natureasia.com top ten research highlights
The following highlights are the top ten most viewed research highlights on the English website of natureasia.com during the past month.
25 September 2021 ～ 25 October 2021
Ecology: Potential risks to biodiversity and Indigenous lands from China’s overseas development finance
Nature Ecology & Evolution, September 21, 2021
Overseas development projects financed by China’s two leading policy banks often have the potential to threaten nearby biodiversity and Indigenous lands, according to a global analysis published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, based on data published simultaneously in Scientific Data. These findings — which suggest that the potential socio-ecological risk posed by these project...
doi: 10.1038/s41559-021-01541-w
Climate change: Global energy spending changes in a warming world
Nature, October 14, 2021
Climate change may lead to a modest net reduction in global annual energy expenditures by the end of the 21st century, according to a study published in Nature. However, the changes in spending would differ across regions according to the local climate and economy, with substantial increases in expenditure predicted in some tropical and subtropical regions that are able to invest in cool...
doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03883-8
Medical research: A precautionary approach to using paracetamol during pregnancy
Nature Reviews Endocrinology, September 24, 2021
Paracetamol (also called acetaminophen) should be used only when medically indicated during pregnancy and at the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time, according to a Consensus Statement published in Nature Reviews Endocrinology. The authors call for a focused research effort to study how paracetamol may affect foetal development and propose a series of precautionary measu...
doi: 10.1038/s41574-021-00553-7
Genetics: Epigenetic signature specific to identical twins identified
Nature Communications, September 29, 2021
Identical twins have a specific epigenetic signature in their DNA that persists from conception to adulthood, suggests a paper published in Nature Communications. The finding provides insights into the biology surrounding identical twin conception.
It is estimated that 12％ of all pregnancies may start as multiple pregnancies, but only 2％ are carried to term. This condition is...
doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-25583-7
Climate: Consumption of sustainably hunted meat from wildlife rather than eating livestock may spare considerable greenhouse gas emissions
Scientific Reports, October 8, 2021
Consumption of meat from wild animals by Amazonian and Afrotropical communities can result in lower greenhouse gas emissions than if wild meat was replaced with beef or poultry, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. However, hunting practices in these communities should be carefully managed to be of any potential benefit in the management of greenhouse gas emissions, acco...
doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-98282-4
Social sciences: Internet activity and risk of victimization of teenage girls
Nature Human Behaviour, September 28, 2021
For teenage girls, their internet activity — together with offline risk factors — can increase their risk of online victimization, and this is more likely for those who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, suggests a study published in Nature Human Behaviour.
Previous research has indicated that internet use in general is not problematic for teenagers. However, internet u...
doi: 10.1038/s41562-021-01187-5
Planetary science: Lake flooding shaped ancient river valleys on Mars
Nature, September 30, 2021
On early Mars, floods from overflowing lakes may have caused around one-quarter of the erosion of ancient river valleys, according to a paper published in Nature. These findings provide fundamental insights into the formation of the Martian river valley network.
Surface water activity on ancient Mars is believed to have been responsible for eroding the planet’s river valleys an...
doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03860-1
Ecology: Tree health linked to variation in timing of egg laying
Nature Climate Change, September 28, 2021
The well-documented shift in the timing of egg laying by great tits due to climate change can show marked, small-scale spatial variation within a population and may be linked to the health of nearby oak trees, according to a study published in Nature Climate Change.
Warmer temperatures and the earlier occurrence of spring resulting from climate change has required plant and anima...
doi: 10.1038/s41558-021-01140-4
Drug discovery: A promising candidate for the treatment of dengue
Nature, October 7, 2021
A dengue virus inhibitor that is shown to be effective in mouse models of infection is described in a study published this week in Nature. The findings also shed light on a novel mechanism of antiviral action for future development of dengue therapeutic agents.
Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, is reported to affect around 96 million people every year, with an estimated 3.9...
doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03990-6
Archaeology: Earliest known human use of tobacco revealed
Nature Human Behaviour, October 12, 2021
Humans were using tobacco around 12,300 years ago, suggests archeological evidence presented in a paper published in Nature Human Behaviour. These findings indicate that tobacco was used by some of the first human groups to arrive in the Americas — 9,000 years earlier than previously thought.
Tobacco (Nicotiana) is an intoxicant plant that originated in the Americas and has an ...
doi: 10.1038/s41562-021-01202-9
