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Here is your customized Science X Newsletter for December 7, 2023:

Spotlight Stories Headlines

Grunt or whistle: Successful honey-hunters know how to communicate with wild honey-seeking birds

Four eruptive young stellar objects discovered

A new 66 million-year history of carbon dioxide offers little comfort for today

Ancient stars made extraordinarily heavy elements, researchers find

Study shows that AgRP neurons encode circadian feeding time in mice

New insight on the role of the primate orbitofrontal cortex in value-based decision-making

Metamaterials and origamic metal-organic frameworks

Researchers create 3D DNA nanorobots

Physicists 'entangle' individual molecules for the first time, hastening possibilities for quantum computing

Engineers develop a way to determine how the surfaces of materials behave

Ancient Balkan genomes trace the rise and fall of Roman Empire's frontier, reveal Slavic migrations

To the moo-n: Cow dung fuels Japan's space ambitions

It turns out, this plant fossil is really a baby turtle fossil

When sea-level rise threatens coastal wetlands, don't look to rivers for help, scientists say

Mediterranean green turtles' nesting range will expand under warming climate, modeling study finds

Nanotechnology news

	Metamaterials and origamic metal-organic frameworks Origami is a paper folding process usually associated with child's play mostly to form a paper-folded crane, yet it is, as of recently a fascinating research topic. Origami-inspired materials can achieve mechanical properties that are difficult to achieve in conventional materials, and materials scientists are still exploring such constructs based on origami tessellation at the molecular level.
	Researchers create 3D DNA nanorobots Researchers at universities in New York and Ningbo, China, say they have created tiny robots built from DNA that can reproduce themselves.
	Researchers steer microvehicles through blood vessels in the mouse brain using ultrasound ETH Zurich researchers have shown for the first time that microvehicles can be steered through blood vessels in the brains of mice using ultrasound. They hope that this will eventually lead to treatments capable of delivering drugs with pinpoint precision. Their study is published in Nature Communications.
	Making extremely thin lubricating films predictable: Extension of the Reynolds equation by a non-linear wall slip law When an electric vehicle accelerates, the motor generates maximum forces and enormous pressures act on the gears of the electric drivetrain. Surface meets surface, metal meets metal. If there were no lubricating film to allow the gears to slide more easily, they would not only become extremely hot but would also wear out quickly. "Without a lubricating film, many things in our everyday lives would be slower, squeakier, and jerkier," explains Prof. Michael Moseler, Head of the Tribology Business Unit at the Fraunhofer IWM.
	Tiny llama nanobodies neutralize different noroviruses—can they improve human anti-viral therapies? Human noroviruses cause acute gastroenteritis, a global health problem for which there are no vaccines or antiviral drugs. Although most healthy patients recover completely from the infection, norovirus can be life-threatening in infants, the elderly and people with underlying diseases. Estimates indicate that human noroviruses cause approximately 684 million illnesses and 212,000 deaths annually.
	Team reviews phosphine ligand-induced structural transformation of metal nanoclusters A team of researchers has reviewed a unique method for reforming the structures of ultra-small nanomaterials. These nanomaterials, called metal nanoclusters, bridge the gap between the metal atom and the bulk metal, making them highly useful in both basic and applied research. Metal nanoclusters have the potential for wide-ranging applications in the biomedical fields.

Physics news

	Ancient stars made extraordinarily heavy elements, researchers find How heavy can an element be? An international team of researchers has found that ancient stars were capable of producing elements with atomic masses greater than 260, heavier than any element on the periodic table found naturally on Earth. The finding deepens our understanding of element formation in stars.
	Physicists 'entangle' individual molecules for the first time, hastening possibilities for quantum computing For the first time, a team of Princeton physicists have been able to link together individual molecules into special states that are quantum mechanically "entangled." In these bizarre states, the molecules remain correlated with each other—and can interact simultaneously—even if they are miles apart, or indeed, even if they occupy opposite ends of the universe. This research was recently published in the journal Science.
	X-ray method enables micron-resolution imaging of living organisms over long time periods Researchers have developed an X-ray imaging technique that can produce detailed images of living organisms with a much lower X-ray dose than previously possible. The advance enables small organisms or other sensitive samples to be studied at high resolution over much longer periods, which could reveal new insights into a variety of dynamic processes.
	Breakthrough in coherent two-photon LIDAR overcomes range limitations New research has unveiled an advancement in Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology, offering unparalleled sensitivity and precision in measuring the distance of remote objects.
	Using logical qubits to make a quantum computer that can correct its errors A team of physicists, computer scientists and information machine specialists at Harvard University, working with colleagues from QuEra Computing Inc., the University of Maryland and MIT, has created a quantum computer with the largest-ever number of logical quantum bits. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes how they built their computer and how well it performed when tested.
	Not all jets radiate equally in quark-gluon plasma, study finds Studying nuclear matter under extreme conditions allows scientists to better understand how the universe might have looked right after its creation. Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider achieve the conditions for recreating mini-Big Bangs in the lab by colliding nuclei at speeds close to that of light. These collisions create temperatures about one million times hotter than the sun's center.
	Fractal photonic anomalous Floquet topological insulators to generate multiple quantum chiral edge states An anomalous Floquet topological insulator (AFTI) is a periodically driven topological insulator (TI with nonzero winding numbers to support topological edge modes, though its standard topological invariants like Chern numbers are zero.
	Magnetizing an iron-vanadium alloy with laser pulses sheds light on a promising phenomenon To magnetize an iron nail, one simply has to stroke its surface several times with a bar magnet. Yet, there is a much more unusual method: A team led by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) discovered some time ago that a certain iron alloy can be magnetized with ultrashort laser pulses.
	Polaritons open up a new lane on the semiconductor highway On the highway of heat transfer, thermal energy is moved by way of quantum particles called phonons. But at the nanoscale of today's most cutting-edge semiconductors, those phonons don't remove enough heat. That's why Purdue University researchers are focused on opening a new nanoscale lane on the heat transfer highway by using hybrid quasiparticles called "polaritons."
	Research investigates thermal impact of 3D stacking photonic and electronic chips Recent advancements in AI and more specifically large language models such as ChatGPT have put a strain on data centers. AI models require huge amounts of data to train, and in order to move data between the processing units and memory, efficient communication links become necessary.
	Researchers develop a reflective display technique based on electro-microfluidic assembly of particles In an article published in Light: Science & Applications, a team of scientists, led by Professor Lingling Shui from the International Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and System (LOTS) at South China Normal University have developed an interesting reflective display technique based on an electro-microfluidic assembly of particles (eMAP) strategy, offering the advantages of easy fabrication, fast response, and multicolor display performance.
	Exploring advances in waveguide-based augmented reality displays In recent decades, augmented reality (AR) has evolved from a futuristic concept to a tangible and pervasive technology. AR enhances our perception and interaction with the environment by seamlessly blending projected virtual content with real-world scenes. Waveguide-based AR displays have emerged and developed as a critical technology for wearable AR systems, enabling them to be lightweight and have a slim form factor while keeping high optical performance.
	Understanding the formation of minute droplets in microfluidic devices The detailed physics behind droplet generation in microfluidic post-array devices has been clarified by scientists at Tokyo Tech. Through various experiments performed under different operational conditions, they gained important insights into how these small devices can be used to produce uniform emulsions, with potential applications in analytical chemistry and biology, medicine, cosmetics, and materials science.

