Latest news from University of California, Santa Cruz on Newswise en-us Copyright 2024 Newswise 115 31 / /images/newswise-logo-rss.gif /articles/an-overlooked-side-effect-of-the-housing-crisis-may-be-putting-californians-at-increased-risk-from-climate-disasters/?sc=rsin /articles/an-overlooked-side-effect-of-the-housing-crisis-may-be-putting-californians-at-increased-risk-from-climate-disasters/?sc=rsin Wed, 14 Aug 2024 15:05:59 EST In a new article for the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, UC Santa Cruz researchers laid out the foundation for their highly-anticipated upcoming study of how lack of affordable housing in urban areas of California may be driving increased development in and near wildlands, leading to more severe climate change impacts. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/singing-from-memory-unlocks-a-surprisingly-common-musical-superpower/?sc=rsin /articles/singing-from-memory-unlocks-a-surprisingly-common-musical-superpower/?sc=rsin Wed, 14 Aug 2024 15:05:48 EST UC Santa Cruz psychologists studied "earworms," the types of songs that get stuck in your head and play automatically on a loop, to show that highly accurate pitch memory is much more common than might be expected. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/smart-microgrids-enhance-power-restoration-efficiency-and-reliability-during-outages/?sc=rsin /articles/smart-microgrids-enhance-power-restoration-efficiency-and-reliability-during-outages/?sc=rsin Fri, 01 Dec 2023 07:05:24 EST It's a story that's become all too familiar -- high winds knock out a power line, and a community can go without power for hours to days, an inconvenience at best and a dangerous situation at worst. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/new-blood-test-for-noncoding-rna-significantly-improves-cancer-detection/?sc=rsin /articles/new-blood-test-for-noncoding-rna-significantly-improves-cancer-detection/?sc=rsin Mon, 18 Sep 2023 16:05:51 EST Cancer is most treatable in its early stages, so finding innovative and non-invasive methods to diagnose cancer early on is crucial for fighting the disease. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/novel-device-combines-nanopores-with-electronic-signals-for-disease-detection/?sc=rsin /articles/novel-device-combines-nanopores-with-electronic-signals-for-disease-detection/?sc=rsin Mon, 18 Sep 2023 16:05:35 EST In living organisms, cells have a very high capacity to process and communicate information by moving molecules or ions through tiny channels that span the cell membrane. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/study-reveals-key-molecular-interaction-that-sets-the-timing-of-our-biological-clocks/?sc=rsin /articles/study-reveals-key-molecular-interaction-that-sets-the-timing-of-our-biological-clocks/?sc=rsin Thu, 18 May 2023 11:05:27 EST Molecular clocks in our cells synchronize our bodies with the cycle of night and day, cue us for sleep and waking, and drive daily cycles in virtually every aspect of our physiology. Scientists studying the molecular mechanisms of our biological clocks have now identified a key event that controls the timing of the clock. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/shrinking-age-distribution-of-spawning-salmon-raises-climate-resilience-concerns/?sc=rsin /articles/shrinking-age-distribution-of-spawning-salmon-raises-climate-resilience-concerns/?sc=rsin Tue, 28 Feb 2023 12:00:36 EST By returning to spawn in the Sacramento River at different ages, Chinook salmon lessen the potential impact of a bad year and increase the stability of their population in the face of climate variability, according to a new study by scientists at UC Santa Cruz and NOAA Fisheries. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/rna-rescue-challenge-invites-players-to-solve-puzzles-and-advance-rna-therapeutics/?sc=rsin /articles/rna-rescue-challenge-invites-players-to-solve-puzzles-and-advance-rna-therapeutics/?sc=rsin Tue, 21 Feb 2023 11:35:12 EST Researchers at UC Santa Cruz working to develop novel RNA-based medicines are teaming up with a new group of collaborators--players of the online game Eterna. The University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/reduced-krill-lead-to-fewer-pregnancies-in-humpback-whales/?sc=rsin /articles/reduced-krill-lead-to-fewer-pregnancies-in-humpback-whales/?sc=rsin Mon, 23 Jan 2023 15:10:52 EST New collaborative research shows reduced krill supplies lead to fewer pregnancies in humpback whales--a finding that could have major implications for industrial krill fishing. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/political-parties-use-gerrymandering-to-counteract-shifting-voter-preferences-in-key-battleground-states-study-finds/?sc=rsin /articles/political-parties-use-gerrymandering-to-counteract-shifting-voter-preferences-in-key-battleground-states-study-finds/?sc=rsin Thu, 25 Aug 2022 19:05:51 EST Research that focused on battleground states suggests that whichever party controls the redistricting process in the state legislature engineers an 11 percentage point increase in its probability of winning a U.S. House race in the next election. And these advantages often run counter to the will of voters. