https://phys.org/ en-us Latest news from Chinese Academy of Sciences Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are non-protein-coding transcripts. Currently, CRISPR/Cas9 is a promising RNA-guided genome editing technology consisting of a Cas9 nuclease and a single-guide RNA (sgRNA). Considering the significant differences between lncRNAs and protein-coding genes, it is necessary to investigate sgRNA design method optimized for lncRNAs. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-crisprlnc-lncrna-specific-sgrna-method.html Biotechnology Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 07 Mar 2024 11:32:02 EST news629033521 Land–atmosphere interactions play a crucial role in shaping Earth's climate system, profoundly influencing weather patterns, climate variables, and ecological processes. Despite being located at similar latitudes, the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and Yangtze River region (YRR) represent two distinct climate zones, garnering significant attention in this field. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-net-high-elevation-tibetan-plateau.html Earth Sciences Environment Wed, 06 Mar 2024 15:36:02 EST news628961761 Holography technology can restore the complete light field information of a recorded object, which has important applications in fields such as biological microscopic imaging and optical micromanipulation. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-03-liquid-lensbased-holographic-camera-captures.html Engineering Hi Tech & Innovation Wed, 06 Mar 2024 14:18:03 EST news628957082 In a study published in Cell on March 5, Prof. Zhang Xiaoming at the Shanghai Institute of Immunity and Infection (SIII) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Profs. Gao Qiang, Fan Jia and Yang Li at Fudan University have uncovered an unexpected level of complexity hidden within neutrophils, which were previously thought to be a relatively uniform population of short-lived immune cells. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-scientists-unravel-tumor-neutrophil-complexity.html Oncology & Cancer Immunology Wed, 06 Mar 2024 08:50:03 EST news628937401 Traditionally, dentistry relied on the human eye for diagnosis and treatment. However, as procedures require more precision, conventional methods face limitations, especially in complex cases. The introduction of the DOM in 1981, initially as "Dentiscope," marked a significant milestone. Over the years, DOMs have become indispensable, particularly in endodontics and operative dentistry, improving clarity and addressing ergonomic challenges during long procedures. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-03-revolutionizing-dentistry-dental-microscope.html Dentistry Biomedical technology Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:38:33 EST news628875511 The development of renewable and clean energy has been recognized as a crucial solution to the problems of deteriorating environment. Owing to the advantages of light weight, transparency, flexibility, and low cost, organic solar cells (OSCs) have attracted increasing attention in the field of clean solar energy. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-03-solar-cell-stability.html Energy & Green Tech Tue, 05 Mar 2024 11:33:03 EST news628860781 A new study from the Nihewan basin of China has revealed that hominins who possessed advanced knapping abilities equivalent to Mode 2 technological features occupied East Asia as early as 1.1 million years ago (Ma), which is 0.3 Ma earlier than the date associated with the first handaxes found in East Asia. This suggests that Mode 2 hominins dispersed into East Asia much earlier than previously thought. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-timeline-east-asian-hominins-tool.html Archaeology Tue, 05 Mar 2024 11:22:49 EST news628860167 Converting carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial point sources to chemicals and fuels utilizing renewable energy can help to tackle the climate crisis. CO2 electrolysis is one promising route. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-strategy-boosts-electrolysis-dilute-carbon.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:27:26 EST news628856844 Chemical reactions are usually accompanied by thermal effects, inevitably resulting in temperature changes in the reaction system. Therefore, temperature is an important parameter in reactions, which can affect chemical thermodynamics and reaction kinetics. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-technique-temperature-catalyst-particle.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:20:03 EST news628856402 Recently, a research team led by Prof. Ji Liang from Tianjin University, China, systematically introduced the research progress on the preparation of nitrate/nitrite by ammonia electro-oxidation reaction and proposed different strategies to enhance the electrocatalytic performance of the catalysts by modulating their composition and structure to inhibit the side reactions and electrode corrosion in the electrocatalytic process, and finally proposes the opportunities and challenges faced by ammonia electrocatalysis as well as its development trend. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-metal-based-electrocatalysts-ammonia-electro.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:49:04 EST news628789742 A global team of researchers has made strides in refining weather forecasting methods, with a specific focus on addressing the persistent issue of "quantile crossing." This phenomenon disrupts the order of predicted values in weather forecasts and arises from the numerical weather prediction (NWP) process—a two-step forecasting method involving observations and atmospheric evolution laws. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-statistical-reliability-weather-machine.html Earth Sciences Environment Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:47:03 EST news628789621 As global temperatures continue to rise, coastal communities are confronted with the pressing challenge of surging sea levels. The urgency to provide decision-makers with reliable forecasts of future sea levels becomes increasingly critical. At the forefront of this predictive effort lies Dynamic Sea Level (DSL), a nuanced variable intricately linked to seawater density and ocean circulation, currently under intensive scrutiny in climate models. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-scientists-uncertainties-sea.html Earth Sciences Environment Mon, 04 Mar 2024 15:46:03 EST news628789562 A research group led by Prof. Yang Yong from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed the role of neighboring adsorbate and quantum tunneling in the diffusion of hydrogen on a graphene surface, which opens a possible way for ultrahigh precision measurement based on atomic systems, in particular, exploring the existence of a minimum length. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-scientists-reveal-role-neighboring-adsorbates.html Quantum Physics Mon, 04 Mar 2024 14:45:28 EST news628785926 A research team led by Pro. Zhou Weijian from the Institute of Earth Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou University and the Xi'an Institute for Innovative Earth Environment Research, has revealed a new pattern of the Holocene temperature change in arid Central Asia. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-peat-reveal-regional-pattern-holocene.html Earth Sciences Environment Mon, 04 Mar 2024 14:41:03 EST news628785661 Karst landscapes are found worldwide, with the karst region in southwest China accounting for 5.8% of the national land area. The different chemical properties of the bedrock between karst carbonate rocks and non-karst clastic rocks are important factors influencing the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community by altering soil properties and plant diversity. