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YSM Issue 97.1

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TABLE OF<br />

VOL. 97 ISSUE NO. 1<br />

COVER<br />

16<br />

A R T<br />

I C L E<br />

Airborne Mysteries<br />

Abigail Jolteus<br />

The environmental toll of Canada’s oil sands has escalated with recent groundbreaking research using<br />

aircraft-based measurements. Shockingly, total gas-phase organic carbon (TOC) emissions from<br />

Canadian oil operations were found to exceed industry-reported values by a staggering 6,300 percent.<br />

These findings thrust TOC into the spotlight as an important metric for a more holistic understanding<br />

of the oil industry’s environmental impacts, challenging conventional evaluation methods.<br />

12 Sink or Swim<br />

Anya Razmi<br />

Eighty percent of male infertile patients suffer from sperm motility issues. But because fertility genes<br />

don’t pass on to the next generation, finding out what causes low motility is surprisingly challenging.<br />

Researchers at Yale and Quaid-i-Azam University in Pakistan identified a defect in LRRC23—a protein<br />

component of sperm—that might be the key to unlocking one of the reasons behind male infertility.<br />

14 A New Immune Drug?<br />

Yossi Moff<br />

Bone marrow injury can leave patients dangerously susceptible to infection, without enough white<br />

blood cells to fight off pathogens. A Yale researcher has discovered new therapeutic potential for a drug<br />

known as A485 that uses a different pathway of activation, changing our understanding of immunity.<br />

19 Cosmic Time Capsules<br />

Diya Naik and Max Watzky<br />

Organic molecules are essential for life, but the question of how they formed in the galaxy has puzzled<br />

scientists for decades. A study examining the chemical makeup of samples from the asteroid Ryugu has<br />

provided fresh insights into this question. By focusing on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, researchers<br />

have produced compelling evidence that these organic compounds originate in the frigid, energydepleted<br />

environments of molecular clouds.<br />

22 It's an RNA World Again<br />

Risha Chakraborty and Kenny Cheng<br />

Ribonucleic acids (RNA) have long been recognized as essential molecules within the cell for their roles in gene<br />

expression and defense against viral infections. However, recent discoveries have revealed RNA’s presence not<br />

only inside cells but also on their membranes. A team of researchers has turned their focus to neutrophils, the<br />

“firefighters” of the immune system, and uncovered an unexpected role of extracellular RNA in their function.<br />

2 Yale Scientific Magazine March 2024 www.yalescientific.org

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