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Science News for September 30, 2020


Advancing carbon dioxide catalysis

Feng Jiao, a renowned chemical engineering expert, is leading research on transforming carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals using catalysis. His projects aim to produce formic acid and ethylene from CO2 without purification, with the goal of commercializing this technology.

Researchers use satellite imaging to map groundwater use in California's central valley

Researchers used satellite imaging to map groundwater use in California's San Joaquin Valley, finding that field crops and pasture crops have higher rates of subsidence than fruit and nut crops. This study provides new insights for irrigation policymaking and sustainable groundwater management in agricultural regions worldwide.

SourceUniversity of California - San Diego·JournalEnvironmental Research Letters·DateSep 30, 2020

Metal-ion breakthrough leads to new biomaterials

Cornell engineers developed a modular process for designing elastomers with metals like iron and calcium, creating a wide range of mechanical properties. The framework allows for the creation of biodegradable and elastic materials for soft tissue reconstruction and regeneration.

SourceCornell University·JournalAdvanced Materials·DateSep 30, 2020

The proof is in the pudding

Researchers at the University of South Australia found that increasing meal sizes can improve nutrition intake among aged care residents. The study showed a correlation between portion size and food consumption, with each kilojoule increase in served energy resulting in a 0.73 kilojoule increase in consumed energy.

SourceUniversity of South Australia·JournalAustralasian Marketing Journal·DateSep 30, 2020

Teen social networks linked to adult depression

A new study by Michigan State University found that teens with fewer friends are more likely to experience depression as adults. However, for women, being popular in adolescence can lead to lower depressive symptoms in adulthood. The study suggests that gender roles and expectations may contribute to this difference.

SourceMichigan State University·JournalJournal of Health and Social Behavior·DateSep 30, 2020

Revealing the impacts of COVID-19 on unborn children

A new study of 388 pregnancies in 22 countries found that COVID-19 infection during early pregnancy significantly increases risk of adverse fetal outcomes. Only one baby tested positive for the disease and was asymptomatic, suggesting rare transmission from mother to child.

SourceDe Gruyter·JournalJournal of Perinatal Medicine·DateSep 30, 2020

"Immortal" in tree resin

An international team detected DNA from ambrosia beetles trapped in recent tree resin for less than seven years. The study challenges previous fails in finding DNA in older samples and opens up new possibilities for genetic research.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalPLOS ONE·DateSep 30, 2020

Consumers who avoid products with harmful chemicals on the label have lower body burden

A new study by Silent Spring Institute found that consumers who avoid products containing endocrine disruptors, such as parabens and BPA, have significantly lower levels of these chemicals in their bodies. The study showed that reading ingredient labels and avoiding certain products can reduce exposures to these harmful chemicals.

SourceSilent Spring Institute·JournalInternational Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health·DateSep 30, 2020

Planktonic sea snails and slugs may be more adaptable to ocean acidification than expected

A recent study has found that pteropods, or 'wing-footed' sea snails and slugs, are much older than previously thought and survived past environmental changes in the ocean. The research suggests that these creatures may be more adaptable to ocean acidification than expected.

SourceOkinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 30, 2020

Scientists propose immune cocktail therapy to boost cancer-immunity cycle in multiple aspects

A research team from Chinese Academy of Sciences proposes an innovative immune cocktail therapy combining ICT with other approaches to enhance cancer treatment. The therapy achieves anti-tumor effects by enhancing T cell priming, killing tumor cells, and generating immune memory T cells.

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalJournal of Mathematical Sciences Advances and Applications·DateSep 30, 2020

Cerebral palsy also has genetic underpinnings

A new study has identified mutations in single genes that can cause cerebral palsy, challenging the long-held notion that the disorder is caused by environmental factors. The research found that many of these mutations occur randomly and are not inherited from parents, but rather arise during development.

SourceWashU Medicine·JournalNature Genetics·DateSep 30, 2020

NIH awards $35.5 million to use bioengineered organ models to improve clinical trials

The National Institutes of Health has awarded grants to support researchers' efforts in using tiny, bioengineered models of human tissues and organ systems to study diseases and test drugs. The goal is to develop ways to predict which patients are most likely to benefit from an investigational therapy prior to initiating clinical trials.

Coral's resilience to warming may depend on iron

A new study suggests that limited iron levels in corals could impair their ability to respond to climate change. High water temperatures and low iron availability compromise the algae living within coral cells, leading to reduced growth and function.

