SPECULOOS discovers a potentially habitable super-Earth

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF LIEGE

 

IMAGE: COMPARISON BETWEEN THE LP 890-9 SYSTEM AND THE INNER SOLAR SYSTEM. THE LP 890-9 SYSTEM IS MUCH MORE COMPACT: ITS TWO PLANETS COULD EASILY FIT INSIDE THE ORBIT OF MERCURY, THE INNERMOST PLANET OF OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. view more 

CREDIT: @ADELINE DEWARD

An international team of scientists, led by Laetitia Delrez, astrophysicist at the University of Liège (Belgium), has just announced the discovery of two 'super-Earth' type planets orbiting LP 890-9.  Also known as TOI-4306 or SPECULOOS-2, this small, cool star located about 100 light-years from our Earth is the second coolest star around which planets have been detected, after the famous TRAPPIST-1. This important discovery is published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

A first planet, LP 890-9b (or TOI-4306b), the innermost in the system, was initially identified by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a space mission dedicated to the search for exoplanets orbiting nearby stars. This planet, which is about 30% larger than the Earth, completes an orbit around the star in just 2.7 days. The ULiège researchers used their ground-based SPECULOOS (Search for habitable Planets EClipsing ULtra-cOOl Stars) telescopes to confirm and characterise this planet, and also to probe the system in depth for other planets that might have been 'missed' by TESS.

"TESS searches for exoplanets using the transit method, by monitoring the brightness of thousands of stars simultaneously, looking for slight dimmings that could be caused by planets passing in front of their stars," explains Laetitia Delrez, FNRS Postdoctoral Researcher in the Astrobiology and STAR (Faculty of Sciences) research units at ULiège, and lead author of the article. "However, a follow-up with ground-based telescopes is often necessary to confirm the planetary nature of the detected candidates and to refine the measurements of their sizes and orbital properties.” This follow-up is particularly important in the case of very cold stars, such as LP 890-9, which emit most of their light in the near-infrared and for which TESS has a rather limited sensitivity.

In contrast, the telescopes of the SPECULOOS consortium, led by ULiège and installed at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Paranal, Chile (SPECULOOS South) and at the Teide Observatory in Tenerife (SPECULOOS North), are optimised to observe this type of star with high precision, thanks to cameras that are very sensitive in the near infrared. "The goal of SPECULOOS is to search for potentially habitable terrestrial planets transiting the smallest and coolest stars in the solar neighbourhood, such as the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system, which we discovered in 2016 thanks to a pilot project with our TRAPPIST-South telescope," recalls Michaël Gillon, FNRS Senior Research Associate, co-director of the Astrobiology research unit at ULiège and principal investigator of the SPECULOOS project. "This strategy is motivated by the fact that such planets are particularly well suited to detailed studies of their atmospheres and the search for possible chemical traces of life with large observatories, such as the JWST.”

The observations of LP 890-9 obtained by SPECULOOS have proved fruitful, as they have not only helped to confirm the first planet, but have also made it possible to detect a second, previously unknown one. This second planet, LP 890-9c (renamed SPECULOOS-2c by the ULiège researchers), is similar in size to the first one (about 40% larger than the Earth) but has a longer orbital period of about 8.5 days. This orbital period, later confirmed with the MuSCAT3 instrument in Hawaii, places the planet in the so-called 'habitable zone' around its star. "Although this planet orbits very close to its star, at a distance about 10 times shorter than that of Mercury around our Sun, the amount of stellar irradiation it receives is still low, and could allow the presence of liquid water on the planet's surface, provided it has a sufficient atmosphere," explains Francisco J. Pozuelos, researcher at the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia, a former postdoctoral researcher in the Astrobiology and STAR research units at ULiège and one of the main co-authors of the paper. "This is because the star LP 890-9 is about 6.5 times smaller than the Sun and has a surface temperature half that of our star. This explains why LP 890-9c, despite being much closer to its star than the Earth is to the Sun, could still have conditions that are suitable for life.

The research team will then study the atmosphere of this planet, for example with the JWST, for which LP 890-9c appears to be the second most favourable target among the potentially habitable terrestrial planets currently known, surpassed only by the TRAPPIST-1 planets. “This comparison does not, however, consider the fact that LP 890-9c is located close to the inner boundary of the habitable zone and could therefore have an atmosphere that is particularly rich in water vapour, which would then boost its atmospheric signals," explains Laetitia Delrez. "Moreover, models often differ as to the exact position of this inner boundary of the habitable zone depending on the characteristics of the star. The discovery of LP 890-9c therefore offers a unique opportunity to better understand and constrain the habitability conditions around the smallest and coolest stars in our solar neighbourhood", concludes the researcher.