Earth news

	A new 66 million-year history of carbon dioxide offers little comfort for today A massive new review of ancient atmospheric carbon-dioxide levels and corresponding temperatures lays out a daunting picture of where the Earth's climate may be headed. The study covers geologic records spanning the past 66 million years, putting present-day concentrations into context with deep time.
	When sea-level rise threatens coastal wetlands, don't look to rivers for help, scientists say Amid climate change, large dam removal projects have gained attention as a solution to the loss of coastal wetlands that reduce flooding, filter water, and provide wildlife habitat. But in a paper appearing in Science, researchers conclude that this strategy won't work in most U.S. rivers.
	Jet stream will get faster as climate change continues, study finds A new study in Nature Climate Change takes one of the first deep dives into how climate change will affect the fastest jet streams—the powerful, narrow winds in the upper atmosphere that steer much of the Earth's weather systems and are connected to outbreaks of severe weather.
	Minding the gap on tropical forest carbon: Reconciling data from Earth-observing satellites with national reporting Tropical forests are clearly critical to Earth's climate system, but understanding exactly how much carbon they absorb from the atmosphere, store and release is tricky to calculate, not least because measuring and reporting methods vary. With these measurements paramount for nations assessing the action they are taking to combat the climate crisis, new research shows how differences in estimates of carbon flux associated with human activity can be reconciled.
	Ocean warming sets the stage for dangerous but predictable East Africa droughts Frequent droughts—interspersed with floods—have become the new norm in eastern East Africa over the past few years, driving a massive food security crisis. In 2020, the Horn of Africa entered its longest and most severe dry spell in more than 70 years, and 2022 marked the driest springtime drought on record. More than 20 million people experienced extreme hunger because of failed harvests, and there were more than 9 million livestock deaths.
	Researchers serve up an improved model of indoor pollution produced by cooking Stir-frying yields more than just tasty dishes like Kung Pao chicken and Hunan beef. It also emits an invisible mixture of gases and particles that pollute indoor air and can be detrimental to human health. Correctly estimating such cooking emissions in a variety of settings is critical for simulating exposure and informing health guidelines aimed at keeping people safe.
	Three-day exceptional heat wave in China linked to human-induced climate change A record-breaking heat wave occurred in North China in June, marking the first time that temperatures reached or exceeded 40°C in Beijing for three consecutive days. A new paper, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, explores the extent to which such extreme heat wave events can be attributed to human-induced climate change and how frequent and intense such strong heat wave events will be in the future.
	Scientists: Climate change intensified the rains devastating East Africa Ongoing catastrophic rains in Eastern Africa have been worsened by human-caused climate change that made them up to two times more intense, an international team of climate scientists said Thursday.
	Researchers: Carbon removal is needed to achieve net zero but has its own climate risks As delegates gather in Dubai at the COP28 climate conference—with the aim to ratchet up ambition towards meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement—a key component of these efforts are countries' pledges to achieve net-zero emissions around mid-century.
	Why dimming the sun would be an effective tool in the fight against climate change It's becoming increasingly clear that we will fail to meet our climate goals. We were already at 1.26°C of warming in 2022 and are on track to blow through 1.5°C in the mid-2030s. Research even suggests that current climate policy will lead to more than 2.5°C of warming by the end of this century.
	The impacts of extreme heat on health and well-being in the United Kingdom A new study has been published as part of the TRUUD project, a research project led by the University of Bristol that aims to reduce non-communicable disease (such as cancers, diabetes, obesity, mental ill-health and respiratory illness) and health inequalities linked to the quality of urban planning and development.
	Accelerated climate action needed to sharply reduce current risks to life and life-support systems Hottest day on record. Hottest month on record. Extreme marine heat waves. Record-low Antarctic sea-ice.
	Climate tipping points are nearer than you think. Our new report warns of catastrophic risk It's now almost inevitable that 2023 will be the warmest year ever recorded by humans, probably the warmest for at least 125,000 years.
	Focus on people to boost Africa's climate resilience, says report Investments in Africa's infrastructure can make people and communities far more resilient to the threats posed by climate change, a new report says.
	Understanding climate tipping points As the planet warms, many parts of the Earth system are undergoing large-scale changes. Ice sheets are shrinking, sea levels are rising and coral reefs are dying off.
	Dredging up New York City's glacial memory On a cold night in November, a small group gathered at the boathouse of the Brooklyn-based Gowanus Dredgers to listen to Elizabeth Case, a glaciologist and Ph.D. student at Columbia Climate School's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, talk about how glaciers formed and defined the landscape of New York City.
	Three proposals from researchers to meet EU climate goals The EU countries have decided that the EU is to be climate neutral by 2050. By 2030, greenhouse gas emissions must have been reduced by at least 55% compared to 1990. To meet this target, continued vigorous efforts are needed to reduce emissions, but that alone will not be enough.
	'Ecocide': how war and climate change are often linked The link between climate change and war has been a running theme at COP28, highlighting how many countries suffer from both deadly conflict and environmental disasters.
	'Unabated': a word to split the world at COP28 The outcome of the most important climate negotiations in years could rest on the ambiguity surrounding one linchpin term, according to experts: "unabated fossil fuels".
	'Forever chemicals' found in freshwater fish, yet most states don't warn residents Bill Eisenman has always fished. "Growing up, we ate whatever we caught—catfish, carp, freshwater drum," he said. "That was the only real source of fish in our diet as a family, and we ate a lot of it."
	Powerful earthquake shakes South Pacific nation of Vanuatu; no tsunami threat A powerful earthquake shook the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu on Thursday evening, but countries in the region said there was no threat of a tsunami.
	Don't applaud the climate summit's loss and damage fund deal just yet Shortly after the opening ceremony of the 2023 United Nations climate negotiations in Dubai, delegates of nations around the world rose in a standing ovation to celebrate a long-awaited agreement to launch a loss and damage fund to help vulnerable countries recover from climate-related disasters.
	Protected areas in Thailand at a higher risk of forest fires when located away from indigenous communities Research from the University of Warwick has found that national parks and protected areas are at a higher risk of forest fires when located farther away from indigenous communities.
	Water crisis in South Africa: Damning report finds 46% contamination, 67% of works near to breaking down A new report by South Africa's Department of Water and Sanitation paints a grim picture of the quality of the country's drinking water, and its water infrastructure. The Blue Drop Audit Report is meant to ensure that water service authorities are held accountable for providing safe drinking water. The Conversation Africa put questions to water expert Anja du Plessis.
	Multimedia distribution and health risk assessment of typical organic pollutants in a retired industrial park In developing countries, a large number of retired industrial parks require economical and effective risk assessment and remediation. Assessing the comprehensive risk of large retired industrial parks remains a considerable challenge due to the complexity of pollution sources and migration properties.
	Methane emissions from Dutch canals underestimated, researcher finds Researchers have so far underestimated methane emissions from canals in five major Dutch cities. That is the conclusion of microbiologist Koen Pelsma, who will defend his Ph.D. thesis on this topic at Radboud University on 13 December.

Astronomy and Space news

	Four eruptive young stellar objects discovered By analyzing the data from the SPICY catalog and from NASA's WISE spacecraft, an international team of astronomers has discovered four new eruptive young stellar objects (YSOs). The finding was presented in a research paper published in the December issue of the Journal of the Korean Astronomical Society (JKAS).
	To the moo-n: Cow dung fuels Japan's space ambitions Japan's space industry opened potentially an udder-ly new chapter on Thursday with a start-up testing a prototype rocket engine that runs on fuel derived purely from a plentiful local source: cow dung.
	Earth may have had all the elements needed for life—contrary to theories that they came from meteorites For many years, scientists have predicted that many of the elements that are crucial ingredients for life, like sulfur and nitrogen, first came to Earth when asteroid-type objects carrying them crashed into our planet's surface.
	Large exomoons unlikely around Kepler-1625 b and Kepler-1708 b, astronomers say Only two of the more than 5,300 known exoplanets have so far provided evidence of moons in orbit around them. In observations of the planets Kepler-1625b and Kepler-1708b from the Kepler and Hubble space telescopes, researchers discovered traces of such moons for the first time.
	New dark matter theory explains two puzzles in astrophysics Thought to make up 85% of matter in the universe, dark matter is nonluminous and its nature is not well understood. While normal matter absorbs, reflects, and emits light, dark matter cannot be seen directly, making it harder to detect. A theory called "self-interacting dark matter," or SIDM, proposes that dark matter particles self-interact through a dark force, strongly colliding with one another close to the center of a galaxy.
	Measuring the distances to galaxies with space telescopes One of the James Webb Space Telescope's science goals is to understand how galaxies in the early universe formed and evolved into much larger galaxies like our own Milky Way. This goal requires that we identify samples of galaxies at different moments in the universe's history to explore how their properties evolve with time.
	UFOs: How astronomers are searching the sky for alien probes near Earth There has been increased interest in unidentified flying objects (UFOs) ever since the Pentagon's 2021 report revealed what appears to be anomalous objects in US airspace, dubbed unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP). Fast forward to 2023, and Nasa has already formed a panel to investigate the reports and appointed a director for UAP research.
	Communicating with a relativistic spacecraft gets pretty weird Someday, in the not-too-distant future, humans may send robotic probes to explore nearby star systems. These robot explorers will likely take the form of lightsails and wafercraft (a la Breakthrough Starshot) that will rely on directed energy (lasers) to accelerate to relativistic speeds—aka a fraction of the speed of light. With that kind of velocity, lightsails and wafercraft could make the journey across interstellar space in a matter of decades instead of centuries (or longer!) Given time, these missions could serve as pathfinders for more ambitious exploration programs involving astronauts.
	Astronomers calculate which exoplanets are most likely to have water Astronomers know of about 60 rocky exoplanets orbiting in the habitable zones of their stars. When they try to determine how habitable these planets might be, detecting water in their atmospheres plays a huge role. But what if there was another way of measuring the water content in these worlds?
	Psyche gamma-ray instrument hums to life, marking next generation for space exploration Set 6.5 feet (2 meters) away from NASA's Psyche spacecraft on the tip of a boom, the mission's gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS) hummed to life on Nov. 6 for the first time since launch in mid-October. The GRS is one half of the Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer (GRNS) instrument on the Psyche mission.
	Famed Halley's comet passes aphelion this weekend It's lonely out there in the frozen outer solar system. On Saturday, December 9th, that most famous of all comets 1P/Halley reaches a hallmark point on its 75-year journey through the solar system, reaching aphelion or its most distant point from the sun.
	For its final trick, Chandrayaan-3 brings its propulsion module to Earth orbit On August 23, ISRO's Vikram lander detached from its propulsion module and made a soft landing near the moon's south pole region. The lander then deployed its Pragyan rover, and for two weeks the endearing little solar-powered rover performed marvelously, detecting water ice and characterizing the makeup of the lunar regolith before succumbing to the darkness and cold of the lunar night.
	PACE testing and preparation continues for launch in early 2024 Engineers are executing a comprehensive performance test to ensure the PACE spacecraft is ready for launch. NASA's Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission will study what makes Earth so different from every other planet we study: life itself.
	Video: Tracking human emissions from space The Copernicus Anthropogenic Carbon Dioxide Monitoring (CO2M) mission will be the first satellite mission to measure how much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere through human activity.
	China scores a big win in race with US for influence on the moon China notched a diplomatic victory in its race against the U.S. for influence in space, with Egypt agreeing to support Beijing's plan for a proposed project on the moon.

