YSM Issue 97.1

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TABLE OF VOL. 97 ISSUE NO. 1 COVER 16 A R T I C L E Airborne Mysteries Abigail Jolteus The environmental toll of Canada’s oil sands has escalated with recent groundbreaking research using aircraft-based measurements. Shockingly, total gas-phase organic carbon (TOC) emissions from Canadian oil operations were found to exceed industry-reported values by a staggering 6,300 percent. These findings thrust TOC into the spotlight as an important metric for a more holistic understanding of the oil industry’s environmental impacts, challenging conventional evaluation methods. 12 Sink or Swim Anya Razmi Eighty percent of male infertile patients suffer from sperm motility issues. But because fertility genes don’t pass on to the next generation, finding out what causes low motility is surprisingly challenging. Researchers at Yale and Quaid-i-Azam University in Pakistan identified a defect in LRRC23—a protein component of sperm—that might be the key to unlocking one of the reasons behind male infertility. 14 A New Immune Drug? Yossi Moff Bone marrow injury can leave patients dangerously susceptible to infection, without enough white blood cells to fight off pathogens. A Yale researcher has discovered new therapeutic potential for a drug known as A485 that uses a different pathway of activation, changing our understanding of immunity. 19 Cosmic Time Capsules Diya Naik and Max Watzky Organic molecules are essential for life, but the question of how they formed in the galaxy has puzzled scientists for decades. A study examining the chemical makeup of samples from the asteroid Ryugu has provided fresh insights into this question. By focusing on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, researchers have produced compelling evidence that these organic compounds originate in the frigid, energydepleted environments of molecular clouds. 22 It's an RNA World Again Risha Chakraborty and Kenny Cheng Ribonucleic acids (RNA) have long been recognized as essential molecules within the cell for their roles in gene expression and defense against viral infections. However, recent discoveries have revealed RNA’s presence not only inside cells but also on their membranes. A team of researchers has turned their focus to neutrophils, the “firefighters” of the immune system, and uncovered an unexpected role of extracellular RNA in their function. 2 Yale Scientific Magazine March 2024 www.yalescientific.org
CONTENTS More articles online at www.yalescientific.org & https://medium.com/the-scope-yale-scientific-magazines-online-blog 4 6 25 34 Q&A NEWS FEATURES SPECIALS Can Nemo Count? • Alex Dong and Malia Kuo Can We Trace the Evolution of Sign Language? • Kelly Chen Life Out of Balance • Estella Wittstruck The Ripple Effect • Jiya Mody Mimicking Tumor Interactions • Nusaiba Islam Sssensitive Snakes • Lynna Thai Hitting the Pause Button • Sarah Li Identifying Ezekiel's Wheel • Faith Pena Giving Voice to the Voiceless • Aiden Wright I Am Alan Turing • Ximena Leyva Peralta Weathering the Storm • Samantha Liu Growing Smarter • Brandon Ngo Ditching Opioids • Megan Kernis AI vs. Superbugs • Madeleine Popofsky Massive, Mysterious Circles in Space • David Gaetano Woolly Questions • Hanwen Zhang Undergraduate Profile: Madhav Lavakare (YC '25) • Proud Ua-arak Alumni Profile: Emily Boring (YC '18) • Kenna Morgan Science in the Spotlight: Bridging Biology and Feminism • Genevieve Kim Science in the Spotlight: Word Wizards • Andrea Ortega Counterpoint: Mind Over Matter • Lee Ngatia Muita Crossroads: Biochemistry and Our Changing Climate • Yusuf Rasheed www.yalescientific.org March 2024 Yale Scientific Magazine 3
Page 1: Yale Scientific THE NATION’S OLDE
Page 5 and 6: The Editor-in-Chief Speaks AT THE C
Page 7 and 8: Biology / Mathematical Ecology NEWS
Page 9 and 10: Paleontology FOCUS IDENTIFYING EZEK
Page 11 and 12: Social Technology FOCUS I AM ALAN T
Page 13 and 14: Genetics FOCUS hollow, tubular stru
Page 15 and 16: Immunology FOCUS may be able to tri
Page 17 and 18: Environmental Engineering FOCUS Oil
Page 19 and 20: Astrochemistry FOCUS Cosmic Time Ca
Page 21 and 22: Astrochemistry FOCUS very low-energ
Page 23 and 24: Ribonucleic acids (RNA) are among t
Page 25 and 26: WEATHERING Evolutionary Biology FEA
Page 27 and 28: Biology FEATURE DITCHING OPIOIDS NE
Page 29 and 30: Computational Biology FEATURE We ca
Page 31 and 32: Astronomy FEATURE succession of sup
Page 33 and 34: Paleontology FEATURE strontium can
Page 35 and 36: Profile SHORT EMILY BORING YC ’18
Page 37 and 38: WORD WIZARDS IN 'SCIENCE DICTION' E
Page 39 and 40: BY YUSUF RASHEED What do you think

YSM Issue 97.1

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