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Researchers discover new kind of magnetism
More than 200 materials could be “altermagnets,” predicted just a few years ago
Massive solar farms could provoke rainclouds in the desert
Updrafts from dark solar panels could fuel storms—an alternative to cloud seeding
An electrifying new ironmaking method could slash carbon emissions
By extracting metallic iron without producing carbon dioxide, the new process could even be carbon negative, at least for part of the world’s iron production
Unzipped genome assemblies of polyploid root-knot nematodes reveal unusual and clade-specific telomeric repeats
Using long-read sequencing, we assembled and unzipped the polyploid genomes of Meloidogyne incognita, M. javanica and M. arenaria, three of the most devastating plant-parasitic nematodes. We found the canonical nematode telomeric repeat to be missing in these and other Meloidogyne genomes. In addition, we find no evidence for the enzyme telomerase or for orthologs of C. elegans telomere-associated proteins, suggesting alternative lengthening of telomeres. Instead, analyzing our assembled...
Transport mechanism of human bilirubin transporter ABCC2 tuned by the inter-module regulatory domain
Bilirubin is mainly generated from the breakdown of heme when red blood cells reach the end of their lifespan. Accumulation of bilirubin in human body usually leads to various disorders, including jaundice and liver disease. Bilirubin is conjugated in hepatocytes and excreted to bile duct via the ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCC2, dysfunction of which would lead to Dubin-Johnson syndrome. Here we determine the structures of ABCC2 in the apo, substrate-bound and ATP/ADP-bound forms using the...
Short-term periodic restricted feeding elicits metabolome-microbiome signatures with sex dimorphic persistence in primate intervention
Dietary restriction has shown benefits in physiological, metabolic, and molecular signatures associated with aging but is a difficult lifestyle to maintain for most individuals. In mice, a less restrictive diet that allows for cyclical periods of reduced calories mitigates aging phenotypes, yet the effects of such an intervention in a genetically heterogenous, higher-order mammal has not been examined. Here, using middle-aged rhesus macaques matched for age and sex, we show that a regimen of 4...
Ancient trees are essential elements for high-mountain forest conservation: Linking the longevity of trees to their ecological function
Mature forests and their extremely old trees are rare and threatened ancient vestiges in remote European high-mountain regions. Here, we analyze the role that extremely long-living trees have in mature forests biodiversity in relation to their singular traits underlying longevity. Tree size and age determine relative growth rates, bud abortion, and the water status of long-living trees. The oldest trees suffer indefectible age-related constraints but possess singular evolutionary traits defined...
Direct approach to laser-powered fusion promises simpler power production
Experiments suggest that, with enough laser power, “direct drive” technique should produce energy gain