About SPECULOOS

SPECULOOS is a project led by the University of Liège (principal investigator: Michaël Gillon) in partnership with the University of Cambridge, the University of Birmingham, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Bern, the Canary Islands Institute of Astrophysics and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). SPECULOOS is based on a network of robotic telescopes distributed over two main observatories,  SPECULOOS-South at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile (4 telescopes) and  SPECULOOS-North in Tenerife (currently 1 telescope), complemented by the SAINT-EX (1 telescope in Mexico) and TRAPPIST (2 telescopes, 1 in Chile, 1 in Morocco) telescopes.

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JOURNAL

Astronomy and Astrophysics

DOI

10.1051/0004-6361/202244041 

ARTICLE TITLE

Two temperate super-Earths transiting a nearby late-type M dwarf

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

7-Sep-2022

Birmingham telescope discovers 

two new temperate rocky worlds

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

 

IMAGE: ARTIST’S VIEW SHOWING THE RED STAR AND ITS TWO PLANETS, TOGETHER WITH SOME OF THE TELESCOPES USED FOR THE DISCOVERY. THE DATA THAT LED TO THE DISCOVERY IS DEPICTED ON THE SOLAR PANELS OF THE TESS SATELLITE. view more 

CREDIT: CREDIT: UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM / AMANDA J. SMITH

An international research team including astronomers at the University of Birmingham, has just announced the discovery of two "super-Earth" planets orbiting LP 890-9, a small, cool star located about 100 light-years from Earth.

The star, also called TOI-4306 or SPECULOOS-2, is the second-coolest star found to host planets, after the famous TRAPPIST-1. This rare discovery is the subject of a forthcoming publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

The system's inner planet, called LP 890-9b, is about 30% larger than Earth and completes an orbit around the star in just 2.7 days. This first planet was initially identified as a possible planet candidate by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), a space mission searching for exoplanets orbiting nearby stars. This candidate was confirmed and characterized by the SPECULOOS telescopes (Search for habitable Planets EClipsing ULtra-cOOl Stars), one of which is operated by the University of Birmingham. SPECULOOS researchers then used their telescopes to seek additional transiting planets in the system that would have been missed by TESS.

"TESS searches for exoplanets using the transit method, by monitoring the brightness of thousands of stars simultaneously, looking for slight dimmings that might be caused by planets passing in front of their stars," explains Laetitia Delrez, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Liège, and the lead author of the article.

"However, a follow-up with ground-based telescopes is often necessary to confirm the planetary nature of the detected candidates and to refine the measurements of their sizes and orbital properties.”

This follow-up is particularly important in the case of very cold stars, such as LP 890-9, which emit most of their light in the near-infrared and for which TESS has a rather limited sensitivity.

The telescopes of the SPECULOOS project, installed at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile and on the island of Tenerife, are optimised to observe this type of star with high precision, thanks to cameras that are very sensitive in the near-infrared.

"The goal of SPECULOOS is to search for potentially habitable terrestrial planets transiting some of the smallest and coolest stars in the solar neighbourhood, such as the TRAPPIST-1 planetary system, which we discovered in 2016", recalls Michaël Gillon, from the University of Liège, and the principal investigator of the SPECULOOS project. "This strategy is motivated by the fact that such planets are particularly well suited to detailed studies of their atmospheres and to the search for possible chemical traces of life with large observatories, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).”

The observations of LP 890-9 gathered by SPECULOOS proved fruitful as they not only confirmed the first planet, but they were critical for the detection of a second, previously unknown planet. This second planet, LP 890-9c (renamed SPECULOOS-2c by the SPECULOOS researchers), is similar in size to the first (about 40% larger than Earth) but has a longer orbital period of about 8.5 days. This orbital period, later confirmed with the MuSCAT3 instrument in Hawaii, places the planet in the so-called “habitable zone” around its star.

“The habitable zone is a concept under which a planet with similar geological and atmospheric conditions as Earth, would have a surface temperature allowing water to remain liquid for billions of years” explains Amaury Triaud, a professor of Exoplanetology at University Birmingham and the leader of the SPECULOOS working group that scheduled the observations leading to the discovery of the second planet. “This gives us a license to observe more and find out whether the planet has an atmosphere, and if so, to study its content and assess its habitability.”

The next step will be to study the atmosphere of this planet, for example with the JWST, for which LP 890-9c appears to be the second-most favourable target among the potentially habitable terrestrial planets known so far, surpassed only by the TRAPPIST-1 planets (for which Professor Triaud was also co-discoverer).

