Thanks to the dizzying growth of cosmic observations and measurement tools and some new advancements (primarily the “discovery” of what we call dark matter and dark energy) all against the backdrop of General Relativity, the early 2000s were a time when nothing seemed capable of challenging the advancement of our knowledge about the cosmos, its origins, and its future evolution. Even though we were aware there was still much to uncover, the apparent agreement between our observations, calculations, and theoretical framework was indicating that our knowledge of the universe was set to grow significantly and without ...

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Environment19 Apr 2024

Mapping plant functional diversity from space: HKU ecologists revolutionize ecosystem monitoring with novel field-satellite integration

An international team of researchers, led by Professor Jin WU from the School of Biological Sciences at The University of Hong Kong (HKU), has made a promising advancement in mapping plant functional traits from space using time-series satellite data. The study, published in Remote Sensing of Environment, showcases the innovative combination of the Sentinel-2 satellite mission and its dynamic time-series capabilities. This innovative approach not only unlocks a deeper understanding of essential foliar traits, providing crucial insights ...

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Energy19 Apr 2024

Lightweight and flexible yet strong? Versatile fibers with dramatically improved energy storage capacity

The latest wearable devices, such as Samsung's Galaxy Ring and Apple's Vision Pro, are taking healthcare a step further and even enabling people to work virtually. Given the characteristics of wearable devices that require them to be small and lightweight, there is an inevitable limitation on battery capacity, still presenting a technical barrier to incorporating a variety of functions. In order for wearable devices to fully realize the imagined life, it is necessary to develop a lighter and more fromlessenergy storage method. The Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) announced that a joint research team led by Dr. Hyeonsu Jeong ...

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Medicine19 Apr 2024

3 ways to improve diabetes care through telehealth

Grocery stores, airports and beaches aren’t great places to have telehealth visits with your endocrinologist. But home can be one of the best locations, giving a doctor helpful insights into a patient’s home environment, which can positively impact their care. This is just one finding shared in a new study published this week in The Journal of Clinical Diabetes. Researchers interviewed clinicians and staff who provide diabetes care through telehealth across four University of California academic medical ...

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Environment19 Apr 2024

A flexible and efficient DC power converter for sustainable-energy microgrids

A new DC-DC power converter is superior to previous designs and paves the way for more efficient, reliable and sustainable energy storage and conversion solutions. The Kobe University development can efficiently interface with a wide range of energy sources while enhancing system stability and simplicity at an unprecedented efficiency. Electric power comes in two kinds, AC (alternating current) and DC (direct current). Famously, the question over which kind should be used for national power grids, the “Current War” of the late 19th century, got settled in favor of AC and most power plants today produce ...

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Medicine19 Apr 2024

Key protein regulates immune response to viruses in mammal cells

Researchers have revealed the regulatory mechanism of a specific protein that plays a key role in balancing the immune response triggered by viral infections in mammal cells. These findings could help drive the development of antiviral therapies and nucleic acid medicines to treat genetic disorders. For cells to protect themselves from viral infections, a series of immune responses typically occur, including programmed cell death called apoptosis and interferon signaling. While apoptosis is a normal process, which occurs with or without the presence ...

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Technology19 Apr 2024

Development of organic semiconductors featuring ultrafast electrons

Professors Kimoon Kim and Ji Hoon Shim along with Dr. Yeonsang Lee from the Department of Chemistry at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and Professor Jun Sung Kim from POSTECH’s Department of Physics and the Center for Artificial Low Dimensional Electronic Systems at the Institute for Basic Science created conducting two-dimensional polymers exhibiting electron mobility comparable to graphene. Their research has been featured in the online edition of Chem, an international chemistry journal. Graphene, called a ...

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Medicine19 Apr 2024

Cancer is a disease of aging, but studies of older adults sorely lacking

A systemic review of the current body of research shows that investigators have inadequately addressed the intersection of aging, health disparities, and cancer outcomes among older adults. This is the conclusion of a new paper published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, and led by Nikesha Gilmore, PhD, a member of Wilmot Cancer Institute at the University of Rochester. As the population of survivors of cancer 65 and older will likely double in size during the next two decades, the review reveals an urgent need for ...

