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Science News Archive May 2026 - Page 17


Page 17 of 48

Paligenosis: dual potential of mature cell plasticity in regeneration and tumorigenesis

Paligenosis is a three-stage process involving autophagy, stemness gene induction, and proliferation. It ensures efficient regeneration in tissues like the stomach and pancreas, but its dysregulated activation can drive metaplasia and cancer. The review discusses biomarker prospects for distinguishing adaptive repair from malignant drift.

SourceHigher Education Press·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 20, 2026

Turning road rights into green power corridors: multi-scenario and multi-credibility interval estimation of provincial expressway PV potential

This study evaluates provincial expressway PV potential using a multi-scenario and credibility interval model, revealing that slopes exceed service areas in generating power. The research provides a standardized tool for assessing expressway PV potential worldwide, supporting the construction of zero-carbon green power corridors.

SourceHEP Data Cooperation Journals·JournalJOURNAL OF ENGINEERING STUDIES·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 20, 2026

Teaching children to be better, more critical internet users

A digital literacy program designed by McGill researchers improved students' ability to evaluate websites and identify credible sources. The program targeted key skills such as searching for information and addressing conflicting data. Students showed significant improvements in their global performance across all skill categories.

SourceMcGill University·JournalJournal of Experiential Education·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 20, 2026

Carbon unlocking of transportation infrastructure: assessment and regional disparities across 30 provinces in China

A study assesses carbon unlocking levels in China's transportation infrastructure across 30 provinces. The results show a clear regional pattern, with eastern provinces leading and western provinces lagging behind. Key driving factors include green patents, R&D investment, and low-carbon regulation.

SourceHEP Data Cooperation Journals·JournalJOURNAL OF ENGINEERING STUDIES·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 20, 2026

Extending healthspan through public health and longevity medicine

The editorial highlights the growing importance of public health interventions to extend healthspan alongside lifespan. Key findings include the need for integrated strategies addressing environmental, metabolic, social, and behavioral exposures that accelerate biological aging and increase vulnerability to chronic disease. The authors...

SourceImpact Journals LLC·JournalAging-US·TypeCommentary/editorial·DateMay 20, 2026

No meaningful health impacts from exposure to wind turbines

A recent study published in PNAS has found no meaningful health impacts from exposure to wind turbines. The researchers analyzed data from over 120,000 households and found no correlations between turbine installation and health problems such as headaches, depression, or sleep disturbances.

SourceUniversity of Pittsburgh·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMay 20, 2026

Space storms light up Japan’s sky

A team from Hokkaido University found that red auroras can extend to extremely high altitudes even during moderately intense storms, suggesting these storms may be stronger than conventional indices indicate. This could have implications for satellite operations and space weather forecasting.

SourceHokkaido University·JournalJournal of Space Weather and Space Climate·TypeObservational study·DateMay 20, 2026

Food and drink litter dominates global plastic pollution

A global study of marine litter has identified food and beverage plastics as the leading contributors to ocean pollution, with plastic packaging, caps, and bottles dominating shoreline debris worldwide. The research highlights the urgent need for reduced plastic production and more efficient waste management practices.

SourceUniversity of Plymouth·JournalOne Earth·TypeSystematic review·DateMay 20, 2026

New field evidence from Canada shows old wells can leave a hidden leakage footprint

A study in British Columbia, Canada found that old oil and gas wells continue to leak methane into the environment, leaving a broader signature than surface measurements alone reveal. The researchers used multiple measurement domains, including shallow geophysical measurements and soil geochemical analysis, to detect persistent leakage.

SourceHeriot-Watt University·JournalGeophysical Research Letters·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 20, 2026

AI system automates coding for scientific research

A new AI system, Empirical Research Assistance (ERA), can automatically write scientific software programs that outperform human-written ones. ERA combines a large language model with search strategies to explore and refine thousands of pieces of code, reducing the time required for exploration from months to hours or days.

SourceHarvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences·JournalNature·TypeComputational simulation/modeling·DateMay 20, 2026

Overturning a 200-year belief: new surface design enabling two distinct wetting states on a single substrate

Researchers at NIMS have discovered a phenomenon where droplets on a single solid surface exhibit both 'sticky' and 'repellent' states simultaneously. By controlling the number of hydrogen bonds between the solid surface and oil, they can create a universal surface design principle that causes this phenomenon.

SourceNational Institute for Materials Science, Japan·JournalAdvanced Materials Interfaces·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 20, 2026

Fast-food waste driven by wrong orders: study

A review of food waste in Australia's quick service restaurants found order mistakes as the biggest driver of waste, with better staff training crucial for reduction. The study recommends ongoing training and making food waste metrics part of performance evaluations to mitigate back-of-house food waste.

Study: Hospital wastewater reveals drug-resistant fungus strains months before patients show symptoms

Researchers used wastewater surveillance to detect drug-resistant Candida auris strains up to five months before patients showed symptoms, opening a new frontier for hospitals. The study found higher detection rates and concentrations of the pathogen in hospital wastewater compared to community-scale treatment plants.

SourceUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas·JournalNature Communications·DateMay 20, 2026

Multi-camera stereo-digital image correlation: a review

This review highlights key advances in multi-camera stereo-DIC, including measurement-area expansion, measurement-uncertainty control, and high-speed measurement. The technique has been applied to various scenarios, such as large-FOV measurements, panoramic measurements, and displacement monitoring during progressive collapse processes.

SourceAdvanced Devices & Instrumentation·JournalAdvanced Devices & Instrumentation·TypeImaging analysis·DateMay 20, 2026

AI foundation models offer a new vision for eye care

The review highlights the potential of vision and vision-language foundation models in ophthalmology, achieving strong diagnostic performance and adaptability with limited labeled data. However, challenges such as algorithmic bias, overfitting, and limited interpretability remain to be addressed for real-world adoption

SourceZhejiang University·JournalAdvances in Ophthalmology Practice and Research·DateMay 20, 2026

[Research Article] Uncertainty quantification in geospatial AI/ML applications: methods, metrics, and open-source support with an air quality use case

The study systematically evaluates popular Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) methods and metrics for AI/ML-based geospatial applications. It demonstrates that Deep Ensembles and Bayesian Neural Networks achieved the best performance, while highlighting framework-specific differences between TensorFlow and PyTorch.

SourceBig Earth Data·JournalBig Earth Data·TypeData/statistical analysis·DateMay 20, 2026

Overcoming the limits of hydrogen storage and transport… KAIST develops next-generation ammonia protonic ceramic fuel cell​

Researchers at KAIST have developed a new catalyst structure that improves the performance and durability of ammonia-based protonic ceramic fuel cells. The technology achieved world-class performance, recording a maximum power density of 2.04 W/cm², and demonstrated stable operation for over 255 hours.

The fungus that spoils nearly everything

New research reveals gray mold's unique approach to attacking plants, sensing chemical defenses and flavors to adjust its attack accordingly. This understanding could shift disease prevention strategies, allowing for more effective use of genetic or chemical countermeasures.

SourceUniversity of California - Davis·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMay 20, 2026

Thermal imaging reveals altermagnetic domains in RuO2 for first time, opening path to new spintronic applications

A research team has achieved a major breakthrough in characterizing altermagnets, a newly discovered class of magnetic materials. They successfully visualized magnetic domains in RuO2 using lock-in thermography and the spin-dependent Peltier effect, resolving long-standing challenges in this emerging field.

SourceScience China Press·JournalNational Science Review·TypeExperimental study·DateMay 20, 2026