“It is important to detect as many temperate terrestrial worlds as possible to study the diversity of exoplanet climates, and eventually to be in a position to measure how frequently biology has emerged in the Cosmos,” added Professor Triaud.

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JOURNAL

Astronomy and Astrophysics

DOI

10.1051/0004-6361/202244041 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Observational study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Not applicable

ARTICLE TITLE

Two temperate super-Earths transiting a nearby late-type M dwarf

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

7-Sep-2022

Measuring wastewater coronavirus accurately

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG

 

IMAGE: HELÉNE NORDER, SAHLGRENSKA ACADEMY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG. view more 

CREDIT: PHOTO BY ELIN LINDSTRÖM.

Monitoring of viruses in wastewater enables the course of a pandemic and its burdens on various parts of the health-care sector to be predicted, independently from official public testing capacity and scope for infection tracking. This has been established in a study from the University of Gothenburg.

The measurements and analyses of coronavirus levels in the wastewater of Gothenburg attracted a great deal of attention during the pandemic. The weekly reports have shown both how widespread SARS-CoV-2 infection is in the community and its distribution among variants of the virus.

Beginning in February 2020, the virus measurements taken in the monitoring rapidly became a useful indicator for forecasting load peaks in health care. High concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 in the wastewater were followed by rising numbers of people with COVID-19 needing hospitalization.

The association emerges with striking precision in the study now published in the scientific journal iScience. Each of the four pandemic waves in 2020–2022 exhibits a pattern in which, within a couple of weeks after SARS-CoV-2 peaked in the wastewater, a rise in the number of newly admitted hospital patients with COVID-19 ensued.

Increased pressure on 1177 Vårdguiden

The virus peaks in the wastewater were followed not only by heavier burdens on inpatient care, but also by predictable increases in pressure on the 1177 Vårdguiden e-service. One to two weeks after a wastewater virus peak, more calls were coming in about acute breathlessness in adults.

“The study shows that virus monitoring in wastewater can predict how a pandemic is going to develop and its burden on several parts of the health system,” says Hao Wang, postdoctoral researcher at Sahlgrenska Academy’s Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Gothenburg, and the study's first author.

The study provides an account of the degree of testing capacity in Sweden during various phases of the pandemic. The scientists say that the national statistics on the number of confirmed cases did not reflect the actual spread of infection.

However, even when their symptoms were mild, all those infected had the virus in their urine and feces. This enabled detection of the virus in wastewater, in the form of RNA (genetic material). The weekly reports were based on daily samples of wastewater collected by Gryaab, the municipal water treatment company in Gothenburg.

Lasting benefit to community

Heléne Norder, research leader at the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy and the last author of the study, sees the results as proof of how virus surveillance during the pandemic has benefited the community. She also identifies the distinct advantages of the method used.

“The method we use in Gothenburg also enables monitoring of other viruses, which gives us unique scope for quickly spotting ongoing outbreaks. In the area, besides SARS-CoV-2, we’ve also been able to demonstrate the presence of viruses that spread through food or water and are excreted in the feces. Some of those caused outbreaks — norovirus, the ‘winter vomiting bug’, and astrovirus among children, for instance — during the pandemic.

“So, during that time,” she continues, “we found changes in the virus levels that were directly relatable to the number of people infected in Gothenburg. Our research group intends to keep analyzing different viruses in the wastewater as long as we have research funding for it.”

The planning also includes further development of the technique to enable its adoption by all the laboratories that wish to carry out continuous virus monitoring.

“This might result in monitoring of more viruses in more regions for rapid identification of future outbreaks and efficient, proactive nationwide surveillance of ongoing ones,” Norder concludes.

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JOURNAL

iScience

DOI

10.1016/j.isci.2022.105000 

ARTICLE TITLE

The amount of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in wastewater relates to the development of the pandemic and its burden on the health system

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for WASTEWATER 

Key advance in physics research could help enable super-efficient electrical power

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

Today, an international team of researchers led by Séamus Davis, Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford and University College Cork, has announced results that reveal the atomic mechanism behind high-temperature superconductors. The findings are published in PNAS.

Superconductors are materials that can conduct electricity with zero resistance, so that an electric current can persist indefinitely. These are already used in various applications, including MRI scanners and high-speed maglev trains, however superconductivity typically requires extremely low temperatures, limiting their widespread use. A major goal within physics research is to develop super conductors that work at ambient temperatures, which could revolutionise energy transport and storage.

Certain copper oxide materials demonstrate superconductivity at higher temperatures than conventional superconductors, however the mechanism behind this has remained unknown since their discovery in 1987.