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Medicine19 Apr 2024

Dietary treatment more effective than medicines in IBS

Dietary treatment is more effective than medications in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). These are the findings of a study conducted at the University of Gothenburg. With dietary adjustments, more than seven out of ten patients had significantly reduced symptoms. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common diagnosis that causes abdominal pain, gas and abdominal bloating, diarrhea, and constipation, in various combinations and with varying degrees of severity. Treatment often consists of dietary advice such as eating small and frequent meals and avoiding excessive intake of food triggers such as coffee, alcohol and fizzy drinks. Patients may also be given medications to improve specific ...

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Science19 Apr 2024

Silent flight edges closer to take off, according to new research

The study, published today in Journal of Fluid Mechanics, reveals for the first time how noise is generated and propagated from these engines, technically known as boundary layer ingesting (BLI) ducted fans. BLI ducted fans are similar to the large engines found in modern airplanes but are partially embedded into the plane's main body instead of under the wings. As they ingest air from both the front and from the surface of the airframe, they don't have to work as hard to move the plane, so it burns ...

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Medicine19 Apr 2024

Why can zebrafish regenerate damaged heart tissue, while other fish species cannot?

A heart attack will leave a permanent scar on a human heart, yet other animals, including some fish and amphibians, can clear cardiac scar tissue and regrow damaged muscle as adults. Scientists have sought to figure out how special power works in hopes of advancing medical treatments for human cardiac patients, but the great physiological differences between fish and mammals make such inquiries difficult. So University of Utah biologists, led by assistant professor Jamie Gagnon, tackled the problem ...

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Medicine19 Apr 2024

Keck School of Medicine of USC orthopaedic surgery chair elected as 2024 AAAS fellow

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has elected surgeon-researcher Jay Lieberman, MD, chair and professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, among its class of 2024 fellows. The AAAS is the world’s oldest and largest general science organization and the publisher of Science, a top peer-reviewed academic journal. Election as a fellow is a lifetime honor — and one of the AAAS’s highest — signaling extraordinary achievement in the advancement or application of science. Lieberman ...

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Science18 Apr 2024

Returning rare earth element production to the United States

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — ReElement Technologies on Thursday (April 18) signed an exclusive license to use patented Purdue University technologies to domestically refine and sell minerals critical in manufacturing modern, high-tech products for commercial and industrial use. The license was signed during the Purdue Innovates Startup and Technology Expo 2024 at the Purdue University Memorial Union. Sourcing rare earth and critical battery elements Rare earth elements are foundational essentials in permanent ...

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Medicine18 Apr 2024

University of Houston Professor Kaushik Rajashekara elected International Fellow of the Engineering Academy of Japan

Kaushik Rajashekara, Distinguished Professor of Engineering at the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering, continues to receive recognition and awards on a global scale. The man who ushered in the era of electric cars, working on the General Motors EV1 in 1995 when he was a Technical Fellow there, has been elected an International Fellow of the Engineering Academy of Japan, recognized for his contributions to power conversion and, of course, electrification of transportation. According to the academy, Rajashekara’s ...

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Medicine18 Apr 2024

Solving antibiotic and pesticide resistance with infectious worms

To study how parasites evolve to break the defenses of their hosts, the National Institutes of Health has granted UC Riverside nematologist Simon “Niels” Groen a $1.9 million Outstanding Investigator Award. Roundworm parasites infect humans, livestock, and crop plants. Insights into why certain worms can evade host immune protections could help preempt a ticking time bomb: the decreasing effectiveness of pesticides and antibiotics for infections. Bacterial, fungal, and parasite resistance to drugs and pesticides is making it harder, and sometimes impossible, to treat common infections ...

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Science18 Apr 2024

Three ORNL scientists elected AAAS Fellows

Three scientists from the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, or AAAS, the world’s largest general scientific society and publisher of the Science family of journals. "Keith Kline, Rigoberto Advincula and Takeshi Egami have delivered significant impact for the scientific community," said ORNL Director Stephen Streiffer. "This distinguished honor highlights their commitment, hard work and leadership in their respective fields. I offer my congratulations to them on this well-deserved recognition.” AAAS ...