Technology news

	Using machine learning to monitor driver 'workload' could help improve road safety Researchers have developed an adaptable algorithm that could improve road safety by predicting when drivers are able to safely interact with in-vehicle systems or receive messages, such as traffic alerts, incoming calls or driving directions.
	Adding a flexible spine and tail makes mouse robot more nimble A team of roboticists at Technical University of Munich, in Germany, working with a colleague from Sun Yat-sen University, in China, has improved the nimbleness of a quadruped robot by adding a flexible spine and tail. The group has reported on their project in the journal Science Robotics.
	Training algorithm breaks barriers to deep physical neural networks EPFL researchers have developed an algorithm to train an analog neural network just as accurately as a digital one, enabling the development of more efficient alternatives to power-hungry deep learning hardware.
	Plant-inspired liquid metal actuators unlock new potential for flexible robotics A research team led by Prof. Tian Xingyou and Prof. Zhang Xian from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) have utilized liquid metal to construct Liquid metal/Polyimide/Polytetrafluoroethylene (LM/PI/PTFE) programmable photothermal actuators based on asymmetric thermal expansion.
	ChatGPT often won't defend its answers, even when it is right: Study finds weakness in large language models' reasoning ChatGPT may do an impressive job at correctly answering complex questions, but a new study suggests it may be absurdly easy to convince the AI chatbot that it's in the wrong.
	Automated system teaches users when to collaborate with an AI assistant Artificial intelligence models that pick out patterns in images can often do so better than human eyes—but not always. If a radiologist is using an AI model to help her determine whether a patient's X-rays show signs of pneumonia, when should she trust the model's advice and when should she ignore it?
	Software DJ creates automated pop song mashups Song mashups are a staple of many DJs, who mix the vocals and instrumentals from two or more tracks into a seamless blend, creating a new and exciting final product. While the result is fun to listen to, the creation process can often be challenging, requiring knowledge and expertise to select the right tracks and mash them together perfectly.
	Lawsuit says Meta exposes children to exploitation The US state of New Mexico filed a lawsuit Wednesday accusing Facebook and Instagram of being a "breeding ground" for predators who target children.
	EU to resume negotiations on world's first AI law on Friday The European Union failed to clinch a deal Thursday on a sweeping law on artificial intelligence after nearly 24 hours of negotiations, but vowed to continue talks the next day.
	Technology is stealing your time in ways you may not realize. What you can do about it Technology is supposed to make our lives easier. Smart phones provide a palm-size window to the world, enabling us to do almost anything at the touch of a button. Smart homes look after themselves, and virtual meetings mean that for many, time spent commuting is a thing of the past.
	Video: NASA, Moog humming along on air taxi noise tests Air taxis hold the promise to revolutionize air transportation. NASA is working to make this vision a reality, collaborating with industry to reduce aircraft noise in our communities.
	Service bots turn off customers even when they work as well as humans, study shows People seem to have little fondness for consumer service bots—so much so that even when an interaction with one is equal in speed and efficiency to that with a human, customers will still report dissatisfaction with the bot.
	Study proposes real-time permittivity estimation method for stepped-frequency ground-penetrating radar Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) has long been a pivotal tool in estimating the permittivity of various mediums. An important technique used in this estimation is the radar echo amplitude method, which crucially derives permittivity magnitude from the correlation between reflection coefficients and permittivity.
	How ChatGPT could help first responders during natural disasters A little over a year since its launch, ChatGPT's abilities are well known. The machine learning model can write a decent college-level essay and hold a conversation in an almost human-like way.
	A modified flower pollination algorithm for wind power generation Improvements to the Flower Pollination Algorithm (FPA) have been made to enhance the way in which we harvest wind energy for electricity generation. Details are published in the International Journal of Automation and Control.
	Is Alexa sexist? Yes, says study University of Waterloo professor and Canada Research Chair in Technology and Social Change Dr. Lai-Tze Fan analyzed hundreds of Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa's voice-driven skills. Dr. Fan's goal was to better understand how the encoded technology mirrors and reinforces traditionally feminized labor and sociocultural expectations.
	Interoperability is the name of the game in the future of traffic, says researcher An F-35 fighter plane has 8 million lines of code. A modern car, by comparison, has hundreds of millions of lines of code. The car is on its way to becoming an even more demanding software platform than the cell phone, says Tero Päivärinta, professor of Empirical Software Engineering at the University of Oulu, Finland.
	Examining the energy footprint of architecture built by oil The six Middle East countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council are located in one of the harshest places on the planet. Temperatures on hot summer days can top 50°C. Access to water in these desert lands is also challenging.
	Meta makes end-to-end encryption a default on Facebook Messenger Meta is rolling out end-to-end encryption for calls and messages across its Facebook and Messenger platforms, the company announced Thursday.
	Toyota teaming with Cirba Solutions to expand battery recycling network Toyota Motor North America is teaming with battery recycling materials and management company Cirba Solutions to expanding its battery recycling network.
	Epic Games, Lego join forces for latest 'Fortnite' game Toy giant Lego and videogame leader Epic Games joined forces Thursday to launch "Lego Fortnite" in a bid to grow a platform already used by hundreds of millions of people.
	New open-source platform cuts costs for running AI Cornell researchers have released a new, open-source platform called Cascade that can run artificial intelligence (AI) models in a way that slashes expenses and energy costs while dramatically improving performance.
	Saddling up cryptosystems for a quantum showdown A lone ranger riding off into the sunset might say something sage and vague, such as "a man is only as good as his word." But these gritty prophets never said anything about verifying a man's—or anyone else's—word in the wild frontiers of the digital or quantum era.
	Computer scientists introduce a new method to reduce the size of multilingual language models Multilingual language models, or MLMs, are machine learning models that can predict, generate, and extract text from more than one language. They're useful for cross-lingual communication, translation, and more—but tend to work best when they're only focused on a few languages.
	Helping ensure a water supply without electricity In India, access to irrigation is a major problem. Punit Singh, Associate Professor at the Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has been working on a solution to address this irrigation scarcity for the past ten years in Chhattisgarh.
	Researchers develop method that boosts performance of moderation models on live platforms Twitch. Some see it as a fun online community of gamers and good-natured e-sports fandom. For others, it's a perilous stream of potentially toxic content and hate speech.
	Bitzlato founder pleads guilty to running 'criminal' US crypto exchange The Russian founder of the Bitzlato cryptocurrency exchange pleaded guilty on Wednesday to operating a money transfer business that accepted illicit funds.
	Bitcoin rally shines spotlight on investor risks A much-anticipated US approval of wider bitcoin trading has helped the world's biggest cryptocurrency reach 20-month heights, risking however pain for new investors unaccustomed to its volatility.
	Noam Chomsky turns 95: The social justice advocate paved the way for AI. Does it keep him up at night? Noam Chomsky, the revered and reviled genius once famously described as "the most important intellectual alive", turned 95 Dec. 6. He is a monumental figure in modern linguistics, and only a slightly lesser deity in psychology, philosophy and political activism.
	COP28: Turning the tap off slowly. Why Australia's decision to end overseas fossil fuel finance matters Until recently, financing fossil fuel projects has been relatively easy.
	Navigating the energy transition: A call to consider the citizen perspective A wind turbine near your home? The energy transition is not seen as just by all parties concerned. It's essential to involve local residents, argues Emma ter Mors, social psychologist. As a researcher, she focuses on identifying factors that influence public acceptance of energy technologies. Isn't participation sometimes an empty formality?
	New circular economy roadmap reveals how to reduce plastic waste in India A roadmap to significantly reduce plastic waste in India has been released today, with CSIRO collaborating with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Development Alternatives, the University of New South Wales, and the University of Technology Sydney's Institute for Sustainable Futures.

