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