To investigate this, an international team involving scientists in Oxford, Cork in Ireland, the USA, Japan, and Germany, developed two new microscopy techniques. The first of these measured the difference in energy between the copper and oxygen atom orbitals, as a function of their location. The second method measured the amplitude of the electron-pair wave function (the strength of the superconductivity) at every oxygen atom and at every copper atom.

‘By visualising the strength of the superconductivity as a function of differences between orbital energies, for the first time ever we were able to measure precisely the relationship required to validate or invalidate one of the leading theories of high-temperature superconductivity, at the atomic scale’ said Professor Davis.

As predicted by the theory, the results showed a quantitative, inverse relationship between the charge-transfer energy difference between adjacent oxygen and copper atoms and the strength of the superconductivity.

According to the research team, this discovery could prove a historic step towards developing room-temperature superconductors. Ultimately, these could have far-reaching applications ranging from maglev trains, nuclear fusion reactors, quantum computers, and high-energy particle accelerators, not to mention super-efficient energy transfer and storage.

In superconductor materials, electrical resistance is minimised because the electrons that carry the current are bound together in stable ‘Copper pairs.’ In low-temperature superconductors, Copper pairs are held together by thermal vibrations, but at higher temperatures these become too unstable. These new results demonstrate that, in high-temperature superconductors, the Copper pairs are instead held together by magnetic interactions, with the electron pairs binding together via a quantum mechanical communication through the intervening oxygen atom.

Professor Davis added: ‘This has been one of the Holy Grails of problems in physics research for nearly 40 years. Many people believe that cheap, readily available room-temperature superconductors would be as revolutionary for the human civilization as the introduction of electricity itself.’

Notes to editors:

Media contact: Elizabeth Indaco, Head of Communications, Department of Physics, University of Oxford: elizabeth.indaco@physics.ox.ac.uk

The paper On the Electron Pairing Mechanism of Copper-Oxide High Temperature Superconductivity has been published in PNAS : https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2207449119.

Besides the University of Oxford, this research involved the University College Cork, Ireland; Cornell University, USA; the Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Japan; the University of Tokyo, Japan; and the Max-Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Germany.

About Oxford University

Oxford University has been placed number one in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the sixth year running, and second in the QS World Rankings 2022. At the heart of this success is our ground-breaking research and innovation.

Oxford is world-famous for research excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. Our work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of our research sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions.

The Department of Physics at the University of Oxford plays a leading role in physics nationally and internationally and uses its expertise to contribute to society's future through conducting cutting-edge research and by teaching and developing the careers of the next generation of physicists. The department is home to a suite of specialist equipment, facilities, and services and our world-leading physicists collaborate on pioneering projects and facilities around the globe.

About University College Cork

Established in 1845 University College Cork (UCC) has a long and proud history. George Boole, who laid the foundations of the information age, became its first Professor of Mathematics in 1849, while Mary Ryan was appointed the first female Professor in Ireland and the UK in 1925. With over 22,500 students UCC is today regarded and ranked as Ireland's leading university in the area of sustainability. UCC is a research-intensive university and is home to many of Ireland's leading research centres including APC Microbiome Ireland, the Tyndall National Institute, MaREI and INFANT. Discover more at ucc.ie

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JOURNAL

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI

10.1073/pnas.2207449119 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

ARTICLE TITLE

On the electron pairing mechanism of copper-oxide high temperature superconductivity

The way you talk to your child about math matters

Parents’ responses to children’s math success, failure linked to motivation, anxiety

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

“You’re so smart!”

This encouraging response may actually do more harm than good to children’s math performance, according to a new study by the University of Georgia.

Co-conducted by Michael Barger, an assistant professor in the Mary Frances Early College of Education’s Department of Educational Psychology, the study found that encouraging children with responses related to their personal traits or innate abilities may dampen their math motivation and achievement over time.

Parents who make comments linking their children’s performance to personal attributes like intelligence (e.g., “You’re so smart” or “Math just isn’t your thing”) are using what’s referred to as person responses. In contrast, parents who link their children’s actions, such as effort or strategy use, to their performance (e.g., “You worked hard” or “What might be useful next time you have a math test?”) are using process responses.

“Person-focused praise sounds good on its face, but ultimately, it might undermine students’ motivation if they run into challenges,” said Barger. “Because if you run into challenges after being told you’re so smart, you might think, ‘Maybe they were wrong.’ We also know that people tend to think about math as something that some people can do and others can’t, and that language is pretty common, whether it’s among parents or teachers, even with young kids.”