Chemistry news

	Engineers develop a way to determine how the surfaces of materials behave Designing new compounds or alloys whose surfaces can be used as catalysts in chemical reactions can be a complex process relying heavily on the intuition of experienced chemists. A team of researchers at MIT has devised a new approach using machine learning, that removes the need for intuition and provides more detailed information than conventional methods can practically achieve.
	Time-tested magnesium oxide: Unveiling CO₂ absorption dynamics Magnesium oxide is a promising material for capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and injecting it deep underground to limit the effects of climate change. But making the method economical will require discovering the speed at which carbon dioxide is absorbed and how environmental conditions affect the chemical reactions involved.
	A catalyst for electronically controlled C–H functionalization The Chirik Group at the Princeton Department of Chemistry is chipping away at one of the great challenges of metal-catalyzed C–H functionalization with a new method that uses a cobalt catalyst to differentiate between bonds in fluoroarenes, functionalizing them based on their intrinsic electronic properties.
	Threefold coordinated germanium proved in GeO₂ melt According to a study published in Nature Communications, threefold coordinated germanium has been proved for the first time in a germanium dioxide (GeO2) melt, potentially resolving the long-standing debate about the structure of GeO2 melt.
	Brazilians create sensor to monitor levels of widely used antibiotic in water and food Researchers at the Center for Development of Functional Materials (CDMF) describe in the Journal of Molecular Liquids the development of a sensor that detects metronidazole in organisms and the environment. Metronidazole is an antibiotic used in human and veterinary medicine. Accumulation of this drug in the body can result in various health problems, and levels in blood, water, meat, and milk, among others, need to be monitored.
	Elastane recycling: Stretching the lifespan of textiles Clothing is far too valuable to simply dispose of and burn. Starting in 2025, used textiles are to be collected and recycled throughout the EU. Improved recycling processes are urgently needed to deal with the huge amount of textiles that will then be produced in an efficient and environmentally friendly way.

Biology news

	Grunt or whistle: Successful honey-hunters know how to communicate with wild honey-seeking birds In many parts of Africa, humans cooperate with a species of wax-eating bird called the greater honeyguide, Indicator indicator, which leads them to wild bees' nests with a chattering call. By using specialized sounds to communicate with each other, both species can significantly increase their chances of accessing calorie-dense honey and beeswax.
	It turns out, this plant fossil is really a baby turtle fossil From the 1950s to the 1970s, a Colombian priest named Padre Gustavo Huertas collected rocks and fossils near a town called Villa de Levya. Two of the specimens he found were small, round rocks patterned with lines that looked like leaves; he classified them as a type of fossil plant. But in a new study, published in the journal Palaeontologia Electronica, researchers re-examined these "plant" fossils and found that they weren't plants at all: they were the fossilized remains of baby turtles.
	Mediterranean green turtles' nesting range will expand under warming climate, modeling study finds Rising global temperatures could lead to an increase in the nesting range of green turtles in the Mediterranean Sea, according to a modeling study published in Scientific Reports. Under the worst-case climate scenario, the nesting range could increase by over 60 percentage points, spreading west from the current area to include much of the North African, Italian, and Greek coastlines.
	Growing biofilms actively alter host environment, study reveals Dental plaque, gut bacteria and the slippery sheen on river rocks are all examples of biofilms, organized communities of microorganisms that colonize our bodies and the world around us. A recent study led by Penn State researchers reveals exactly how growing biofilms shape their environments and fine-tune their internal architecture to fit their surroundings. The findings may have implications for a wide variety of applications, from fighting disease to engineering new types of living active materials.
	First global estimate of marine aquarium trade to encourage sustainable practices New research has generated the first global estimate of the number of fish and invertebrates within the Marine Aquarium Trade (MAT), as a way to incentivize industry sustainability and coral reef conservation.
	Acoustic monitoring shows surprising resilience of subtropical forests to extreme weather, but climate change looms If a tree falls in a forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Researchers from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST) have answered this question by remotely recording the soundscapes of Okinawan forests, allowing them to track how extreme weather events like typhoons affect different ecosystems on the island.
	Using protein-glutaminase treatment to make veggie-burgers more moist A trio of food scientists at Amano Enzyme Inc. Innovation Center, in Japan, has found that adding a protein-glutaminase treatment to plant-based meat alternatives can make the resulting product juicier. In their study, reported in PLOS ONE, Kiyota SakaiI, Masamichı´ Okada, and Shotaro Yamaguchi, tried several approaches to improving the juiciness of textured vegetable proteins before settling on protein-glutaminase, which is known more commonly as EC 3.5.1.44.
	Antibiotic resistance genes are spread more widely between bacteria than previously thought A new study published in The Lancet Microbe has found that the transfer of antibiotic resistance genes between different bacteria is considerably more widespread than previously thought. The study is titled "Interphylum dissemination of NDM-5-positive plasmids in hospital wastewater from Fuzhou, China: a single-centre, culture-independent, plasmid transmission study."
	How algae use memory to protect against sudden changes in sunlight Fluctuating sunlight poses a challenge for plants and green algae, which must quickly adjust their photosynthetic systems to remain efficient in changing conditions. Aiding in that response is a kind of rudimentary memory that allows these organisms to respond more rapidly to changes in light following previous fluctuations.
	Wasps that recognize faces cooperate more, may be smarter A new study of paper wasps suggests social interactions may make animals smarter. The research offers behavioral evidence of an evolutionary link between the ability to recognize individuals and social cooperation.
	Novel viral treatment found to be effective against devastating bone cancer in dogs Researchers from the University of Minnesota partnered with Mayo Clinic to conduct a groundbreaking study that could offer hope for dogs, and potentially humans, diagnosed with osteosarcoma— a devastating bone cancer predominantly affecting children, adolescents and young adults.
	Molecular fossils study sheds light on feeding strategy shift in ancient life Paleontologists are getting a glimpse at life over a billion years in the past based on chemical traces in ancient rocks and the genetics of living animals. Research published in Nature Communications combines geology and genetics, showing how changes in the early Earth prompted a shift in how animals eat.
	Avian supergene study explores the evolutionary paradox behind the unusual mating strategies of the ruff In the colorful world of avian courtship, the ruff (Calidris pugnax) is in a league of its own. Breeding in marshes and wet meadows across Eurasia, the males of this medium-sized sandpiper species are well-known for their distinctive mating strategies, which range from flamboyant territorial displays to cunning mimicry.
	Three researchers show their suburban backyard is home to more than 1,000 species A challenge among three housemates to identify species around their inner-Brisbane home has resulted in an academic research paper, showcasing the rich biodiversity in urban landscapes.
	Exogenous arginine promotes coproduction of biomass and astaxanthin in Haematococcus pluvialis Researchers led by Prof. Huang Qing from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have shown that arginine supplementation can improve the growth and astaxanthin production of Haematococcus pluvialis (H. pluvialis).
	If humans disappeared, what would happen to our dogs? For many of us, dogs are our best friends. But have you wondered what would happen to your dog if we suddenly disappeared? Can domestic dogs make do without people?
	Report says new models will improve understanding of America's forests Forests and the carbon they capture play a pivotal role in combating climate change, and a new report co-authored by NAU researchers is set to transform forest conservation efforts nationwide by providing new, more accurate models for calculating and predicting how much carbon they hold.
	Study: How farmers decide to store or sell their grain When farmers harvest their grain, they can choose to sell it right away or store it to obtain better prices later in the season. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explores how Illinois corn and soybean producers make those decisions and why the cost-benefit evaluation of storage may differ across farms.
	A great year to be a cabbage white butterfly: Why are there so many and how can you protect your crops? Cabbage white butterflies—Pieris rapae—are one of the most common garden visitors across southern and eastern Australia. The butterfly looks elegant in white with black dots on its wings: females have a pair of black spots and males a single spot on each forewing. But their velvety green caterpillars are ravenous beasts on brassicas—the plant family that includes common vegetable crops such as cabbages, cauliflowers, broccoli, kale and bok choy.
	How agriculture can make the most of one of the world's biggest carbon stocks, soil It's right under our feet. We barely notice as we go about our lives, yet it is nothing less than the largest carbon repository among all of Earth's ecosystems. This distinction is awarded neither to forests, nor to the atmosphere, but to our soils. There are around 2,400 billion tons of carbon in the first two meters below ground, which is three times as much as in the atmosphere.
	Spider's distribution differs by urban habitat The concept of urbanization rests on the population distribution of human beings, more than 50% of whom now live near large, often densely packed groups of other people. But the consequences of that urbanization—shifts in vegetation, localized fluctuations in temperature and wind, light and sound—can alter the distribution of other animals, too.
	Urbanization found to increase seasonal differences in plant-pollinator networks Increasing urbanization worldwide is a growing threat to biodiversity. At the same time, flowering plants are often more diverse in cities than in the countryside. This is due to flowering plants and agricultural crops, which are increasingly being grown in cities. A recent study shows that the interactions between plants and pollinators, which are essential for agricultural production, are surprisingly dynamic.
	Ramanome-based technology shortens mycobacteria antimicrobial susceptibility testing to 24 hours In response to the escalating challenges posed by the high drug resistance of rapidly growing mycobacteria (RGM), a collaborative team from the Qingdao Institute of Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology (QIBEBT) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Beijing Chest Hospital, and the Qingdao Single-Cell Biotech has achieved a breakthrough in rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) of RGM.
	Cracking 6mA code to enhance lipid accumulation in microalgae Microalgae—which are major contributors to global photosynthesis and primary productivity—serve as promising chassis cells in synthetic biology.
	Why we need a moratorium on eel fishing All 19 species of Anguillid eels migrate from the sea, where they are born, to the freshwater systems in which they grow. After a period of up to 20 years, they reach maturity and return to the sea to breed and die.
	Why dozens of North American bird species are getting new names: Every name tells a story This winter, tens of thousands of birders will survey winter bird populations for the National Audubon Society's Christmas Bird Count, part of an international bird census, powered by volunteers, that has taken place every year since 1900.
	Less asphalt gives way to stronger trees in urban areas, finds study Trees planted in urban areas can provide shade and contribute to a lower air temperature. For these services to be optimal, it is important to let asphalt give way to trees, according to research from the University of Gothenburg.
	Better use of grass-covered areas across the EU can protect nature and strengthen agriculture German farmers in the Lower Oder Valley National Park on the eastern border with Poland faced a dilemma: what to do with grass that was useless as animal feed.
	DNA analysis of bat droppings shows astonishingly high number of insect species Adequate food supply is a fundamental need and requirement for survival. To protect a species, it is often very helpful to know what that species prefers and frequently consumes. Through the analysis of DNA traces in the droppings of a Leisler's bat colony, researchers at LIB (Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change) have now identified an astonishingly high number—more than 350—different insect species that were consumed by the bats.
	Q&A: Reducing the use of animal tissues for testing the safety of cosmetics Imperial College London researchers speak to us about their work exploring animal-free methods for the future of testing cosmetics safety.
	Environmental engineers suggest that anaerobic digestion could be used to clean cattle manure, produce fuel Chemicals—from antibiotics used to keep livestock healthy to pesticides that shield crops from insects and other pests—play an important role in modern agriculture. However, many of these substances accumulate in cow manure used as fertilizer, where they contaminate crops, leach into groundwater, and pollute waterways, posing a threat to human health and the environment.
	Miami aquarium manatees Romeo and Juliet arrive at ZooTampa for care Two Florida manatees whose living conditions at a Miami aquarium sparked online outrage have been escorted across the state by a caravan of wildlife officials to their new home at ZooTampa.
	Three takeaways on respiratory illness in dogs Headlines have been circulating about a "mystery" canine respiratory illness. How novel is this, and what should dog owners know? Penn Today spoke with Deborah Silverstein, professor of emergency and critical care at the School of Veterinary Medicine and section chief of emergency and critical care at Ryan Veterinary Hospital, to break down the biggest takeaways.
	Sensor implant gathers information about the welfare of individual farmed salmon Sick and injured farmed salmon are a problem, but researchers have recently developed an implant that uses sensors to gather information about the welfare of individual fish.
	Day-extension blue light inhibits chrysanthemum flowering when far-red light is included: Study Most ornamental crops can be classified as long-day, short-day, or day-neutral plants based on their flowering responses to the photoperiod (which is the day length), or the skotoperiod (which is the night length). Chrysanthemum is a common ornamental crop with an obligate short-day flowering response and only flowers when the night length is consistently longer than a critical duration.