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/covid-19-genomic-recombination-is-uncommon-but-disproportionately-occurs-in-spike-protein-region/?sc=rsin /articles/covid-19-genomic-recombination-is-uncommon-but-disproportionately-occurs-in-spike-protein-region/?sc=rsin Thu, 11 Aug 2022 13:05:44 EST An analysis of millions of SARS-CoV-2 genomes finds that recombination of the virus is uncommon, but when it occurs, it is most often in the spike protein region, the area which allows the virus to attach to and infect host cells. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/locally-supportive-climates-may-do-little-to-aid-mental-health-for-lgbtq-youth-amidst-broader-societal-stigma/?sc=rsin /articles/locally-supportive-climates-may-do-little-to-aid-mental-health-for-lgbtq-youth-amidst-broader-societal-stigma/?sc=rsin Mon, 08 Aug 2022 19:05:57 EST New research shows little difference in mental health outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth between some of California's most and least supportive communities for sexual and gender diversity. The findings also indicate factors that may contribute to this trend. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/data-from-elephant-seals-reveal-new-features-of-marine-heatwave-the-blob/?sc=rsin /articles/data-from-elephant-seals-reveal-new-features-of-marine-heatwave-the-blob/?sc=rsin Wed, 03 Aug 2022 12:45:53 EST The North Pacific Blob, was the largest and longest-lasting marine heatwave on record. A new study using data collected by elephant seals reveals that in addition to the well documented surface warming, deeper warm-water anomalies associated with the Blob were much more extensive than previously reported. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/autistic-adults-have-become-increasingly-visible-in-media-books-television-and-more-in-the-past-decade-but-challenges-with-representation-persist/?sc=rsin /articles/autistic-adults-have-become-increasingly-visible-in-media-books-television-and-more-in-the-past-decade-but-challenges-with-representation-persist/?sc=rsin Wed, 29 Jun 2022 20:05:51 EST Researchers documented a shift toward more representation for adults in popular portrayals of autism, which have historically focused on children. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/these-red-flags-can-let-you-know-when-you-re-in-an-online-echo-chamber/?sc=rsin /articles/these-red-flags-can-let-you-know-when-you-re-in-an-online-echo-chamber/?sc=rsin Tue, 28 Jun 2022 19:05:35 EST Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have identified specific elements of tone and style in online speech that are linked to hyperpartisan echo chambers. These language markers could also prove useful for flagging spaces where disinformation may be likely to emerge. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/simulations-reveal-hydrodynamics-of-planetary-engulfment-by-expanding-star/?sc=rsin /articles/simulations-reveal-hydrodynamics-of-planetary-engulfment-by-expanding-star/?sc=rsin Mon, 13 Jun 2022 14:10:30 EST When our sun exhausts the hydrogen fuel in its core some 5 billion years from now, it will expand to become a red giant, engulfing the inner planets. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/mutating-covid-19-lineages-will-be-more-accurately-identified-using-upgraded-technology-to-track-virus-family-tree/?sc=rsin /articles/mutating-covid-19-lineages-will-be-more-accurately-identified-using-upgraded-technology-to-track-virus-family-tree/?sc=rsin Wed, 13 Apr 2022 08:05:27 EST As COVID-19 continues to mutate, software developed and maintained at the University of California, Santa Cruz's Genomics Institute will now be at the core of the primary tool used by health officials worldwide to track the spread of variants in their community. It is now the default software behind the ubiquitously used tool Pangolin, replacing previous software to more accurately assign genomic samples of COVID-19 to a known branch on the virus's family tree. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/chemical-analysis-reveals-effects-of-wildfire-smoke-on-grapes-and-wines/?sc=rsin /articles/chemical-analysis-reveals-effects-of-wildfire-smoke-on-grapes-and-wines/?sc=rsin Fri, 11 Mar 2022 11:30:28 EST Volatile compounds in wildfire smoke are absorbed by grapes and produce an unpleasant taste called "smoke taint" in wines. A new study provides valuable data and guidelines for using analytical chemistry to identify grapes and wines affected by smoke taint. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/economic-benefits-of-earlier-social-distancing-revealed-through-impacts-of-rainy-weather-on-coronavirus-outbreaks/?sc=rsin /articles/economic-benefits-of-earlier-social-distancing-revealed-through-impacts-of-rainy-weather-on-coronavirus-outbreaks/?sc=rsin Tue, 04 Jan 2022 11:05:41 EST Economists at UC Santa Cruz used rainy weather as a natural experiment to understand how communities across the U.S. that started some form of social distancing slightly earlier may have experienced significant economic benefits. University of California, Santa Cruz /articles/a-new-way-to-find-genetic-variations-removes-bias-from-human-genotyping/?sc=rsin /articles/a-new-way-to-find-genetic-variations-removes-bias-from-human-genotyping/?sc=rsin Thu, 16 Dec 2021 15:10:21 EST A new tool, called Giraffe, can efficiently map new human genome sequences to a "pangenome" representing many diverse human genome sequences. This approach allows a more comprehensive characterization of genetic variations and can improve the genomic analyses used by a wide range of researchers and clinicians. University of California, Santa Cruz