Praising strategy and effort

For the study, researchers asked more than 500 parents to report on how they respond to their children’s math performance and their math beliefs and goals. Students were assessed in two waves across a year to measure their math motivation and achievement.

The results showed that parents who viewed math ability as changeable were more likely to give process responses focused on their children’s strategy use and efforts rather than their intelligence or other personal attributes.

In contrast, parents who believe math ability is unchangeable and that math failure can’t be constructive gave more person-oriented responses. Parents with high expectations for their children gave a combination of both responses.

While responses highlighting strategy and effort were not related to any achievement outcomes, children who received more responses about their personal traits—in particular, related to failure—were more likely to avoid harder math problems, exhibited higher levels of math anxiety, and scored lower on a math achievement test.

“There are a couple possible reasons process messages aren’t necessarily improving math achievement,” said Barger. “It could be that they’re just so frequent now that they just kind of wash over, and that doesn’t have as much of an impact. And it could also be that some of these messages don’t land correctly if they’re not authentic. However, with person responses, we saw clear links to anxiety and less preference for challenging math problems.”

A boost to math motivation

Because person responses predict poor math adjustment in children over time, researchers recommend limiting this type of response at home and in the classroom.

“There’s not necessarily any benefit to talking about whether people are or are not math people because if you’re a student who starts struggling, you’re going to start thinking that maybe you’re not a math person,” said Barger.

The second recommendation for parents is to think about their own beliefs and goals for their kids and examine how these might lead them to respond in person or process ways. Simply telling parents to refrain from talking about math ability may not be enough.

Instead, convincing parents that math performance can improve could go a long way.

Many parents praise their children’s individual characteristics as a form of encouragement, but focusing less on how students perform and more on their strategy and enjoyment of math might be a more effective way to enhance motivation.

This means using responses like “Why do you think that happened?” or “Did you have fun?” in place of responses like “You’re so smart” or “Math just isn’t your thing.”

“We should also be asking whether parents believe that math ability can change and if they view failure as an opportunity to learn, as this seems to be related to less person responses,” said Barger. “This is more effective than just giving a checklist of things to say.”

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JOURNAL

Child Development

DOI

10.1111/cdev.13834 

ARTICLE TITLE

Parents' responses to children's math performance in early elementary school: Links with parents' math beliefs and children's math adjustment

DONALD DUCK IN MATHMAGIC LAND

Culinary medicine programs aim to improve nutrition education for doctors

UTSW study shows medical school programs are expanding but underfunded

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER

 

IMAGE: UTSW'S CULINARY MEDICINE TEAM PROVIDES EDUCATION IN TEACHING KITCHENS FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS, RESIDENTS, FELLOWS AND OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. view more 

CREDIT: UT SOUTHWESTERN MEDICAL CENTER

Culinary medicine programs are emerging at medical schools to meet a critical need to improve nutrition education in an era of unprecedented diet-related health problems including obesity and cardiovascular disease, according to a review of programs by UT Southwestern researchers published in Academic Medicine, the journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

The programs utilize teaching kitchens to give health professionals practical skills to help patients make evidence-based dietary changes while celebrating nourishing, accessible, affordable, and delicious food, said lead author Jaclyn Albin, M.D., Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics who leads the Culinary Medicine program at UT Southwestern.

“This work is the very first scoping review of medical school-based Culinary Medicine programs in the U.S.,” Dr. Albin said. “We anticipate this to be a pivotal resource for the many medical schools seeking to launch programs and needing a collated literature base as well as information about funding, assessment strategies, and lessons learned.”

UT Southwestern has been an innovator in this field. Since starting its program in 2015, UTSW’s Culinary Medicine team has delivered interprofessional education in teaching kitchens across Dallas-Fort Worth to medical students, residents, fellows, other health professionals, and patients. More recently, the Culinary Medicine teams launched a clinical service line that delivers virtual consultations with other health care providers. One-on-one visits between patients and registered dietitians and group cooking classes are expected to begin over the next several months.  

To train the next generation of health professionals, Dr. Albin collaborates with dietitian Milette Siler, M.B.A., RD, LD, to lead classes for medical and graduate students, residents, and fellows across the UT Southwestern campus.

“I have always had a passion for teaching students and patients about nutrition, lifestyle, and other environmental influences on health,” said Dr. Albin. “This has become increasingly complex as more patients face food allergies and intolerances, special dietary or nutritional needs, diseases like irritable bowel syndrome, and much more.”

The researchers identified 34 medical student-focused culinary medicine courses, utilizing a variety of curricular and assessment strategies that lack standardization and measurement of competencies. While the programs have a positive impact on student wellness and nutrition knowledge, they struggle with adequate funding and faculty support.