Medicine and Health news

	Study shows that AgRP neurons encode circadian feeding time in mice Animals and humans follow specific daily patterns known as circadian rhythms, which naturally prompt their bodies to sleep, wake up, eat and have other physiological responses at specific times. The disruption of these rhythms can have adverse effects on both their health and psychological well-being.
	New insight on the role of the primate orbitofrontal cortex in value-based decision-making The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), a subsection of the brain's frontal lobe, is known to play a part in value-based decision-making, the process of mentally weighing the outcome of different decisions and then selecting one. Value-based decisions include, for instance, choosing what to buy while shopping at a grocery store or deciding what apartment to rent among available options.
	More than 1 in 3 women have lasting health problems after giving birth, finds study Every year, at least 40 million women are likely to experience a long-term health problem caused by childbirth, according to a new study published today in The Lancet Global Health.
	Researchers develop a promising gene-editing strategy for spinal muscular atrophy Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating pediatric neuromuscular disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the SMN1 gene, which prevents the body from producing enough of the survival motor neuron (SMN) protein that is important for development and neuronal function.
	Cancer therapy bexmarilimab awakens immune cells to attack tumors that have avoided detection, research finds Researchers at the University of Turku, Finland, have uncovered how the new bexmarilimab therapy alters the function of immune cells so that they can infiltrate the tumor in cancer patients who do not respond to any other current therapies.
	New 'dictionary' of immune responses reveals far more complexity in the immune system than previously thought The immune system can carry out many biological processes, from killing viruses to fighting cancer, thanks in large part to approximately 100 key cell-signaling proteins called cytokines, which instruct immune cells what to do. Cytokines are also targeted by drugs for many diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, COVID-19, and cancer, but until now, scientists haven't had a comprehensive view of how different immune cells respond to different cytokines because the immune system is so complex.
	Why do some older adults show declines in their spatial memory? Aging becomes apparent in various ways, one of them being changes in memory function. But some older adults experience a faster decline in memory compared to others.
	Large-scale DNA sequence resource reveals new regions of the human genome under natural selection Every human's genome has millions of genetic variants, but most have little to no effect, making it difficult for clinicians to make medical diagnoses based on genetic differences.
	Researchers develop approach to study rare gene variant pairs that contribute to disease Each gene in the human genome has two copies. When researchers detect two mutations within a particular gene in a patient's genome, it can be difficult or expensive to determine if those two mutations are present in the same copy of the gene ("in cis") or different copies of the gene ("in trans").
	New study finds diabetes drug may reduce risk for colorectal cancer A study by researchers at Case Western Reserve University suggests a class of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes may also reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC).
	Why the presence of healthy cells enables cancer to resist treatment Chemotherapy becomes less effective because healthy cells push cancer cells to grow more slowly, according to two studies from researchers at UCL and Yale.
	AI can identify women with high risk of breast cancer in screening examinations The use of AI makes it possible for women with a high risk of breast cancer to be identified in mammography screening examinations so that the cancer can be caught earlier. An international research group led from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden has now shown that the method is effective in different European countries. The study is published in The Lancet Regional Health—Europe.
	Improving prediction of advanced breast cancer among women of different races and ethnicities While regular screenings may decrease the chance of diagnosis of advanced breast cancer in some women and lead to a 20% reduction in breast cancer mortality, other women will be diagnosed with advanced breast cancer despite screening at regular intervals. The chances of being diagnosed with advanced breast cancer are higher among women who are Black or Hispanic/Latinx as well as women who are overweight and obese.
	Surgery patients now less likely to get opioids—but decline has slowed, study shows Post-surgery pain relief has shifted away from opioid-containing medications over the past seven years, but the downward trend has slowed since 2020, a new study shows.
	Research lays groundwork for promising new gene therapy approach for genetic heart disease: Clinical trials imminent Researchers at the Hubrecht Institute have laid the foundation for the development of a gene therapy for the genetic heart disease arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM). Their approach, based on replacement of the PKP2 gene, led to significant structural and functional improvements in laboratory models of the disease.
	Novel stem cell therapy using mRNA technology may stimulate natural repair in liver disease Mortality related to end stage liver disease is ranked as the 12th most common cause of death in the U.S. Liver transplantation remains the only treatment for end stage liver disease, but there is a critical shortage of organ donors, necessitating a dire need for new forms of treatment.
	Researchers determine the structural basis for ApoE-Aβ interactions Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a debilitating incurable disease that affects millions of patients worldwide. Deposits of amyloid beta (Aβ) amyloid in the brain is key to AD pathology at early stages. Apolipoprotein E (apoE) interacts with Aβ and can influence this pathologic process. Although apoE-Aβ interactions have been extensively studied and have been proposed as a therapeutic target in AD, results of prior studies are confusing. Some report that apoE promotes Aβ amyloid formation while others report that apoE blocks this pathological process.
	How first contact influences the immune response to new SARS-CoV-2 variants Although SARS-CoV-2 is no longer a stranger to the immune system, new virus variants still pose a challenge. The working group led by Professor Dr. Florian Klein, Director of the Institute of Virology at the University Hospital Cologne and the Faculty of Medicine, has now published two studies investigating how the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 changes over time and how the immune system is preparing itself for new variants with clever strategies.
	Sound waves harden 3D-printed treatments in deep tissues Engineers at Duke University and Harvard Medical School have developed a bio-compatible ink that solidifies into different 3D shapes and structures by absorbing ultrasound waves. Because it responds to sound waves rather than light, the ink can be used in deep tissues for biomedical purposes ranging from bone healing to heart valve repair.
	New method is better able to map immune response and paves way for new treatments A new method, developed at Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and SciLifeLab in Sweden, can identify unique immune cell receptors and their location in tissue, a study published in the journal Science reports. The researchers predict that the method will improve the ability to identify which immune cells contribute to disease processes and open up opportunities to develop novel therapies for numerous diseases.
	Study links back pain to a subtype of cells in spinal 'shock absorbers' A new Cedars-Sinai study might have cracked the mystery surrounding the cause of a specific type of back pain. Almost 40% of the adult population experiences low back pain due to degenerating disks in the spine, but medical science hasn't understood exactly why the disks become painful. In a new study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, Cedars-Sinai investigators point the way to an answer—and possibly a step toward targeted treatment.
	New study on vapes challenges belief that adolescents experience less severe withdrawal symptoms Vapes or e-cigarettes were introduced as a potentially safer alternative to traditional smoking to curb tobacco use. However, the popularity of vapes has risen among an age group they weren't intended for: adolescents.
	Researchers reveal uncharted liver-focused pathway in gene therapy immune responses Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have uncovered vital insights regarding a liver trigger that blocks an undesired immune response from gene therapy, surprisingly resulting in activating specific immune cells despite the liver's typical role in suppressing immune responses.
	COVID-19 pandemic study shows adherence to infection precaution measures among health care personnel varies by job role A new study published in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), based on a survey of health care professionals conducted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests that new efforts may be needed to strengthen infection prevention precautions and protect staff members at the highest risk of exposure to dangerous pathogens.
	Working night shifts is associated with sleep disorders in more than half of workers, study suggests Sleep is critical for daytime and neurocognitive functioning, as well as physical and mental health. When people work shifts—in 2015, 21% of workers in the European Union did—their circadian sleep-wake rhythms are commonly disrupted. Now, researchers in the Netherlands have investigated the relationship between different shift working patterns, sociodemographic factors, and sleep disorders.
	Study suggests nonagenarians are mostly sedentary, with low physical activity Nonagenarians are mostly sedentary and report low physical activity, according to a study published online Dec. 6 in PLOS ONE.
	FTC chief gears up for a showdown with private equity A recent Federal Trade Commission civil lawsuit accusing one of the nation's largest anesthesiology groups of monopolistic practices that sharply drove up prices is a warning to private equity investors that could temper their big push to snap up physician groups.
	Tiny, focused shocks can help patients overcome heart arrhythmia Joe McKown is an avid amateur athlete who has competed in scores of triathlons over the years. Swimming, biking, running, he thrived on challenging feats of endurance.
