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Science News Archive 2026 - Page 369


Page 369 of 516

Magnetic biochar gel offers breakthrough solution for arsenic and antimony contamination in rice fields

A newly developed magnetic biochar material effectively reduces the uptake of arsenic and antimony in rice plants, stabilizing contaminants while supporting plant growth. The study also reveals improvements in plant health, including stronger root systems and reduced physiological stress.

SourceBiochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University·JournalBiochar·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026

Biochar reshapes ant societies, revealing hidden ecological trade-offs in soil restoration

A new study reveals that biochar significantly enhances ant ecological functions as ants' social behaviors and nest site selection specificity improve with moderate levels of biochar. However, higher doses lead to reduced survival, weakened nest construction, and decreased social interactions.

SourceBiochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University·JournalBiochar·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026

Engineered biochar unlocks soil’s natural chemistry to break down antibiotic pollution

A new study reveals how an advanced iron-modified biochar can harness the natural chemistry of soils to break down persistent antibiotic contaminants. The biochar activates naturally occurring oxygen in soils to generate highly reactive hydroxyl radicals, enabling the in situ degradation of contaminants without external chemical inputs.

SourceBiochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University·JournalBiochar·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026

Tuning biochar temperature unlocks major nitrogen savings in food waste composting

Researchers discovered that carefully selecting the temperature used to produce biochar can optimize both environmental performance and compost quality. Biochar produced at a moderate temperature achieved the optimal balance between ammonium adsorption and microbial nitrification, resulting in a 46.3% reduction in total nitrogen loss.

SourceBiochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University·JournalBiochar·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026

Coffee waste transformed into high-performance, biodegradable insulation material

Researchers developed a biodegradable composite made from spent coffee grounds and natural polymer, offering strong thermal insulation while being environmentally sustainable. The new material has a thermal conductivity comparable to commercial expanded polystyrene and is fully derived from renewable resources.

SourceBiochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University·JournalBiochar·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026

A small molecule drug candidate fully restores survival in a lethal mouse model of a rare kidney stone disease that has no current treatment

Scientists at Buck Institute for Research on Aging developed an orally administered small molecule that completely prevents calcium oxalate kidney stones, protects against kidney failure, and fully restores normal survival in a mouse model of Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 2. The drug candidate, N-propargylglycine (N-PPG), targets a key en...

SourceBuck Institute for Research on Aging·JournalKidney International·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026

Global carbon credit program risks rewarding the wrong behavior

The study found that jurisdictions with rising deforestation are effectively penalized by the baseline structure, making it harder for them to implement conservation policies. The researchers identified an 'anticipatory moral hazard' where pre-enrollment spikes in deforestation inflate the baseline, making reductions during the crediti...

SourceYale University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateApr 2, 2026

Do you trust me? A framework for making networks of robots and vehicles safer

Researchers propose a foundational framework to help multi-agent, connected systems decide what information they can trust before acting. The 'cy-trust' concept assigns a numerical trust value between 0 and 1 to data from other agents based on sensing, context, network behavior, and past experience.

SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalProceedings of the IEEE·TypeSystematic review·DateApr 2, 2026

The University of Colorado Anschutz Gates Institute achieves first-in-U.S. FDA clearance for campus-built CAR T-cell therapy

The University of Colorado Anschutz Gates Institute has achieved first-in-U.S. FDA clearance for a novel CAR T-cell therapy targeting aggressive leukemia cells, representing a potential new treatment approach for patients with hard-to-treat disease. The therapy will be evaluated in a Phase 1 clinical trial starting this summer.

Northumbria University spinout achieves CE marking for deep lung breath sampling device — a first backed by peer-reviewed research

A medical device company spun out of Northumbria University has developed a non-invasive breath sampling device that can reliably collect saliva-free exhaled breath condensates from the deep lung. The CE-marked and US FDA-registered PBM-Hale platform addresses a long-standing challenge in respiratory medicine, enabling clinicians to di...

SourceNorthumbria University·TypeRandomized controlled/clinical trial·DateApr 2, 2026

Privacy-preserving feature selection scheme based on secure multi-party computation

Researchers propose a novel MPC-based feature selection scheme to enhance data quality by identifying more important features while ensuring data privacy. The proposed scheme, MPC-Relief, uses a nonlinear function to handle distance calculation in numerical and categorical features, achieving effective feature selection.

SourceHigher Education Press·JournalFrontiers of Computer Science·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026

A redesigned endoscope offers a new way to look for early signs of ovarian cancer

A redesigned endoscope, called CAFE, offers a new way to detect early signs of ovarian cancer by combining high-resolution imaging with gentle cell collection. The device successfully imaged fallopian tube tissue and collected large numbers of epithelial cells, suggesting its potential for earlier disease detection.

SourceSPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics·JournalBiophotonics Discovery·DateApr 2, 2026

Frontiers of Computer Science

FedPD, a personalized federated learning framework based on partial distillation, addresses the challenge of model heterogeneity in real-world applications. By filtering conflicting information and extracting beneficial traits, FedPD optimizes knowledge transfer and improves performance gains.

SourceHigher Education Press·JournalFrontiers of Computer Science·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026

Deputy editor-in-chief of Translational Exercise Biomedicine co-edit the 4th edition of FIMS Sports Physician Handbook

Professor Yannis Pitsiladis and Professor Fabio Pigozzi co-edit the 4th edition of Sports Physician Handbook, featuring contributions from world-leading physicians and scientists. The handbook covers key areas of sports medicine, including injury prevention, psychology of recovery, and care for young athletes.

SourceShanghai Jiao Tong University Journal Center·JournalTranslational Exercise Biomedicine·DateApr 2, 2026

Leukemia study restores silenced gene in mice. Could it point to new treatments for humans?

Researchers created a CRISPR-based tool to pinpoint genes the cancer turns off, restoring a key cancer-fighting gene in leukemia. The study found that blocking KDM4 enzymes can regain expression of the tumor-suppressor gene ZBTB7A, reducing leukemia burden while leaving normal blood formation largely unaffected.

SourceJackson Laboratory·JournalScience Translational Medicine·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026

These arms are for loving

A new study reveals how octopuses use their arms to recognize and mate with each other. The researchers found that the male hectocotylus contains special sensors that detect female sex hormones, allowing the males to locate females without visual cues.

SourceHarvard University·JournalScience·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026

Sugary drink taxes may not be effective in fast-food settings

A new study published in PLOS Medicine found that sugary drink taxes had no effect on beverage calorie purchases from Taco Bell locations with and without such taxes. The analysis of nearly 7 billion transactions suggests that these policies may not be effective in reducing sugar consumption in fast-food restaurants.

SourcePLOS·JournalPLOS Medicine·TypeObservational study·DateApr 2, 2026

A fast method for measuring how well air disinfection works: See how it glows

Researchers at University of Michigan have developed a fast method to measure the effectiveness of plasma-based air disinfection, which can deactivate up to 99.9% of virus particles. The approach harnesses UV fluorescence to track changes in aerosol infectivity in real-time, providing essential information for public health guidelines.

SourceUniversity of Michigan·JournalPlasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing·DateApr 2, 2026

This tiny organism simply loves corners

Researchers found that Stentor coeruleus uses geometric features to navigate its environment, with a preference for corner spaces. The microorganism changes its shape to interact physically with surfaces, allowing it to locate and settle into protected niches.

SourceHokkaido University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeExperimental study·DateApr 2, 2026