Add BrightSurf on Google Email

Science News for October 18, 2019


Bean tree plan to protect Amazon

A new project aims to use Inga trees to keep land fertile for the long term, reducing pressure on smallholders to abandon their land. The plan could help maintain tree cover in the Amazonian Arc of Deforestation by supporting sustainable agriculture and providing a premium income for milk produced from grazing cattle.

Ugandans and Kenyans in cities happy to pay for food that is more nutritious

Researchers found that poor urban consumers in Uganda and Kenya are willing to pay a premium for more nutritious flour, with up to 94% of respondents agreeing to pay more. The study highlights the potential for improving nutrition among the urban poor through targeted policy interventions.

New diagnostic method finds aggressive tumors

Researchers have developed a new genomic method, CUTseq, that can assess the amount and type of copy number alterations in tumors, helping identify highly heterogeneous and aggressive cancers. The technique is cheaper than existing technologies and can be applied to multiple biopsies or small tissue sections.

SourceKarolinska Institutet·JournalNature Communications·DateOct 18, 2019

Land management practices to reduce nitrogen load may be affected by climate changes

A new study from University of Illinois researchers used computer modeling to estimate how land management practices may be affected by climate changes. The study found that redistribution of land uses and certain management practices can help reduce nitrogen loss without changing fertilizer application rates.

Electric cloth

Chinese scientists developed a new material that enables the creation of flexible, wearable supercapacitors with high energy density. The electrodes are made from a hybrid material synthesized from two carbon nanomaterials and a metal-organic framework, which provides a balance of porosity, conductivity, and electrochemical activity.

SourceWiley·JournalAngewandte Chemie International Edition·DateOct 18, 2019

'I Snapchat and drive!'

A Queensland University of Technology study reveals that one in six young drivers use Snapchat while driving, often to share videos or photos. Despite this, most drivers do not think they will be caught by police, but the introduction of mobile phone detection camera technology may act as a strong deterrent.

SourceQueensland University of Technology·JournalAccident Analysis & Prevention·DateOct 18, 2019

SNAP provides a model for ensuring a right to food

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) addresses the right to food by providing targeted assistance to low-income households and expanding automatically in response to changes in need. SNAP achieves a right to food through its entitlement program, access to food nationwide, and respect for participants' dignity and autonomy.

Mars once had salt lakes similar to Earth

A team of scientists, including Texas A&M University researcher Marion Nachon, found that Mars' Gale Crater lake underwent drying episodes, potentially linked to the planet's global drying. The study reveals signs of liquid water and salt ponds similar to those on Earth, particularly in South America's Altiplano region.

SourceTexas A&M University·JournalNature Geoscience·DateOct 18, 2019

Wind turbine design and placement can mitigate negative effect on birds

A new study found a negative effect of three birds lost for every turbine within 400 meters of a bird habitat, but also suggests ways to minimize the impact through wind turbine design and placement. The researchers estimate that about 150,000 birds are affected by wind turbines in the U.S. every year.

Energy flow in the nano range

Researchers at the University of Würzburg have developed two new spectroscopic methods to study energy transport on the nanoscale. By deciphering the behavior of double-walled nanotubes, they aim to improve artificial light-harvesting antennas and photovoltaics.

SourceUniversity of Würzburg·JournalNature Communications·DateOct 18, 2019