	Researchers show that hydrogen sulfide regulates the neural circuit for respiration While commonly associated with the unpleasant odor of hot springs, hydrogen sulfide is naturally produced in the body. Despite its toxicity at higher concentrations, the lower concentrations generated internally are indispensable for life. Researchers from the University of Tsukuba have demonstrated the importance of hydrogen sulfide in the brain for normal respiration although the precise mechanism remained unclear.
	Chronic wounds a significant health and economic burden, costing Singapore $350 million annually Chronic wounds cost Singapore an estimated SGD$350 million a year, accounting for approximately 0.07% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The amount is a significant economic burden, considering that the country spends 4% of its GDP on health care.
	Selective CDK2 inhibitor drug can stop cancer growth, animal study suggests A new Peter Mac study using a pioneering drug has successfully controlled the growth of tumors and overcome existing drug resistance in multiple cancer types.
	Cocoa extract supplement found to have benefits for cognition among older adults with lower diet quality A study conducted by researchers, Dr. Chirag Vyas and Dr. Olivia I. Okereke at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Dr. Howard Sesso and Dr. JoAnn Manson at Brigham and Women's Hospital has shown that cocoa extract has a potential protective effect on cognition but randomized clinical trials in older adults have had inconsistent results.
	Changing levels of NOX4 protein could provide key to understanding fatty liver disease progression The global rise in obesity and diabetes is leading to an epidemic in fatty liver disease affecting 20%–30% of the world's population. Almost a third of people with fatty liver disease go on to develop an advanced form of the disease, known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) that can progress to cirrhosis and end-stage liver disease, or even liver cancer, and is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
	Drug found to extend survival in prostate cancer with genetic mutations Men with hormone-resistant prostate cancer and specific genetic mutations who were treated with the PARP inhibitor drug olaparib survived longer than men treated with traditional hormone therapy, according to an analysis published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
	New age-related macular degeneration study uses light-sensitive retinal organoids A partnership between ophthalmology researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University expands the understanding of how oxidative stress contributes to the development of choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
	Novel pancreatic cancer organoids show promise for effective screening of anticancer drugs Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), that arises from pancreatic epithelial cells, is the most common form of pancreatic cancer, with a very high mortality rate. This elevated mortality is associated with the unique tumor microenvironment (TME), known for increased resistance to chemotherapy and high metastatic potential.
	Exploring novel leukemia therapies using the 'the complex alphabet of mRNA' Around 320,000 new cases of leukemia, a type of blood cancer that can affect all population groups, are diagnosed every year in Europe. In children, cases of leukemia make up a third of diagnosed cancers. Chemotherapy is the primary treatment for leukemia.
	Photoacoustic imaging improves diagnostic accuracy of cancerous ovarian lesions Ovarian cancer is the deadliest cancer of the female reproductive system, and there is no screening test that can help with early detection. Ultrasound imaging, the standard of care used to determine whether lesions are cancerous or benign, is not always accurate, leading some patients to have the ovaries removed unnecessarily.
	Recent study identifies effective nutrition labels for India's diverse population Research at the George Institute for Global Health has provided important insights into the creation of front-of-pack nutrition labels (FoPLs) that are easy to understand and promote healthier food choices.
	WIC participation helped families better cope with 2022 infant formula shortage Families that participated in the WIC program—also known as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children—were much less likely to use potentially unsafe infant feeding practices during the 2022 U.S. infant formula shortage than income-eligible families that did not participate.
	Breast cancer patients may use fertility preservation or assisted reproductive technologies Using fertility preservation and/or assisted reproductive technologies (ART) did not adversely impact three-year cancer recurrence rates among patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer who paused endocrine therapy to become pregnant, according to results from the POSITIVE trial presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December 5–9, 2023.
	Exercise may boost quality of life for patients with metastatic breast cancer Among patients with metastatic breast cancer, those who took part in a nine-month structured exercise program reported less fatigue and an improved quality of life compared to those who did not undergo the exercise program, according to results from the PREFERABLE-EFFECT trial presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December 5–9, 2023.
	Younger postmenopausal patients with early-stage breast cancer may be able to safely omit adjuvant radiotherapy Almost all postmenopausal patients aged 50-–69 years with stage I hormone receptor (HR)-positive breast cancer and low scores on a common genetic test who opted out of adjuvant radiotherapy were disease free five years after surgery, according to results from the IDEA clinical trial presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium, held December 5–9, 2023.
	Decoding aggressive behavior in autistic children A number of news media reports have detailed physical or even sexual assaults by children with autism or intellectual disabilities. In some cases, the victims have suffered serious head injuries.
	Revealing the landscape of software as a medical device industry There has been a surge in academic and business interest in software as a medical device (SaMD). It enables medical professionals to streamline existing medical practices and make innovative medical processes such as digital therapeutics a reality. Furthermore, SaMD is a billion-dollar market. However, it is not clearly understood as a technological change and emerging industry.
	More ear checks needed to prevent hearing loss in remote Australia, says study A study led by Menzies School of Health Research (Menzies) has found a large gap in ear health services provided in remote Northern Territory communities in Australia.
	Manipulation of gut microbiota with flaxseed could reduce breast cancer risk, research suggests A new study demonstrates that the human gut microbiome may be a factor in breast health. Lifestyle and diet have long been known to affect human health. In the study, flaxseed components called lignans were shown to influence the relationship between gut microorganisms and the expression of mammary gland microRNAs (miRNAs). A subset of these miRNAs regulates the genes involved in breast cancer, including genes that control cell proliferation and migration.
	Pesticide exposure linked to risk of developing Parkinson's disease via changes in gut microbiome While the European Union has just renewed the approval of the use of herbicide glyphosate for another 10 years, scientists issue a call to action to reduce or replace the use of agrochemicals. Pesticides have a long-recognized link to Parkinson's disease (PD) based on epidemiological and experimental evidence from animal models.
	Researchers discover metabolic pathway specific to granuloma formation in patients On good days, the immune system can effectively handle pathogens that invade the body. However, when foreign matter takes the upper hand, the body builds a wall of immune cells called granuloma around the pathogens to isolate them.
	Collaboration recommends changes to development, assessment and approval of mental health medicines A major group of international experts and patients have cooperated in defining new parameters for the development of medicines to treat children and young people. They make a series of recommendations on how the processes should be improved. The work is published today in The Lancet Psychiatry.
	Researchers call attention to Denver's lack of water, toilet facilities for the unhoused On a warm summer day in July, Hannah Higgins (MA '23) strolled the 16th Street Mall in downtown Denver in search of something. Despite the mall's consumer-driven aura, she wasn't there to shop. She was there to document. And at the very end of 16th Street, she found what she was looking for—a public water fountain and restroom.
	BCMA+ EV levels correlate with myeloma response to belantamab-mafodotin A new research paper was published in Oncotarget, entitled, "Plasma levels of BCMA-positive extracellular vesicles correlate to response and side effects in myeloma patients treated with belantamab-mafodotin."
	Pandemic lockdowns led to food insecurity and other evidence of risk for adolescents Although adolescents are less susceptible to illness from COVID-19 than older people, there is evidence suggesting that pandemic lockdowns limited their ability to thrive. A new study by researchers at George Washington University and colleagues explored changes in outcomes for over 7,000 vulnerable adolescents living in Bangladesh, Jordan, and Ethiopia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
	Criteria for better assessment of rare genetic variants that can lead to hereditary colorectal cancer Genetic confirmation of the suspected diagnosis of "hereditary colorectal cancer" is of great importance for the medical care of affected families. However, many of the variants identified in the known genes cannot currently be classified with certainty with regard to their causative role in tumor formation.
	Study finds having a C-section is related to difficulties with conceiving In a new study conducted at the University of Bergen, the researchers found a bidirectional relationship between C-section and the time it takes for a couple to conceive. The findings are published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
	Right inferior frontal gyrus study provides new insights into how our minds control impulses A team of researchers from the University of Hong Kong and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China has conclusively identified the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) as a key input and causal regulator within the subcortical response inhibition nodes. This right-lateralized inhibitory control circuit, characterized by its significant intrinsic connectivity, highlights the crucial role of the rIFG in orchestrating top-down cortical-subcortical control, underscoring the intricate dynamics of brain function in response inhibition.
