Mice lacking a certain gene are unable to produce offspring because their sperm lack the connection between the tail and the head. A new thesis from the University of Gothenburg indicates a probable cause of male infertility. Researchers at the University of Gothenburg have identified a new protein, dubbed by them as “MC2”, that plays a crucial part in the formation of swimmable sperm in mice. This protein is needed to create a functional connection between the head and the tail of the sperm. “The connection is located in the ‘neck’ of the sperm head and facilitates coordinated movement and function ...

(WASHINGTON, DC) 18 JANUARY 2024 — Bottom trawling is a previously unaccounted for source of atmospheric carbon emissions, scientists reveal in a study published today. As the world scrambles to slash emissions caused by fossil fuels, deforestation and other sources, the study finds bottom trawling — the act of dragging a heavy fishing net across the ocean floor and resuspending some of the carbon in the seafloor sediment — to be a significant source of atmospheric carbon pollution. A previous study found that part of that disturbed ...

Osaka, Japan – At the heart of global internet connectivity, optical communications form an indispensable foundation.  Key to this foundation are optical isolators, created by combining multiple components. The result is a complex structure that transmits light in only one direction, to prevent damage to lasers and minimize noise by avoiding the reversal of light. However, some magnetic materials have an optical diode effect – an unconventional nonreciprocal absorption of light manifested by the material itself. This effect leads to a change in transmittance depending ...

Fukuoka, Japan – Researchers at Kyushu University, in collaboration with Osaka University and the Fine Ceramics Center, have developed a framework that uses machine learning to speed up the discovery of materials for green energy technology. Using the new approach, the researchers identified and successfully synthesized two new candidate materials for use in solid oxide fuel cells – devices that can generate energy using fuels like hydrogen, which don’t emit carbon dioxide. Their findings, which were reported in the journal, ...

In response to the pressing need to reduce pesticide usage and adapt grapevine varieties to climate change, there's an unprecedented effort to phenotype new genotypes using high-throughput methods. Teams globally are developing advanced systems, employing technologies like multispectral cameras and LiDAR, to assess growth traits, photosynthetic capability, and other architectural parameters. However, traditional methods remain time-consuming and less efficient for large-scale studies. The current research gap lies in effectively employing LiDAR technology ...

Cultivating seed mixtures for local pastures is an age-old method to produce cost-effective and balanced animal feed, enhancing agricultural autonomy and environmental friendliness in line with evolving European regulations and organic consumer demands. Despite its benefits, farmers face adoption challenges due to the asynchronous ripening of cereals and legumes and the difficulty in assessing the nutritional value of heterogeneous seeds. Current practices rely on informal, empirical methods, and a proposed solution is to develop a mobile app or online service, similar to Pl@ntNet, for automated nutritional evaluation of seed mixtures, ...

The 3-dimensional point cloud technology revolutionizes non-invasive measurement of plant phenotypic parameters, offering vital data for agriculture and research. Current research focuses on overcoming the limitations of 2.5D imaging and occlusions. Methods such as structure from motion, multi-view stereo, and advanced active 3D reconstruction techniques are being explored for this purpose. However, issues persist with incomplete data acquisition and the inaccuracy of phenotypic parameter extraction due ...

To improve grape yield predictions, automated berry counting has emerged as a crucial yet challenging task due to the dense distribution and occlusion of berries. While grape cultivation is a significant global economic activity, traditional manual counting methods are inaccurate and inefficient. Recent research has shifted towards deep learning and computer vision, employing detection and density estimation techniques for more precise counts. However, these methods grapple with the variability of farmland and high occlusion rates, leading to significant counting errors. Additionally, creating high-performance ...

Advancements in whole-genome sequencing have revolutionized plant species characterization, providing a wealth of genotypic data for analysis. The combination of genomic selection and neural networks, especially deep learning and autoencoders, has emerged as a promising method for predicting complex traits from this data. Despite the success in applications like plant phenotyping, challenges remain in accurately translating visual information from images into measurable data for genomic studies. In November 2023, Plant ...

Erin Overstreet has been selected as the new executive director of the USC Stevens Center for Innovation where she will oversee the university’s commercialization of USC-driven intellectual property.   Overstreet’s expertise and experience embody technology transfer and innovation across the academic, educational, and venture capital sectors; such experience is critical for bridging USC research to a broadened, national technology transfer ecosystem, said Ishwar Puri, senior vice president of the Office of Research and Innovation. “The university has the utmost confidence in Dr. Overstreet’s ability to ...

In the field of Landscape Architecture, Topography aims to study the complex and ongoing changing relationship between humans and the land through continuously updated and iterative tools and media. It maintains a balance between abstract concepts and concrete perceptions, which can both drive the development of science and technology in this field and hold on to openness to artistic expression. Thus, topographical design may be an effective way to help facilitate refining landscape design methods.    The work entitled “Can Topography ...

Associate Professor Andrew Baker from QUT School of Biology and Environmental Science said antechinuses are carnivorous marsupials well-known for suicidal sex sessions where all males die after the 1 to 3 week breeding period. “During the breeding season, male and females mate promiscuously in frenzied bouts lasting as long as 14 hours. Certain stress-induced death follows for all males as surging testosterone causes cortisol to flood uncontrolled through the body, reaching pathological levels,” Professor Baker said. “The males drop dead, which provides an opportunity ...