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-lithology-niche-habitat-effectively-arbuscular.html Ecology Mon, 04 Mar 2024 14:32:03 EST news628785121 Research on biomolecular self-assembly helps to reveal cell function and disease pathogenesis, and also provides an effective means to construct green ecological material systems with unique functions. Recently, a team led by Prof. Yan Xuehai from the Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was invited to summarize its progress in peptide self-assembly (PSA) and multi-scale process mechanisms. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-disordered-multiscale-peptides.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 04 Mar 2024 10:39:10 EST news628771148 In a study published in The Astrophysical Journal, researchers from the Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences depicted a complete physical image of the anomalous heating in the upper atmosphere of the sun (the solar corona and the solar chromosphere). https://phys.org/news/2024-03-reveal-anomalous-sun-upper-atmosphere.html Astronomy Mon, 04 Mar 2024 09:57:04 EST news628768622 Nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) is often used to remove chromium (VI), a heavy metal contaminant, because of its large specific surface area and high reducing activity. However, its effectiveness in removing trace heavy metals appears to be modest and sensitive to environmental pH. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-nanocomposites-highly-efficient-hexavalent-chromium.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 04 Mar 2024 09:53:51 EST news628768428 Fiber, as the wearable material with the longest application in the history of humankind, is currently an ideal substrate for wearable devices due to its excellent breathability, flexibility, and ability to adapt perfectly to the 3D irregular shape of the human body. As a means of visualization in the field of functional fibers, light-emitting fiber breaks the rigidity of the traditional display interface and is expected to become an emerging interaction interface. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-mass-commercially-multicolored-photochromic-fiber.html Optics & Photonics Fri, 01 Mar 2024 12:07:19 EST news628517236 The xylem of the plant stem performs several important functions. Elucidating the coordination or trade-offs between xylem functions is critical for understanding plant ecological strategy and adaptation to different environments. However, how xylem cell tissues influence their functions among different growth forms remains unresolved. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-lianas-trees-varied-stem-xylem.html Plants & Animals Cell & Microbiology Fri, 01 Mar 2024 08:38:31 EST news628504707 Establishing an integrated ecological security pattern (ESP) is an effective way to achieve higher and more comprehensive ecological goals in the future. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-identification-priority-areas-essential-ecosystem.html Ecology Thu, 29 Feb 2024 13:18:40 EST news628435118 A research team led by Prof. Zhang Haimin from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has conducted a systematic study on the regulation mechanism of heterostructure bimetallic phosphide electrocatalysts to improve the performance of electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-elucidates-mechanism-electrocatalytic-nitrate-reduction.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 29 Feb 2024 12:00:01 EST news628429513 In the context of the gradual depletion of fossil fuels and the energy crisis, hydrogen energy has attracted widespread attention due to its ultra-high energy density and eco-friendly properties. However, most of the hydrogen production still relies on fossil fuels, with less than 1 million tons produced as low-emission hydrogen in 2021, which means it has limited benefits in mitigating the energy crisis and environmental degradation. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-layered-hydroxide-based-electrocatalyst.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:47:55 EST news628429673 Central Asia has experienced a faster temperature rise than the global land over the past decades, which has brought unprecedented challenges to the survival and flourishing of life. The role of the drivers and their associated underlying mechanisms have been poorly explored. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-reveals-decreased-cloud-dominated-rapid.html Earth Sciences Environment Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:45:04 EST news628429502 Writing a commentary in the 50th anniversary issue of Cell, Fu Qiaomei and E. Andrew Bennett, both of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, explored the contribution of paleogenomics to our understanding of the evolution of modern humans. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-human-ancient-genome-perspective.html Evolution Molecular & Computational biology Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:00:01 EST news628421346 A research team led by Prof. Dr. Yang Yong from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has revealed a remarkable quantum tunneling phenomenon across double potential barriers. They found that quantum tunneling is dominant at low temperatures and continues to play a nontrivial role at temperatures up to about 600 K. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-resonant-tunneling-probe-minimum-length.html Quantum Physics Thu, 29 Feb 2024 10:07:50 EST news628423667 In a recent study published in Molecular Plant, researchers have elucidated the mechanism underlying the increased susceptibility to necrotrophs during fruit ripening and have developed a rapid strategy to improve tomato fruit resistance to necrotrophs without compromising fruit quality. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-scientists-ripe-fruit-susceptible-necrotrophic.html Molecular & Computational biology Agriculture Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:11:35 EST news628341093 A research team led by Profs. Zhang Zhefeng and Zhang Zhenjun from the Institute of Metal Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has proposed an innovative strategy to fabricate an anti-fatigue 3D-printed titanium alloy by separately regulating their microstructure and defects, called as net-additive manufacturing preparation (NAMP). https://techxplore.com/news/2024-02-scientists-anti-fatigue-3d-titanium.html Engineering Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:00:01 EST news628323967 A new study has shed light on how soil microorganisms, which are crucial to the carbon cycle, adapt to different levels of temperature and organic matter availability. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-soil-carbon-microbial-thermal-substrate.html Ecology Cell & Microbiology Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:47:02 EST news628332421 Solar-driven photocatalytic or photoelectrochemical water splitting holds great promise for direct solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion, especially in the context of the carbon-neutral initiative, while its practical applications hinge on significant advances in the scalable production of robust and efficient photoactive films. https://techxplore.com/news/2024-02-scientists-liquid-metal-embraced-photoactive.html Electronics & Semiconductors Energy & Green Tech Wed, 28 Feb 2024 08:40:12 EST news628332010