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Discovery of periodic tables for molecules

titech.ac.jp
  • New model for periodic table of molecules shows promise in the field of materials design, possibly enabling scientists to create innovative functional materials.
  • The table would be 4-dimensional, arranging molecules by four parameters: groups, periods, species, and families.
  • It’s based on novel “symmetry-adapted orbital (SAO) models”, which align with known molecules and quantum-mechanical calculations.
  • Now scientists will keep expanding these tables to predict new stable molecules that could be developed.
Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on September 13, 2019

A swifter way towards 3D-printed organs

wyss.harvard.edu
  • Sacrificial Writing Into Functional Tissue (SWIFT) enables scientists to 3D-print organ-specific tissues viable for transplants.
  • It focuses on printing vessels necessary to support a living tissue construct with large amounts of organ building blocks.
  • This means they could be used to repair and replace organs using lab-grown versions containing the patients’ own cells.
  • Combined with recent advances in stem-cell research, this method is a big step forward for organ engineering.
Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on September 7, 2019

Left-handed DNA found - and it changes brain structure

bbc.com
  • The first genetic components of left-handedness have been discovered.
  • Some cultures associate left-handedness with bad luck or malice, and this proves that it’s just a consequence of the developmental biology of the brain.
  • Researchers used a database of 400,000 genetic code sequences from the UK Biobank, wherein 38,000 people were left-handed.
  • Lefties have better connections between the left and right brain hemispheres, and more coordination in language-related regions.
  • This might mean that they have better verbal skills, however this study cannot prove this.
Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on September 6, 2019

Scientists isolate drought-resistant gene in barley

theguardian.com
  • After 5 years of research, scientists have isolated a gene in barley that can help protect crops from droughts caused by climate change.
  • The gene - HvMYB1 - was isolated from 39,000 genes in barley, and proven to improve the plant’s ability to survive in rough conditions.
  • Food production is already affected by abnormally high temperatures, so this is an important step towards maintaining the global food supply.
Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on September 3, 2019

Hundreds of extreme self-citing scientists revealed in new database

nature.com
  • Study of most-cited 100,000 researchers of the last 20 years, across 176 fields, explores excessive self-citation.
  • There is growing interest in self-citation, and the problems it may cause, in the scientific community.
  • Nobody really knows how much self-citation is enough -- in some fields its unavoidable.
  • Solving this issue is more complex than it seems, but everyone agrees that it shouldn’t be about punishing self-citers.
  • Rather, citation metrics may have become too important for making decisions about hiring, promotions, and research funding.
Bulleted by Michał Słupski
on August 30, 2019
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  • Science Science (43) Discovery of periodic tables for molecules
  • Psychology Psychology (46) Does testosterone impair men's cognitive empathy? Evidence from two large-scale randomized controlled trials
  • Cosmos Cosmos (21) Astronauts mix cement on ISS, pave way for future space colonies
  • History History (14) Humans survived off rodents in the mountains during the last ice age, study says
  • Society Society (53) Association of Parental Incarceration With Psychiatric and Functional Outcomes of Young Adults
  • Medicine Medicine (40) Periodontitis Bacteria Love Colon and Dirt Microbes
  • Technology Technology (47) Artificial leaf produces first drugs using sunlight
  • Nature Nature (37) We can tell where a whale has travelled from the themes in its song