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Science News for November 23, 2023


Leaving on a jet plane in genes

A team of researchers from Kyoto University found that the pituitary vasopressin system is crucial for building a robust circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This discovery has led to the development of potential treatments for jet lag, which currently target only the suprachiasmatic nucleus.

SourceKyoto University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 23, 2023

I eat what you eat

A study at the University of Bonn found that primary school children are more likely to choose unhealthy snacks when buying with friends or classmates. Conversely, they opted for healthier choices when purchasing alone. This highlights the importance of understanding how social factors influence children's purchasing decisions.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalAppetite·DateNov 23, 2023

When baby stars fledge

A team of astrophysicists discovered that two methods for determining the age of stars measure different things, with a 5.5 million-year difference in age determined by dynamic tracking versus isochronous measurement. This finding has significant implications for our understanding of star formation and stellar evolution.

SourceUniversity of Vienna·JournalNature Astronomy·DateNov 23, 2023

Quick as a snail

Researchers from Kyoto University found that two species of land snails exhibit opposite behaviors in response to predator-like stimuli. The species K gainesi accelerates its forward movement to escape predators, while its nocturnal relative K editha retreats into its shell.

SourceKyoto University·JournalBehaviour·TypeObservational study·DateNov 23, 2023

Where DNA copying into RNA starts could determine whether cancer cells are receptive to treatment

Researchers found that cancer cells are more vulnerable to radiotherapy when using the less common 'YC' first-base-cytosine site instead of the usual 'YR' adenine or guanine start sites. This discovery enables further understanding of gene regulation in cancers and potential targets for treatment.

SourceUniversity of Birmingham·JournalNature Structural & Molecular Biology·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 23, 2023

A fifth higher: Tropical cyclones substantially raise the Social Cost of Carbon

A new study found that accounting for long-term impacts of tropical cyclones raises the global Social Cost of Carbon by more than 20%. The increase is mainly driven by projected rise of tropical-cyclone damages to major economies, particularly India, USA, China, Taiwan, and Japan under global warming.

SourcePotsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)·JournalNature Communications·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateNov 23, 2023

Potential new target and drug candidate for Barth syndrome

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have discovered a potential new target for treating Barth syndrome, a rare genetic disease with devastating consequences. They identified a molecular culprit that could be targeted to potentially reverse the disease course and developed a small-molecule drug candidate to correct genetic tafaz...

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh·JournalNature Metabolism·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 23, 2023

Research shows infants exposed to certain biologics during pregnancy can safely receive rotavirus vaccine

A Canadian study found that infants exposed to biologic agents during pregnancy have normal immune development and can safely receive the rotavirus vaccine. The study, involving 191 infants across six sites in Canada, aimed to change vaccination guidelines to protect more babies from severe illness.

SourceUniversity of Calgary·JournalThe Lancet Child & Adolescent Health·TypeObservational study·DateNov 23, 2023

An adaptive representation model for geoscience knowledge graphs considering complex spatiotemporal features and relationships

The paper proposes an adaptive representation model for geoscience knowledge graphs that can efficiently represent complex spatiotemporal features and relationships. The model uses a unified spatiotemporal ontology to automatically adopt an adaptive tuple structure based on the association of spatiotemporal information.

SourceScience China Press·JournalScience China Earth Sciences·DateNov 23, 2023

In the lead up to COP28, amid a growing push to restore degraded and deforested lands as natural climate solution, a new peer-reviewed study shows better outcomes when Indigenous, local communities are in charge

A new peer-reviewed study published in Nature Climate Change reveals that forests managed by Indigenous and local communities have improved outcomes for carbon storage, biodiversity, and rural livelihoods. The research supports calls for securing tenure for Indigenous peoples as a strategy for overcoming obstacles in forest restoration...

SourceSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences·JournalNature Climate Change·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateNov 23, 2023

May the “Star Wars” vocabulary be with us

A study by Prof. Christina Sanchez-Stockhammer shows that Star Wars words and constructions are increasingly used in digital English text corpora. The study reveals that these words have reached the highest level of integration into the English language, with many uses referencing tangible objects like toy lightsabers.

SourceChemnitz University of Technology·JournalLinguistics Vanguard·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateNov 23, 2023

Mortality burden of air pollution from coal-burning power plants has been underestimated

A new study estimates that over 460,000 US deaths were attributed to air pollution from coal-burning power plants between 1999 and 2020. The findings highlight the increased mortality risks from coal electricity generation, while also showing that emission-reduction policies have been effective in preventing excess death.

Fractional COVID-19 booster vaccines produce similar immune response as full-doses

A new study found that a half-dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 booster vaccine elicited a non-inferior immune response to a full dose in Mongolian adults, with fewer side effects. The study suggests that fractional dosing may improve booster acceptability and reduce costs.

SourceMurdoch Childrens Research Institute·JournalThe Lancet Regional Health - Western Pacific·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateNov 23, 2023

Making sense of bacterial Babel

The study analyzed 170 known bacterial languages, grouping them into clusters based on molecular structure. Bacteria can understand related languages, but not those with vastly different languages. This understanding will aid in refining treatment approaches and developing biotechnology applications.

SourceAalto University·JournalAngewandte Chemie·DateNov 23, 2023

LHCb: Correlations show nuances of the particle birth process

Researchers analyzed proton-proton collisions to understand the hadronization process, a phenomenon critical to our understanding of physical reality. The study found that quark-gluon plasma can be produced in single proton collisions and that correlations between particles are influenced by angles with respect to the beam axis.

Tapered fiber-a potential candidate for delivering high-energy ultrafast lasers with high beam quality

Researchers have successfully developed a tapered fiber-based system that can deliver high-energy ultrafast lasers with near-diffraction-limited beam quality. The system achieved pulse energies of up to 126 μJ and peak powers of 207 MW, representing the highest reported values from a monolithic fiber laser.

SourceHigher Education Press·JournalFrontiers of Optoelectronics·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 23, 2023

Dolomite crystals require cycles of saturation conditions to grow

Researchers have discovered that dolomite crystal growth requires cycling of saturation conditions, resolving the 'dolomite problem' that has puzzled scientists for nearly two centuries. This process can speed up dolomite growth by up to 10 million times, which may be crucial for producing large amounts of dolomite on Earth's surface.