Protecting the world’s oceans against accelerating damage from human activities could be cheaper and take up less space than previously thought, new research has found. The University of Queensland’s Professor Anthony Richardson collaborated on the study, which looks to halt the rapid decline of marine biodiversity from expanding industrial activities in marine areas beyond national jurisdictions (ABNJ). “This ‘blue acceleration’ as we call it, has seen a greater diversity of stakeholders interested in ABNJs, such as the high seas and the international seabed beyond exclusive economic zones,” ...

Frequently using more than three strategies to stay alert while driving could be a sign of excessive sleepiness due to obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), according to a study published today (Thursday) in ERJ Open Research [1].   People with OSA often snore loudly, their breathing starts and stops during the night, and they may wake up several times. Around one in five people are estimated to have OSA but the majority of sufferers do not realise they have a problem. OSA causes excessive sleepiness and people with untreated OSA are at higher risk of collisions on the road.   Researchers say that asking people ...

Globally, non-point source pollution is an important source of water quality deterioration in rivers and lakes. A ditch-pond system, consisting of ditches and ponds, is considered to be similar to free-surface wetlands, linking pollution sources to the receiving water bodies. The ditch-pond system includes vegetation, microorganisms and sediment, which can slow down the flow velocity and promote the precipitation of particulate matter carried by running water. At the same time, ditch and pond systems reduces nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, and those of other nutrients entering the downstream water by means of plant absorption, sediment adsorption and microbial degradation, ...

The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health: Paediatric care for non-White children is universally worse across the USA; policy reform urgently needed to address disparities Two-paper Series identifies pervasive racial inequities in paediatric care in the USA, and outlines policies to address structural racism embedded in wider sectors of society that shape children’s health. A review of recent evidence reveals widespread patterns of inequitable care across paediatric specialties, including neonatal care, emergency medicine, surgery, developmental disabilities, mental ...

Peer reviewed – observational study - humans Genotyping technology detects Covid variants more quickly and cheaply than ever before – according to research from the University of East Anglia and the UK Health Security Agency. A new study published today reveals that the technique detects new variants almost a week more quickly than traditional whole genome sequencing methods. The research team say that genotyping allowed Covid variant information to be more rapidly detected and communicated to frontline health protection professionals at the height of the pandemic. Importantly, it helped to implement ...

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may have an increased risk of death from both natural and unnatural causes than those without the disorder, finds a study from Sweden published by The BMJ today. The researchers point out that many of the natural causes of death are preventable, suggesting that better surveillance, prevention, and early intervention strategies should be implemented to reduce the risk of fatal outcomes in people with OCD. OCD is typically a long term psychiatric disorder affecting about 2% of the population. It is characterised ...

Routinely referring patients to a tailored programme of physiotherapy after a dislocated shoulder is no better than a single session of advice, supporting materials and the option to self-refer to physiotherapy, finds a clinical trial published by The BMJ today. The findings should help clinicians and patients have informed discussions about the best approach to non-operative rehabilitation, say the researchers. The shoulder is the most frequently dislocated joint, with rates highest in men aged 16-20 years ...

UK law changes pose a threat to the security of messaging apps – and therefore their use in the NHS. In The BMJ today, doctors warn that patient care will suffer if they can no longer use apps such asWhatsApp and Signal to share information. In March 2020, in the face of the pandemic, clinicians were officially allowed to use messaging services such as WhatsApp “where the benefits outweigh the risk,” reversing years of caution about their use in patient care – provided ...

A tiny fraction of schools in England – about three in every 500 – have whole-school policies which address foreign languages, English usage, and integrating students who speak English as an additional language (EAL), new research indicates. The study of almost 1,000 secondary schools, by researchers at the University of Cambridge, questions many schools’ claims to being ‘inclusive’ spaces that value the linguistic diversity of their communities. It also suggests that language learning, and an appreciation of different languages, is being deprioritised, conflicting with Government ambitions for 90% of students to study a ...

Female Meadow Brown butterflies have fewer spots if they develop in warmer weather – so climate change could make them less spotty, new research shows. University of Exeter scientists found females that developed at 11°C had six spots on average, while those developing 15°C had just three. The findings challenge long-held scientific views about why these butterflies have varying numbers of spots. “Meadow Browns always have large ‘eyespots’ on their forewings, probably for startling predators,” said Professor Richard ffrench-Constant, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall. “They ...

After children experienced severe traumatic brain injury, the infusion of bone marrow mononuclear cells derived from the patient’s own bones led to less time spent in intensive care, less intense therapy, and, significantly, the structural preservation of white matter, which constitutes about half the total volume of the brain, according to new research from UTHealth Houston. The study, published recently in the medical journal Brain, was based on the results of a Phase II clinical trial led by first author Charles S. Cox Jr., MD, the George and Cynthia Mitchell Distinguished Chair in Neurosciences and the Glassell Family Distinguished Chair in the ...

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Tony Garcia often reflects on his grandfather’s words: “Work hard and be good to people, and you’ll end up happy.” This simple principle has been Garcia’s beacon throughout his academic and professional journeys, and now has led to his recognition with a prestigious 2023 Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers STAR of Today award for technical achievement. The STAR awards recognize individuals in STEM who are not only excelling in their fields but also making a significant impact through their work, research ...

Imagine journeying back in time to the era of woolly mammoths, some 14,000 years ago. That’s what a team of international researchers from the University of Ottawa, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, McMaster University and Adelphi University, and Indigenous scholars, managed to do. Using novel high-resolution isotope profiling (a sort of “paleo-GPS”), they were able to connect the dots between the wanderings of a woolly mammoth and the earliest known human settlements in the remote ...