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Science News for November 22, 2024


Unlocking the mysteries of the brain

Scientists at Purdue University have identified new molecular markers for neurodegenerative diseases by analyzing protein behavior with age. The study sheds light on how phosphorylation causes protein aggregation, a hallmark of these diseases.

SourcePurdue University·JournalMolecular & Cellular Proteomics·DateNov 22, 2024

Emergency bulletin from science

Researchers from 14 scientific journals worldwide are urging governments and industry to collaborate on microbiological research to tackle climate change. They identify six promising fields of action, including binding CO2 and making living organisms more resilient.

Four Würzburg researchers are “Highly Cited”

University of Würzburg researchers Hermann Einsele, José Pedro Friedmann Angeli, Ronny Thomale, and Christoph Wanner have been named Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate Analytics. Their work in medicine and cell biology has garnered significant attention, with Einsele's research on cancer immunotherapy and Angeli's studies on ferropt...

3D-printing advance mitigates three defects simultaneously for failure-free metal parts

Researchers at UW–Madison developed an approach to simultaneously mitigate three types of defects – pores, rough surfaces, and large spatters – in metal parts produced using laser powder bed fusion. This breakthrough enables the production of high-quality parts with increased manufacturing productivity.

SourceUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison·JournalInternational Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 22, 2024

Black men — including transit workers — are targets for aggression on public transportation, study shows

A new study by Gwendolyn Purifoye found that Black men are targeted with aggression on buses and trains, leading to erosion of their sense of dignity and self-worth. The researchers observed repeated avoidance behaviors by non-Black passengers and surveillance by authority figures.

SourceUniversity of Notre Dame·JournalSociology of Race and Ethnicity·TypeObservational study·DateNov 22, 2024

Standing at work can be detrimental to blood pressure

A Finnish study found that prolonged standing at work had a negative impact on 24-hour blood pressure, while sedentary work was not necessarily harmful. The study suggests that engaging in recreational physical activity during leisure time can help maintain fitness and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

SourceUniversity of Turku·JournalMedicine & Science in Sports & Exercise·DateNov 22, 2024

Overthinking what you said? It’s your ‘lizard brain’ talking to newer, advanced parts of your brain

A new Northwestern Medicine study found the 'lizard brain' is connected to newly evolved social cognitive network regions, which are involved in thinking about other people. This link helps shape the function of the social cognitive network by giving it access to the amygdala's role in processing emotionally important content.

SourceNorthwestern University·JournalScience Advances·DateNov 22, 2024

Probiotic may counteract fire-retardant chemical damage

A UC Riverside study found that probiotic supplementation can reduce the negative impacts of PBDEs on neurodevelopment, behavior, and metabolism in mouse offspring. The researchers discovered that LR treatment helped normalize body weight gain and tooth eruption timing, as well as improved glucose metabolism and insulin levels.

SourceUniversity of California - Riverside·JournalArchives of Toxicology·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 22, 2024

Cooking up a breakthrough: Penn engineers refine lipid nanoparticles for better mRNA therapies

Researchers at Penn School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a new method to refine ionizable lipids, key ingredients in lipid nanoparticles. This approach combines precision with rapid output, enabling safer and more effective mRNA vaccines and therapeutics.

SourceUniversity of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science·JournalNature Biomedical Engineering·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 22, 2024

Engineered additive makes low-cost renewable energy storage a possibility

Researchers at University of Wisconsin-Madison have invented a water-soluble chemical additive that improves the performance of bromide aqueous flow batteries, making them more efficient and long-lasting. The additive solves issues such as ion leakage and gas formation, enabling the use of these batteries for grid-scale storage.

SourceUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison·JournalNature·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 22, 2024

Nano-patterned copper oxide sensor for ultra-low hydrogen detection

Researchers developed a nano-patterned copper oxide sensor to detect hydrogen at low concentrations, outperforming previous CuO-based sensors. The sensor detects hydrogen concentrations as low as 5 parts per billion and responds quickly, making it suitable for leak detection and ensuring safe adoption of hydrogen technologies.

SourceInstitute of Science Tokyo·JournalAdvanced Functional Materials·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 22, 2024

Building climate resilient cocoa farming in West Africa

A study published by researchers from Göttingen University sheds light on the critical role of leaf phenology in trees providing shade and improving climate resilience in cocoa agroforestry systems. The research found that certain shade tree species can significantly influence productivity and environmental stability.

SourceUniversity of Göttingen·JournalAgriculture Ecosystems & Environment·TypeObservational study·DateNov 22, 2024

Study: Brilliant white male characters more believable, some viewers say

A recent study found that audience members tend to dismiss brilliant female and non-white characters as unrealistic, even when they portray real people and events. The researchers discovered an association between intelligence-related stereotype endorsement and decreases in viewers' perceived realism across different social identities.

SourceUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, News Bureau·JournalMedia Psychology·TypeSurvey·DateNov 22, 2024

AI-RACS: Innovative tool for mining aluminum-tolerant strains in acidic soils

Scientists have developed an innovative system using artificial intelligence and Raman spectroscopy to identify and isolate aluminum-tolerant microorganisms from acidic soils. The AI-RACS system enables high-throughput automated workflows for functional analysis of specific microbes, uncovering new perspectives on microbial survival an...

SourceChinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters·JournalAnalytical Chemistry·DateNov 22, 2024

Alcohol use identified by UTHealth Houston researchers as most common predictor of escalated cannabis vaping among youths in Texas

Researchers found that alcohol use was a consistent factor in those who had never vaped cannabis to begin or experiment. Depression also predicted cannabis vaping initiation among certain demographics. The study suggests that targeting both alcohol and mental health prevention can help delay substance initiation in youth.

SourceUniversity of Texas Health Science Center at Houston·JournalSocial Science & Medicine·DateNov 22, 2024

Animal characters can boost young children’s psychological development, study suggests

A recent study suggests that iconic animal characters can influence children's theory of mind skills, with younger children performing better on tests featuring animal characters. The research also highlights the importance of adapting educational activities to incorporate both human and non-human characters for optimal development.

SourceUniversity of Plymouth·JournalJournal of Experimental Child Psychology·TypeExperimental study·DateNov 22, 2024

Study on gene regulation with surprising results

Researchers at the University of Bonn and LMU Munich discovered that enhancers controlling a key gene in fruit flies are not isolated but share extensive DNA regions, blurring previous ideas on their modular nature. This finding has significant implications for understanding evolutionary mechanisms and how traits change over time.

SourceUniversity of Bonn·JournalScience Advances·DateNov 22, 2024