Dr. Albin said the time is ripe for increased support. Suboptimal diets are well established as a driving force for increased morbidity in obesity, cardiovascular disease, and Type 2 diabetes, and the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the relevance of metabolic health in food insecure communities.    

“Food is the top risk factor for early death in the U.S., and culinary medicine could transform the problem into the solution,” Dr. Albin said.

Other researchers who contributed to the review include first author Courtney Newman and Justin Yan, both UTSW medical students, and Sarah Messiah, University of Texas School of Public Health.

Culinary Medicine education gives health professionals practical skills to help patients make evidence-based dietary changes.

CREDIT

UT Southwestern Medical Center

About UT Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern, one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty has received six Nobel Prizes, and includes 26 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 17 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 2,900 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialties to more than 100,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 4 million outpatient visits a year.

 

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JOURNAL

Academic Medicine

IOP Publishing’s open access Environmental Research journal series expands with the opening of the first issue of Environmental Research: Ecology

Business Announcement

IOP PUBLISHING

 

IMAGE: FIRST ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH - ECOLOGY view more 

CREDIT: IOP PUBLISHING

IOP Publishing (IOPP) has published the first articles in the open access journal, Environmental Research: Ecology featuring research from a number of world-renowned ecologists. The journal represents one of three new interdisciplinary titles opening in 2022 that will extend IOPP’s Environmental Research series to six open access journals. The full suite of environmental journals provide universally accessible publishing options covering the most critical areas of environmental science and sustainability in support of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals. 

Environmental Research: Ecology is devoted to addressing the interface of environmental science, large-scale ecology, biodiversity and conservation. The journal publishes full-length research papers, without word restriction, alongside other content including authoritative reviews, perspectives and opinion pieces. It builds on the established reputation of Environmental Research Letters and shares the same modern publishing principles as part of IOPP’s expanding Environmental Research series.  

IOPP’s Environmental Research series of journals combine outstanding levels of author service, inclusive editorial policies, strict quality assurance and have open science principles at their core. In the spirit of transparency and reproducibility, authors publishing in the journal are encouraged to share data and code where appropriate for the benefit of the research community. Authors also have the option to submit their papers for double anonymous and transparent peer review.  

In support of the community and the journal’s first authors, the open access Article Publication Charges (APCs) are being covered by IOPP for all articles submitted to Environmental Research: Ecology through to the end of 2023. 

Environmental Research: Ecology Editor-in-Chief Professor Scott Goetz, Northern Arizona University, USA says: “Ecosystems across the globe are undergoing enormous changes brought about by alteration of the climate system and related transformations associated with human activity. The need to both mitigate and adapt to these changes has been recognised by international policy agreements, yet policies need to be better informed by ecological research. Environmental Research: Ecology provides a platform for incorporating fundamental and applied ecological research using a diverse range of approaches to address realistic science-based policy solutions.” 

Published in the first issue is an impactful study that examines the effects of past and current climate variability on global forest productivity. The work highlights sensitive regions where forests may be most at risk as the planet warms and temperatures become more extreme. Dr Winslow Hansen, from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, New York, lead author of the study comments: “Forests influence a number of ecological factors. Trees sequester carbon emissions that would otherwise cause climate warming, support much of the planet’s biodiversity, and provide essential services such as fuel, food, and clean water and air. Human-caused shifts in mean climate and climate variability could fundamentally alter 21st-century forests with profound consequences for our planet and its ecosystem. The new Environmental Research: Ecology journal provides a platform for climate scientists to further develop, explore, and discover new policies to protect our ecosystem and combat climate change.” 

Dr Tim Smith, Associate Director at IOPP says: “This further expansion of our Environmental Research series builds upon the established reputation and publishing values of Environmental Research Letters and enhances the role we want IOP Publishing to have in serving a multidisciplinary field of great importance. The first articles in Environmental Research: Ecology as the latest addition to the portfolio provide an early glimpse of the quality and breadth of science that the ecology community can expect from a journal aimed at delivering a combination of outstanding publishing services and content for researchers worldwide.” 

Lithuanian researchers created new materials that might increase the stability of perovskite solar cells

A group of chemists from Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania, the authors of numerous breakthrough innovations in the solar energy field, proposed yet another solution to increase the stability and performance of perovskite solar elements.