SourcePenn State·JournalJournal of Phycology·DateSep 30, 2020

UM171 saves another life

A young man suffering from severe aplastic anemia has been given a life-saving blood transplant using the UM171 molecule, which increases stem cell production and reduces immunological complications. The procedure was performed by a medical team at the Institute of Hemato-oncology and Cellular Therapy.

SourceUniversity of Montreal·JournalEuropean Journal Of Haematology·DateSep 30, 2020

Extra visit time with patients may explain wage gap for female physicians

A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that female primary care physicians generated 11 percent less revenue than their male counterparts, despite spending 2.4 more minutes per visit on average. This suggests that the current system of paying doctors based on volume may be a flawed measure of work effort.

SourceBrigham and Women's Hospital·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateSep 30, 2020

Investigational COVID-19 vaccine well-tolerated, generates immune response in older adults

A Phase 1 trial of an investigational mRNA COVID-19 vaccine has shown that the vaccine is well-tolerated and generates a strong immune response in older adults, with comparable efficacy to younger age groups. The study enrolled 40 healthy volunteers aged 56-71 years, who received two doses of the vaccine.

SourceNIH/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases·JournalNew England Journal of Medicine·DateSep 30, 2020

Network reveals large variations in shaking in LA basin after Ridgecrest earthquake

The study found that long-period buildings experienced the most amplification of shaking from the Ridgecrest earthquake, with maximum amplification occurring in the western part of the L.A. basin and the south-central San Fernando Valley. This could result in high-rise buildings in those areas experiencing shaking four times larger tha...

SourceSeismological Society of America·JournalSeismological Research Letters·DateSep 30, 2020

Social novelty has a special place in the brain

Researchers at RIKEN Center for Brain Science discovered a brain region called the SuM that detects new social experiences and segregates them from unfamiliar places. This finding can help understand normal memory and conditions where recognizing new information is impaired.

SourceRIKEN·JournalNature·DateSep 30, 2020

Dinosaur feather study debunked

A new study provides substantial evidence that a Jurassic fossil feather belongs to the iconic Archaeopteryx, a bird-like dinosaur. The research found that the feather matches a type of wing feather called a primary covert, identical in size and shape to those on an Archaeopteryx wing.

SourceUniversity of South Florida·JournalScientific Reports·DateSep 30, 2020

How green hydrogen can become cheap enough to compete with fossil fuels

Researchers at UNSW Sydney have analyzed the costs of producing green hydrogen using electrolysis and solar power, finding that it can range from $2.89 to $4.67 per kilogram. The cost is influenced by factors such as electrolyser efficiency, available sunlight, and capital costs of electrolysers. To make green hydrogen more competitive...

SourceUniversity of New South Wales·JournalCell Reports Physical Science·DateSep 30, 2020

Computer model shows how COVID-19 could lead to runaway inflammation

A computer model reveals that a specific region of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein acts as a superantigen, triggering a massive immune response and leading to severe inflammation in some COVID-19 patients. The study also suggests that therapies targeting toxic shock syndrome may be effective for managing MIS-C and cytokine storm in adults.

SourceCedars-Sinai Medical Center·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateSep 30, 2020

Children hold leaders primarily responsible, not entitled

A new study published in Child Development found that young children conceptualize leadership as a hierarchy based on voluntary deference and respect. Children expected a leader to contribute more to joint goals and withdraw an equal share from common prizes, but judged leaders harsher for not adhering to these behaviors.

SourceBar-Ilan University·JournalChild Development·DateSep 30, 2020

Hospital-based specialist palliative care may slightly improve patient experience and increase their chances of dying in their preferred place (measured by home death)

A Cochrane Review found that hospital-based specialist palliative care may offer small benefits for patient-centred outcomes like quality of life, symptom burden, depression, and satisfaction with care. The review also showed an increased likelihood of patients dying in their preferred place by 22%, measured by home death.

SourceKing's College London·JournalCochrane Database of Systematic Reviews·DateSep 30, 2020

Heading upriver

Researchers have discovered that rivers will jump course more often on deltas than in the past, with avulsions occurring up to 20 times farther upstream. The combination of sea level rise, increased floods, and finer sediment size enables these destructive events to occur ever farther inland.

SourceUniversity of California - Santa Barbara·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·DateSep 30, 2020

Researchers exploit weaknesses of master game bots

A new algorithm has been developed by Penn State researchers to train adversarial bots that can exploit weaknesses in master game bots using deep reinforcement learning. The algorithm successfully defeated a world-class AI bot in StarCraft II, highlighting the security threat of using such agents.