Science News

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Exoplanets are planets beyond our solar system. To date, more than 5,000 of them have been identified. They are expected to form and orbit around stars, in a similar fashion to planets in our solar system. However, some appear “free-floating” in space, not bound to any host star. The puzzle to their formation was further deepened in fall 2023, when astrophysicists using the James Webb Space Telescope identified massive floating binary objects about the size of Jupiter – and dubbed them JuMBOs (Jupiter-mass binary objects).

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Adults react differently to alcohol advertisements depending on how explicit or implicit the messaging is about the social pleasure of drinking and the possible health effects, a new study shows. Exposure to alcohol marketing is consistently linked to alcohol use. Research also suggests that alcohol advertising influences attitudes around alcohol, such as social norms or reasons for drinking. Policymakers’ options for lowering alcohol consumption and its harms include content controls on advertising. Restricting sales messages to facts about the product is known to reduce how persuasive it is among consumers. Mandating health warnings also increases consumers’ perceptions of risk and reduces the perceived benefits of drinking. No studies, however, have previously examined the effects of such content controls on consumers in the UK. In addition, most research has focused on young adults, yet adults in midlife and beyond may also be vulnerable to the effects of marketing. For the study i

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The intricate nature of light, characterized by its intensity, polarization, and spectrum composition, holds profound importance across a range of scientific and technological disciplines. From enhancing optical communications to enabling precise chemical and biological characterization, a comprehensive understanding of light's properties is indispensable.

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The Korea Institute of Energy Research develops a process to convert carbon dioxide into the antioxidant carotenoids using microorganisms. By using a carbon dioxide absorbent, the problem of low solubility is resolved, and the productivity of high-value substances is also improved. Published in the world-renowned journal in the field of chemistry, 'ChemSusChem

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Hybrid poplar tissue culture regeneration involves intricate changes in DNA methylation, significantly impacting gene expression. This study reveals the dynamic epigenetic landscape during shoot organogenesis, offering crucial insights into allele-specific DNA methylation and its regulatory role in gene expression.

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This study explores the mechanism by which exogenous methyl jasmonate (MeJA) enhances tomato resistance to saline-alkali stress. Researchers identified the transcription factor SlWRKY80 as a crucial regulator, which, when overexpressed, significantly improves the plant's tolerance.

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Researchers have sequenced the genome of Populus pruinosa, a plant thriving in extreme deserts. The study reveals key genes for high salinity and drought adaptability. Analysis of individuals from various populations shows genetic differentiation driven by precipitation, offering insights for ecological conservation and genetic enhancement of desert poplars.

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Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) introduce a polymer-based material with unique properties in the latest issue of the journal Nature Communications. This material allows sunlight to enter, maintains a more comfortable indoor climate without additional energy, and cleans itself like a lotus leaf. The new development could replace glass components in walls and roofs in the future

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Splash a few drops of water on a hot pan and if the pan is hot enough, the water will sizzle and the droplets of water seem to roll and float, hovering above the surface.

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Caterpillars respond defensively to electric fields similar to those emitted by their natural predators, scientists at the University of Bristol have found.

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Quantum computing is on the brink of revolutionizing technology and science. It has, the potential to solve complex problems that are currently beyond the reach of classical computers

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Robert Wagner, associate laboratory director for the Energy Science and Technology Directorate at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been selected to receive the George Westinghouse Gold Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, or ASME.

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The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back. This special edition features presentations by MD Anderson researchers at the 2024 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting.

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The Princeton Plasma Innovation Center (PPIC) will be the first new building at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in decades.

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Astronomers are now using AI to measure the expansion of our universe. Two recent studies led by Maria Dainotti, a visiting professor with UNLV’s Nevada Center for Astrophysics and assistant professor at the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ), incorporated multiple machine learning models to add a new level of precision to distance measurements for gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) – the most luminous and violent explosions in the universe.

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UC San Diego biologists have provided new insights on a longstanding puzzle in biology: How complex organisms arise from a single fertilized cell. Producing a new “gene atlas” with 4-D imaging, the researchers captured unprecedented insights on how embryonic development unfolds.

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A team in Denmark examining archival data from the James Webb Space Telescope recently found a trio of distant galaxies that are in the process of gathering gas when the universe was only a few hundred million years old. Their detection and characterization are remarkable achievements that only Webb is currently capable of, thanks to its specialization in infrared light.

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While work is occasionally stressful for everyone, some people wear stress as a badge of honor. They’re taking one for the team and want to tell you all about it. New research from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business found people who brag about their stress levels are seen as less competent and less likable by their co-workers.

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You’re settling down in your patio chair, ready to enjoy a book, a pitcher of lemonade, and the sun-warmed breeze, when a mosquito settles down on your arm. And another lands on your leg, while another buzzes right by your ear. Virginia Tech entomologist Eric Day says that when it comes to controlling mosquitoes, there aren’t easy short cuts.