KAUNAS UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
 Cross-linking effect provides resistance to the new compounds synthesised by Lithuanian chemists view more
Credit: And Unicorns

A group of chemists from Kaunas University of Technology in Lithuania, the authors of numerous breakthrough innovations in the solar energy field, proposed yet another solution to increase the stability and performance of perovskite solar elements. They synthesised a new class of carbazole-based cross-linkable materials, which are resistant to various environmental effects, including strong solvents used in the production of solar cells.

When applied as hole transporting layers, the new materials developed at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) labs, helped achieve the 16.9% efficiency of the inverted-architecture perovskite cells at the first attempt. It is expected to reach higher efficiency upon optimisation.

New materials thermally polymerised to provide resistance

Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells have been attracting worldwide attention as a competitive alternative to conventional silicon-based solar technologies. They are cheaper, more flexible and have higher power conversion efficiency. Scientists all over the world are working to solve challenges related to improving the stability and other features of the perovskite solar elements. These layered, new generation solar cells can have two architectonic structures – regular (n-i-p) and inverted (p-i-n) structures. In the latter, the hole transporting materials are deposited under the perovskite absorber layer.

“Although p-i-n cells have numerous advantages when compared to the perovskite solar cells of regular architecture, they have serious shortcomings. For instance, the hole transporting compounds should be able to withstand the strong polar solvents used to form light-absorbing perovskite layer, which is placed above,” explains Professor Vytautas Getautis, chief researcher at KTU Faculty of Chemical Technology.

To solve this problem, in p-i-n architectures polymers are often used as hole transporting materials. However, due to solubility issues, a polymer layer is not easy to form; moreover, it is difficult to control the recurrence of reactions and synthesise the same structure. Aiming to solve this issue, KTU researchers made a hole transporting layer of carbazole-based molecules, which then was thermally polymerized in situ to reach cross-linking effect.

“The cross-linked polymer has a three-dimensional structure. It is very resistant to various effects, including the strong solvents used while forming a light-absorbing perovskite layer. We used several groups of molecules and developed materials, which, while used as a hole transporting layer, can improve the efficiency of an inverted perovskite solar cell to almost 17 per cent,” says a PhD student Šarūnė Daškevičiūtė-Gegužienė, who synthesised these compounds.

The above-described invention was featured as a cover article in Chemical Communications, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK. The cover image was created by And Unicorns, a Lithuanian design company.

Authoring record-breaking tandem solar cell

The research group headed by Prof Getautis has developed numerous cutting-edge inventions, aimed at improving the efficiency of solar cells. Among them are synthesised compounds, which self-assemble into a molecule-thin layer that acts as a hole transporting material. The silicone-perovskite tandem solar produced using the said materials reached an efficiency of over 29 per cent. According to Prof Getautis, the latter tandem combination will soon become the commercially available alternative to silicone-based solar cells – more efficient and cheaper.

“Our field of research aims to improve the existing technologies for perovskite solar elements and in this field, we have achieved the best results with the self-assembling-monolayer technology. However, science is often developed in multiple directions, as we need to explore ways to use solar energy the best we can,” says Prof Getautis.

Although perovskite cells are a novelty compared to silicone-based solar technologies, there are several companies which have already commercialised different products based on perovskite technology. Among them are flexible semi-transparent interior elements, wearable electronics to control the wildlife population, and various architectural solutions. And this is just the beginning.

According to Prof Getautis, of all renewables, solar energy has the largest potential and is the least exploited. However, thanks to the new research, this field is developing exponentially. It is estimated that by 2050, around half of the electricity used on earth will be produced from solar energy.

“Solar energy is entirely green – it is pollution-free, and the installed solar farms don’t require much maintenance. Keeping in mind current events, and the energy crisis, more and more people are interested in installing solar power plants in their homes or owing a share of a solar farm. It is a future of energy,” Prof Getautis is convinced.

UT Institute of Agriculture receives grant to tackle digital literacy

4-H tech changemakers program to facilitate greater digital access

Grant and Award Announcement

UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture recently received a grant to implement 4-H Tech Changemakers, a unique program that enables teen leaders to learn and train on topics focused on digital literacy, broadband access and evidence-based programming to enhance their communities and bridge STEM (science, technology, education and math) gaps, no matter their socioeconomic status and demographic. In turn, the teen leaders will share their knowledge with peers and adults within their neighborhoods. The grant will assist Tennessee communities that need it most.

Approximately 37% of Tennesseans do not have home access to high-speed, broadband internet and many cannot afford broadband subscription services or the necessary access devices. A lack of digital readiness and literacy poses lifelong consequences for Tennesseans across educational attainment, race, age and socioeconomic status. The COVID-19 pandemic magnified this reality, increasing the digital divide between those who have internet and those who do not.

