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Science News Archive October 2022 - Page 29


Page 29 of 37

Tonga volcano eruption stimulates life: rapid, massive bloom of ocean phytoplankton

A recent study published in Geophysical Research Letters reveals that the Tonga volcano eruption stimulated a rapid and massive bloom of ocean phytoplankton, covering an area nearly 40 times the size of Oahu within just 48 hours. The bloom was triggered by the deposition of volcanic ash, which supplied nutrients for phytoplankton growth.

SourceUniversity of Hawaii at Manoa·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 10, 2022

Researchers improve vehicle for delivering gene therapies to the central nervous system

A new variant of adeno-associated virus (AAV) shows significant improvement in delivering gene therapies to the central nervous system (CNS), potentially treating brain cancers and genetic diseases. The AAV variant, identified as CPP.16, demonstrates enhanced delivery efficiency across the blood-brain barrier in preclinical models.

SourceBrigham and Women's Hospital·JournalNature Biomedical Engineering·TypeObservational study·DateOct 10, 2022

Survey finds more than 40% of Americans misled others about having COVID-19 and use of precautions

A nationwide survey found that over 42% of Americans misrepresented their COVID-19 status and/or failed to follow public health measures. The most common reasons were a desire to feel normal and exercise personal freedom, with younger age groups and those with greater distrust of science being more likely to engage in misrepresentation.

SourceUniversity of Utah Health·JournalJAMA Network Open·TypeSurvey·DateOct 10, 2022

Decoding how plants survive drought

Researchers discovered that ABA inhibits stomatal production by phosphorylating the master regulator SPEECHLESS, reducing its levels and leading to decreased stomatal number. This finding could lead to fine-tuning crop plants' drought tolerance through targeted manipulation of the underlying 'code'.

SourceNational University of Singapore·JournalScience Advances·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 10, 2022

Independent Task Force on COVID-19 and other Pandemics: origins, prevention, and response

The Independent Task Force Report emphasizes the need for a One Health approach to prevent or respond adequately to the next pandemic. Key findings highlight the importance of 'Smart Surveillance' to identify high-threat pathogens and invest in R&D for innovative diagnostics, antiviral strategies, and therapeutic research.

SourceEcoHealth Alliance·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeLiterature review·DateOct 10, 2022

Digging deep

The EMBUR robot uses a novel leg design to self-burrow vertically, emulating the Pacific mole crab's underground movements. This breakthrough has significant applications in agriculture, geotechnical engineering, marine data collection, and construction, while also advancing scientific understanding of burrowing animals.

SourceUniversity of California Berkeley College of Engineering·JournalFrontiers in Robotics and AI·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateOct 10, 2022

New regional model ensemble cycling assimilation produces more accurate typhoon intensity forecasts

A new study by Prof. Zhe-Min Tan and colleagues improves typhoon intensity forecasts using a regional ensemble Kalman filter, producing more accurate results than global models for short forecast lead times. The regional forecasts show better performance in predicting typhoon intensity, especially with higher spatial resolution.

SourceInstitute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences·JournalAdvances in Atmospheric Sciences·DateOct 10, 2022

Turning the spotlight on cells in tissues so RNA can tell their story

Researchers have developed a new DNA nanotechnology-driven method called Light-Seq that enables the analysis of gene expression patterns in hard-to-access cells within intact tissues. This approach overcomes limitations of existing spatial transcriptomics methods, allowing for deeper understanding of disease mechanisms and biology.

SourceWyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard·JournalNature Methods·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 10, 2022

A specific inhibitor allows to study an enigmatic enzyme

Scientists have synthesized a highly selective HDAC10 inhibitor that can be used to study the function of this enigmatic enzyme. The compound, DKFZ-748, suppresses the functions of HDAC10 in tumor cells, suggesting that it may remove acetyl groups from polyamines, making them usable by cancer cells for growth.

SourceGerman Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ)·JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society·DateOct 10, 2022

Scientists hit their creative peak early in their careers

A new study found that scientists tend to be most innovative and creative early in their careers, with a significant decline in impact over the course of their careers. The study analyzed 5.6 million biomedical science articles and found that the work of less-innovative researchers tends to drop out as they get older.

SourceOhio State University·JournalJournal of Human Resources·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateOct 10, 2022

RIPE researchers show the cause of productivity loss in the fluctuating light of maize crop canopies

A team from the University of Illinois measured dynamic leakiness of CO2 from C4 plants, showing that activation of the C4 cycle is faster than the Calvin-Benson cycle during photosynthetic induction. This results in large efficiency losses due to lack of coordination in fluctuating light conditions.

Scientists unravel millet genotype-microbiota interaction insights to enhance crop adaptability and yield

Researchers identified 257 rhizoplane microbial biomarkers associated with six key agronomic traits, revealing a complex association between millet genotype, root microbiome, and crop growth. The study provides insights into precision agriculture based on genotype-dependent microbial effects in foxtail millet.

SourceBGI Genomics·JournalNature Communications·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateOct 10, 2022

Male/female plumage differences in thrushes promote species recognition

A new study of thrushes reveals that differences in plumage coloration between males and females help birds identify potential mates more quickly. The researchers found that species with the most pronounced color differences were more likely to be migratory, have short breeding seasons, and share territory with closely related species.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalJournal of Evolutionary Biology·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 10, 2022

Protecting identities of panelists in market research

A new study by Cornell University researchers found that nearly all market research panel participants are at risk of being de-anonymized due to the presence of quasi-identifiers. The reidentification risk can be up to 94% when considering multiple observations per panelist, highlighting the need for improved data privacy measures.

SourceCornell University·JournalInformation Systems Research·DateOct 10, 2022

Awake patients can have kidney stones moved, blasted

Researchers have developed a new technique that combines ultrasound technologies to move, reposition, or break up kidney stones while the patient is awake and pain-free. In a feasibility study, 29 patients were treated with the new method, resulting in stone passage in 19 cases, with an average time of four days.

SourceUniversity of Washington School of Medicine/UW Medicine·JournalThe Journal of Urology·TypeExperimental study·DateOct 7, 2022