	Q&A: How to care for patients while reducing gastroenterology's environmental impact Modern medicine comes at a significant cost to the environment: The energy-intensive industry generates greenhouse gases that drive climate change and unrecyclable waste that packs landfills.
	How a failure to understand race leads to flawed health tech A new study focused on wearable health monitors underscores an entrenched problem in the development of new health technologies—namely, that a failure to understand race means the way these devices are developed and tested can exacerbate existing racial health inequities.
	Study finds Spanish-speaking patients at increased risk for depression, anxiety during radiation treatment Depression and anxiety among people living with a cancer diagnosis is a growing clinical and research priority. However, the prevalence of mood disorders in those living with cancer varies due to a multitude of variables such as stage and type of cancer, treatment, age, race, and ethnicity.
	Experimental HIV vaccine regimens likely to be ineffective in preventing HIV acquisition, research finds The PrEPVacc HIV prevention study of experimental vaccine regimens and a new form of oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) running in East and Southern Africa among 1,500 volunteer participants has stopped further vaccinations as there is little or no chance of the trial demonstrating vaccine efficacy in preventing HIV acquisition.
	Use of anticoagulant drug after aortic valve replacement lowers mortality risk, study finds Patients who received the anticoagulant drug warfarin after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement had lower incidence of mortality and a decreased risk of blood clots, according to a retrospective study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
	Specific genetic variant may help prevent obesity A preclinical study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators shows that a specific human genetic variant of a receptor that stimulates insulin release may help individuals resist obesity. The researchers discovered that this variant behaves differently in the cell, possibly contributing to more efficient metabolism.
	White house could punish big pharma's high prices by removing patents The Biden administration is flexing some federal muscle in its push for lower drug prices, warning pharmaceutical companies that it might use its authority to cancel patent protections if a medication costs too much.
	Mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx beneficial for FRα-positive ovarian cancer, finds phase 3 trial For patients with high folate receptor α (FRα)-positive ovarian cancer, a first-in-class antibody-drug conjugate targeting FRα, mirvetuximab soravtansine-gynx (MIRV), shows a significant benefit over chemotherapy, according to a study published in the Dec. 7 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
	Black Medicare patients less likely to be referred for home health care, finds study At discharge from the hospital, Black Medicare beneficiaries are less likely to be referred for home health care (HHC), compared to white patients, reports a survey study in Medical Care.
	Early life gene epimutation may contribute to breast cancer development Research reveals that around 20 percent of all cases of the most severe form of breast cancer may arise from the small group of normal tissue cells carrying an epimutation of a specific gene.
	CDC: Admission rate to ICU 1.8 per 1,000 live births for mothers For mothers delivering live-born infants in 2020 to 2022, the admission rate to an intensive care unit (ICU) was 1.8 per 1,000 live births, according to a December data brief published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics.
	Study suggests serotonin loss may contribute to cognitive decline in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease Comparing PET scans of more than 90 adults with and without mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say relatively lower levels of the so-called "happiness" chemical, serotonin, in parts of the brain of those with MCI may play a role in memory problems including Alzheimer's disease.
	Research demonstrates beef meals result in higher muscle protein synthesis rates than vegan meals Long-standing research has shown that consuming dietary protein stimulates muscle protein synthesis, which is a critical factor for building and maintaining skeletal muscle mass. Growing evidence has illustrated that animal- and plant-based protein food sources are not created equal in terms of their anabolic properties for triggering muscle growth and maintenance, primarily due to the quantity and quality of protein in these foods, as well as their different essential amino acid (EAA) content.
	Q&A: Preventing adolescent suicide—recommendations for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adolescent suicides have tragically been rising for over a decade and the COVID-19 pandemic's toll on activities, social connections, and deaths have made these trends increasingly visible.
	Review dives deep into probiotics for colorectal cancer Colorectal cancer (CRC) is expected to contribute to a burden of 3.2 million new cases and 1.6 million deaths by 2040. CRC prevention strategies target lifestyle changes, screening high-risk individuals, and polyp removal, while the most effective treatment options are surgery and chemotherapy or radiotherapy.
	Study suggests maternal inflammation risk factors associated with children's behavioral and emotional regulation Maternal inflammation risk factors may be associated with dysregulation in children, according to a recent study. "Dysregulation" in this context refers to children's attention, anxiety, depression, and aggression being measurably different from what is typically expected at their age.
	Children born moderately early are at an increased risk of developmental disorders, meta-analysis finds Children born between 32 and 38 weeks' gestation are more likely to have developmental disorders—such as language delay, cognitive impairment, ADHD and Cerebral palsy—compared with children born at full term, according to a major new study.
	Q&A: Building models of the brain to take them apart Kanaka Rajan describes herself as an ever-curious, "stick-my-finger-in-the-electrical-socket kind of person" who enjoys working with her hands. Forays into engineering and experimental neuroscience led Rajan to her true calling: computational neuroscience.
	Fostering a cat can ease loneliness, study finds No one needs science to tell them that dogs make faithful and loving companions. Cats, on the other hand, could use the endorsement. The University of Georgia and Brenau University have provided just that in a pilot study that proves fostering a cat can ease loneliness among older adults.
	Novel study design could improve research on future pandemics A special report published in The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine describes the design, operations, and methodology of the COVID Immunity Study, a large-scale scientific study by ADLM that took place in September 2021. By detailing the design of this novel study, the special report aims to facilitate similar studies by other scientific societies. These could fill in gaps in infectious disease research and potentially improve the global response to future pandemics.
	Virtual reality simulations can help autistic people complete real-world tasks, research finds Many people associate virtual reality headsets with interactive video games, but a researcher at the University of Missouri is using them for something far more important—helping autistic people navigate public transportation on college campuses.
	Japan to legalize cannabis-based medicines Japan has passed a bill to legalize cannabis-based medicines in a landmark revision of its stringent drug laws, while toughening its ban on recreational use of marijuana.
	Three tips from a dietitian on managing holiday indulgences Whether it's work parties, social gatherings or family get-togethers, December joins people for holidays and social events centered around plenty of food and drinks. But overindulging during the holiday season can bring unwelcome consequences.
	Biden wants states to ensure Obamacare plans cover enough doctors and hospitals The Biden administration plans to push states to boost oversight of the number of doctors, hospitals and other health providers insurers cover in Obamacare plans, under rules proposed in November.
	Patients expected Profemur artificial hips to last. Then they snapped in half Bradley Little, a physical education teacher in Arizona, was leading his class through a school hallway in 2017 when he collapsed. Little feared he was having a stroke. Or, in a sign of the times, that he'd been shot. He tried to stand, but his leg wouldn't move.
	Five expert tips on how to look after your baby in a heat wave Extreme heat events are becoming more frequent and intense in Australia. This can cause illness or worsen existing conditions. During hot weather, hospital admissions and deaths increase.
	What is needle spiking, and how can I protect myself? Last week two young Australian women spoke candidly to the ABC about being sexually assaulted while on holidays. The alleged incidents occurred in Greece in 2022 and in Hawaii in 2019.
	What does weight-inclusive health care mean? A dietitian explains what providers do to end weight stigma Weight-inclusive health care means a focus on better health with no weight loss required.
	Artificial intelligence for aging research in cancer drug development A new editorial paper was published in Aging, entitled, "Artificial intelligence for aging research in cancer drug development."
	Biden administration delays decision on menthol cigarette ban amid pushback The Biden administration has again delayed enacting a ban on menthol cigarettes following intense lobbying from the tobacco industry.
	State abortion bans bar exceptions for suicide, mental health In the year since the Supreme Court outlawed the national right to an abortion, 18 states have implemented abortion bans that specify that mental health or suicidality do not qualify as a health-related exception for the woman—a deviation that's occurring despite growing national momentum to treat physical and mental health equally.
	Reviewing the mechanism of ferroptosis and its related diseases In a review titled "The Mechanism of Ferroptosis and its Related Diseases," Feng and his colleagues from the Department of Urology and the Institute of Urology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, and Cancer Center at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, have undertaken a comprehensive investigation of ferroptosis and its intricate relationships with various diseases.
	Testing implementation leadership scale for quality care delivery in Japan In nursing, evidence-based practice (EBP) entails providing holistic, high-quality care based on the most recent research and information rather than traditional methods or personal beliefs. EBP is viewed as the gold standard for delivering the highest standards in clinical practice and patient outcomes.

