July eNews
Welcome to This Month's eNews!
We're excited to bring you the latest highlights and updates. In this edition, you'll find our top 5 most read news items from June, our Editor's choice featuring a model that enables computers to interpret and understand human emotions, and our image of the month showing the genetic “switches” of bone growth.
Last week, we had the pleasure of attending the ABSW awards as Media Partner. It was a fantastic gathering, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and finalists.
If you have any questions, feedback, or simply want to connect, don't hesitate to reach out to the News Team at news@alphagalileo.org. We're here to assist you!
We hope you enjoy this month's edition of our eNews.
Best regards,
The News Team
Top 5
1. Neurons in the visual system of flies exhibit surprisingly heterogeneous wiring, published by Universität Mainz on 3 June 2024
The brain is a particularly complex organ, not only in humans. Even the brain of a fly contains more than 100,000 neurons connected by millions of synapses. For the first time, an international community of researchers has reconstructed and published all neurons with their corresponding synaptic connections in the brain of an adult female fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster. The team of Professor Marion Silies at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) made an important contribution to this research by analyzing neurons of the optic lobes, i.e., those parts of the brain that process visual information. To their surprise, the researchers discovered that a specific type of neuron in the eye of the fruit fly is not homogeneously wired. "This challenges our current understanding of how the eye is organized," said neurobiologist Marion Silies in view of the findings.
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2. Latin American cattle block road to Paris goals, published by SciDev.Net on 20 June 2024
Globally, Latin America has the most emissions from livestock
It is a leading source of cow and chicken meat worldwide
Science and policy needed to make production more sustainable
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3. Structured light beams with controllable polarization along arbitrary trajectories, published by Compuscript Ltd on 14 June 2024
A new publication from Opto-Electronic Science; DOI 10.29026/oes.2024.230052 discusses structured light beams with controllable polarization along arbitrary trajectories.
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4. Alarming study unveils how "forever chemicals" transfer from mothers to newborns, published by TranSpread on 21 June 2024
In an important scientific advancement, researchers have explored significant mechanisms and health implications of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exposure in infants, analyzing their transfer through the placenta and into breast milk. This study marks a significant step forward in our understanding of environmental pollutants and their impact on the most vulnerable populations.
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5. Invasive alien species biggest threat to biodiversity and livelihoods in Caribbean, according to new field guide, published by CABI on 12 June 2024
Invasive alien species (IAS) explored in a CABI-published book pose the biggest threat to biodiversity, crop and/or livestock production, human and/or animal health, and economic development in the Caribbean.
These include rats, cats, mongoose and monkeys as part of a list of 171 exotic, non-native, non-indigenous or foreign animal species detailed in the 402-page ‘Guide to the Alien and Invasive Animals of the Caribbean,’ by Dr Arne Witt, CABI’s Invasives Coordinator, South.
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Editor's choice
Researchers developed a model that allows a computer to understand human emotions published by University of Jyväskylä on 04/06/2024
Researchers at the University of Jyväskylä have developed a model that enables computers to interpret and understand human emotions, utilizing principles of mathematical psychology. This advancement could significantly improve the interface between humans and smart technologies, including artificial intelligence systems, making them more intuitive and responsive to user feelings.
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Image caption: Assistant Professor Jussi Jokinen. Photo: Teemu Rahikka / University of Jyväskylä
Image of the month
The genetic “switches” of bone growth published by Université de Genève on 14/06/2024
In mammals, only 3% of the genome consists of coding genes which, when transcribed into proteins, ensure the biological functions of the organism and the in-utero development of future individuals. But genes do not function alone. They are controlled by other sequences in the genome, called enhancers, which, like switches, activate or deactivate them as required. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has identified and located 2700 enhancers — among millions of non-coding genetic sequences — that precisely regulate the genes responsible for bone growth. This discovery sheds light on one of the major factors influencing the size of individuals in adulthood, and explains why their failure could be the cause of certain bone malformations. These results can be read in Nature Communications.
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Image caption: Skeleton of a mouse embryo visible by fluorescence. © Darbellay et al.