The absence of digital literacy can lead to missed opportunities for students choosing a field of study or for job-seeking adults. “Although opportunities in the STEM field continue to experience growth, statistics indicate a deficit among underrepresented students pursuing these areas of study and employment,” said Daniel Collins, program lead and state Extension specialist with Tennessee 4-H Youth Development.

The program is also designed to actively recruit underrepresented adult participants, providing them with a STEM-forward curriculum that bolsters greater digital literacy. “Our goal is to teach digital literacy skills to approximately 5,000 adults, with an emphasis on preparing them for the workforce and helping them achieve greater economic opportunities,” said Collins. “Up to half of these adults will be from diverse backgrounds.”

The Tennessee 4-H program currently offers STEM programming across the state. The 4-H Tech Changemakers program will use the existing STEM programming platform and leverage the statewide presence of 4-H in all 95 counties to enable broad access to tools and content.

The new program will provide students with enhanced opportunities to engage in STEM education with nontraditional methods, dismantling system barriers to provide a more impactful educational experience. With the enhancement of virtual platforms, students will have opportunities to participate in virtual STEM clubs and other opportunities through UT’s Tickle College of Engineering. Collaboration with departments and colleges within the University of Tennessee system will be a key component to implementing the program.

In addition to Collins, project members include Sreedhar Upendram with the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Justin Crowe and Jamie Harris with Tennessee 4-H Youth Development.

The one-year grant is funded by the National 4-H Council, along with support from Land O’Lakes, Microsoft, Tractor Supply Company and Verizon.

“The UT Institute of Agriculture, through our faculty and 4-H Program leadership, is pleased to cooperate with many partners to extend STEM opportunities to all of the state’s youth,” said Carrie Castille, senior vice chancellor and senior vice president of UTIA. “This sort of program is a great example of faculty and outside collaborators working together to promote greater success for all.”

Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.

Do say gay: Understanding the significance of inclusive sexuality discussions between parent and son

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL OF NURSING

 

IMAGE: PENN NURSING’S DALMACIO FLORES, PHD, ACRN, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF NURSING IN THE DEPARTMENT OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY HEALTH view more 

CREDIT: PENN NURSING

PHILADELPHIA (September 7, 2022) – Data show that Generation Z youth are coming out at earlier ages than previous generations of sexual- and gender-diverse individuals. However, little is known about LGBTQ youth’s perspectives on how or if parent-child discussions at home about health and sexuality sufficiently meet their sexual education needs.

A new study – published today – led by an investigator from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) has explored the perspectives of gay, bisexual, and queer (GBQ) cisgender males about inclusive parent-child sex communication. It underscores the importance of inclusive sexuality conversations between parent and child for closeted, questioning, or even heterosexual youth.

The article detailing the study, “Do Say Gay: Inclusive Sexuality Discussions for Out, Closeted, Questioning, and Straight Youth,” has been published online first in the Journal of Pediatric Healthcare. It shares study participants’ insight about how inclusive conversations about sex and sexuality can reduce internalized GBQ stigma and promote a sense of support among adolescents, as their parents are often a trusted resource for information and guidance.

“Additionally, findings from this study underscore the significance of inclusive sex communication between parents and their children, and that the benefits of these conversations can reach beyond GBQ youth such that even heterosexual children who receive inclusive information from parents can be  understanding and potential allies of their GBQ peers,” says Penn Nursing’s Dalmacio Flores, PhD, ACRN, Assistant Professor of Nursing in the Department of Family and Community Health and lead investigator of the study.

The study further describes the importance of such parent-child discussions, including influencing sexual behavior and sexual health to help delay adolescent sexual debut and reduce early HIV/STI infections. Co-authors of the article include Lloyd Allen, PhD, of Wayne State University and Jacqueline A. Bannon, PhD, RN, of Northwestern University.

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About the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing

The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is one of the world’s leading schools of nursing. For the seventh year in a row, it is ranked the #1 nursing school in the world by QS University. In a first for any undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program in the country, our BSN program is ranked # 1 in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings. Penn Nursing is also consistently ranked highly in the U.S. News & World Report annual list of best graduate schools and is ranked as one of the top schools of nursing in funding from the National Institutes of Health. Penn Nursing prepares nurse scientists and nurse leaders to meet the health needs of a global society through innovation in research, education, and practice. Follow Penn Nursing on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, & Instagram.  

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JOURNAL

Journal of Pediatric Health Care

ARTICLE TITLE

Do Say Gay: Inclusive Sexuality Discussions for Out, Closeted, Questioning, and Straight Youth

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

7-Sep-2022