Other Sciences news

	Ancient Balkan genomes trace the rise and fall of Roman Empire's frontier, reveal Slavic migrations A multidisciplinary study has reconstructed the genomic history of the Balkan Peninsula during the first millennium of the common era, a time and place of profound demographic, cultural and linguistic change.
	AI-powered satellite analysis reveals the unseen economic landscape of underdeveloped nations The United Nations reports that more than 700 million people are in extreme poverty, earning less than two dollars a day. However, an accurate assessment of poverty remains a global challenge. For example, 53 countries have not conducted agricultural surveys in the past 15 years, and 17 countries have not published a population census. To fill this data gap, new technologies are being explored to estimate poverty using alternative sources such as street views, aerial photos, and satellite images.
	Oldest fortresses in the world discovered In a groundbreaking archaeological discovery, an international team led by archaeologists from Freie Universität Berlin has uncovered fortified prehistoric settlements in a remote region of Siberia. The results of their research reveal that hunter–gatherers in Siberia constructed complex defense structures around their settlements 8,000 years ago.
	New high school curriculum teaches color chemistry and AI simultaneously North Carolina State University researchers have developed a weeklong high school curriculum that helps students quickly grasp concepts in both color chemistry and artificial intelligence—while sparking their curiosity about science and the world around them.
	Examining factors that determine creaky voice use Vocal fry has a bad reputation in American English. A subtype of creaky voice, a feature of speech that sounds gravelly and pulse-like, this manner of speech is sometimes used to form judgment about the speaker. In many languages, the creaky tone changes the meaning of words, as exhibited in Lango spoken in South Sudan or Jalapa Mazatec spoken in Mexico.
	Universal basic income: Wales is set to end its experiment—why researchers think that's a mistake The Welsh government has announced that its universal basic income (UBI) project will not be continued after the initial pilot ends in 2025 because of the cost.
	When research study materials don't speak their participants' language, data can get lost in translation Imagine your mother has cancer. You just heard about a promising new experimental treatment and want to enroll her in the study. However, your mother immigrated to the U.S. as an adult and speaks limited English. When you reach out to the research team, they tell you she is ineligible because they are recruiting only English speakers.
	Most of the world's countries receive failing grade in global 'human rights report card' A new report that grades all the countries of the world on their respect for human rights paints a grim picture of human rights practices in the 21st century.
	Parentification: The impact of children taking on parental roles in their family We expect parents to always take care of their children's physical and emotional needs. But sometimes the roles are reversed, and the child assumes responsibilities beyond what is appropriate for their age—a phenomenon known as parentification.
	Trust in brands may be eroded as awareness of misinformation increases, academics conclude Academics from Cardiff and Stanford Universities reviewed current marketing research focused on the consequences of misinformation spread. "Between brand attacks and broader narratives: How direct and indirect misinformation erode consumer trust" is published in Current Opinion in Psychology.
	Why empathy constitutes the ultimate leadership skill When asked what traits constitute a good leader, you may be tempted to list traditional qualities such as rationality, cool-headedness, and overall, an ability to detach oneself from one's emotions. However, research has shown that the ability to feel empathy toward one's colleagues is in fact the most critical leadership skills, and much-overlooked. Empathy is on record for boosting employees' ability to innovate, engage with the task at hand, balance work and life demands, and not least, motivate them to stay within the company.
	Examining Nazi plans for dividing and 'improving' Africa during World War II While Germany's 1939 invasion of Poland marks the official start of World War II, one of the major on-ramps to war was the Italian invasion of Ethiopia four years earlier.
	Social robots leave students wanting, education researchers find Social robots, artificial intelligence (AI) systems designed to interact with humans, are marketed as capable of fulfilling certain human roles. Elementary and middle school students who interacted with one of these robots in the classroom for 10 weeks showed curiosity about aspects of the robot—including gender identity—that make them appear "social," according to Penn State College of Education researchers.
	Scientists believe lack of women in physics tied to personal preference, but this ignores gender norms: Study Fewer women pursue careers in physics than biology, and scientists from around the world believe these differences come down to personal preferences, according to a new Rice University study of international scientists. The study's researchers warn that merely chalking this imbalance up to individual choice may diminish the push for gender equality in the sciences.
	Ex-entrepreneurs can thrive in the right employee roles, finds new study Once an entrepreneur always an entrepreneur? Not necessarily, says a new study by researchers at the University of Central Florida and Purdue University. Former entrepreneurs can transition from being their own boss into successful employees within an organization, especially in roles that harness their entrepreneurial spirit, according to a recent study published in Personnel Psychology.
	Study identifies behaviors that helped couples weather the pandemic Many couples were unprepared for the impact COVID-19 could have on romantic relationships, but those who were able to adjust by creating new routines and adopting a positive attitude were more likely to weather the storm, according to a study by Rutgers researchers.
	Disinformation is rampant on social media. A social psychologist explains the tactics used against you Information warfare abounds, and everyone online has been drafted whether they know it or not.
	Sexual orientation and earnings appear to be linked, patterns differ for NZ men and women New Zealand has made substantial progress on promoting LGBTQ+ rights over the past 20 years, including legalizing same-sex civil unions in 2004, legalizing same-sex marriage in 2013, and banning conversion practices in 2022.
	Biases behind transgender athlete bans are deeply rooted In 2023, 24 states had laws or regulations in place prohibiting transgender students from participating on public school athletic teams consistent with their gender identity. These bans mean that a person whose sex assigned at birth was male but who identifies as a girl or woman cannot play on a girls or women's athletic team at a public school in that state.

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