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Engineering18 Apr 2024

Rice bioengineers win $1.4 million ARPA-H grant for osteoarthritis research

HOUSTON – (April 18, 2024) – Bioengineers at Rice University have been awarded $1.4 million as part of a multi-center consortium funded by the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop strategies for reversing the effects of osteoarthritis. “We’re thrilled to be a part of this collaborative effort to tackle one of the most challenging degenerative joint diseases and develop, test and commercialize solutions for patients,” said Antonios Mikos, the Louis Calder Professor of Chemical Engineering and professor of bioengineering ...

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Medicine18 Apr 2024

COVID-19 booster immunity lasts much longer than primary series alone, York University-led study shows

April 18, 2024, TORONTO – Thinking about getting a spring-time booster shot? A new study coming out of York University’s Centre for Disease Modelling in the Faculty of Science shows that immunity after a COVID-19 booster lasts much longer than the primary series alone. These findings are among other, sometimes “unintuitive,” revelations of how factors like age, sex and comorbidities do and don’t affect immune response. The study’s authors – York Post Doctoral researchers Chapin ...

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Science18 Apr 2024

Bentham Science joins United2Act

Bentham Science Publishers is now a signatory organization of United2Act's consensus statement on paper mills. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of research integrity in academic and scientific publishing. Part of the effort to uphold integrity in scientific publishing includes preventing publication from fraudulent 'paper mills' which negatively impact the credibility of research. We fully support the COPE position statement on this critical issue. The intrusion of fraudulent papers into the publication record not only undermines public trust in research but also poses significant risks to ...

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Science18 Apr 2024

When thoughts flow in one direction

Contrary to previous assumptions, nerve cells in the human neocortex are wired differently than in mice. Those are the findings of a new study conducted by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and published in the journal Science.* The study found that human neurons communicate in one direction, while in mice, signals tend to flow in loops. This increases the efficiency and capacity of the human brain to process information. These discoveries could further the development of artificial neural networks. The neocortex, a critical structure for human intelligence, is less than five millimeters thick. There, in the outermost layer of the brain, 20 billion neurons process ...

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Medicine18 Apr 2024

Scientists identify airway cells that sense aspirated water and acid reflux

Scientists Identify Airway Cells That Sense Aspirated Water and Acid Reflux The new work by UCSF researchers could lead to interventions to prevent pneumonia or treat certain types of chronic cough. When a mouthful of water goes down the wrong pipe – heading toward a healthy person’s lungs instead of their gut – they start coughing uncontrollably. That’s because their upper airway senses the water and quickly signals the brain. The same coughing reflex is set off in people with acid reflux, when acid from the stomach reaches the throat. Now, UC San Francisco scientists have identified the rare type of cell responsible ...

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Science18 Apr 2024

China’s major cities show considerable subsidence from human activities

The land under nearly half of China’s major cities is undergoing moderate to severe subsidence, affecting roughly one-third of the nation’s urban population, according to a systematic national-scale satellite assessment. The findings suggest that within the next century, 22 to 26% of China’s coastal land will have a relative elevation lower than sea level, putting hundreds of millions of people at elevated risk of flooding due to sea-level rise. Over the last several decades, China has experienced one of the most rapid and extensive urban expansions in human history. This massive wave of urbanization may be threatened ...

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Medicine18 Apr 2024

Drugs of abuse alter neuronal signaling to reprioritize use over innate needs

Drugs of abuse, like cocaine and opioids, alter neuronal signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), hijacking a key brain reward system involved with the fulfillment of innate needs for survival, according to a new study in mice. The findings provide mechanistic insights into the intensification of drug-seeking behaviors in substance use disorders. Persistent drug use is accompanied by a profound reprioritization of motivations, skewing decision-making behaviors toward a myopic focus on drug use over other innate needs, like eating or drinking water, often ...

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Energy18 Apr 2024

Mess is best: disordered structure of battery-like devices improves performance

The energy density of supercapacitors – battery-like devices that can charge in seconds or a few minutes – can be improved by increasing the ‘messiness’ of their internal structure. Researchers led by the University of Cambridge used experimental and computer modelling techniques to study the porous carbon electrodes used in supercapacitors. They found that electrodes with a more disordered chemical structure stored far more energy than electrodes with a highly ordered structure. Supercapacitors are a key technology for the energy transition and could be useful for certain forms of public transport, as well as for ...

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