Separate stories on projects that examined links between impulse control and behavior in schoolchildren landed first and ninth among the top 10 science stories viewed by readers of Around the O in 2017.
The two projects, which blended brain science and education, were done under the leadership of Atika Khurana, a professor in the College of Education and member of the Prevention Science Institute.
Other top 10 science stories hit on such topics as Oregon’s Paisley Caves, a mysterious jellyfish invasion, colliding stars and fundamental biological research in roundworms and zebrafish.
The top 10 science list, which reflects a diverse snapshot of the research being done at the UO, is based on page views of each story as of early December.
1. Bilingual preschoolers have better impulse control, study finds
A doctoral student in psychology had a hunch about bilingual speakers, so she approached Atika Khurana because of her expertise and methodology in studying impulse control among adolescents. Together, they found that preschoolers who speak two languages show less impulsiveness than their single-language peers.
Quote: “We found that being bilingual and acquiring bilingualism during this time period was associated with more rapid development of inhibitory control.” —Jimena Santillán
2. Scientists deploy new technique at one of Oregon’s Paisley Caves
Since 2008, when the UO’s Dennis Jenkins reported finding 14,300-year-old human DNA in dried feces in Oregon’s Paisley Caves, scientists broadened their view of the settling of the Americas. In a new project, Jenkins and international collaborators are applying an advanced microscope technique to analyze organic matter and sediment to confirm the dating of the DNA.
Quote: “Based on the site’s stratigraphy, we know there were a lot of people visiting the caves between 12,600 and 12,000 years ago. Did some of their DNA get flushed to deeper sediments via water activity in the cave? Is the DNA as old as the 14,000-year-old layer we found it in? Did the human DNA enter the cave by some other means like animal activity?” —Dennis Jenkins
3. A UO grad student is on the trail of a weird jellyfish invasion
When what you seek isn’t there, go with what you do see. That was the storyline for UO graduate student Hilarie Sorensen who, in her first research cruise, came across immense numbers of jelly-like tubular organisms. She helped document the phenomenon and drew international media coverage.
Quote: “We think that their appearance may have something to do with changes in environmental parameters, including temperature, but we have a lot more work to do to get a better understanding of what is going on.” —Kelly Sutherland
4. Never-give-up attitude pays off for research in UO lab
The mystery of a mutant protein found in roundworms 17 years ago in Bruce Bowerman’s biology lab was finally solved in 2017. Using recently acquired whole-genome sequencing technology, Bowerman and former postdoctoral researcher Danielle Hamill, who had discovered the mutant, found that the normal protein is vital in cell division, but the presence of that mutant leads to dire consequences.
Quote: “I've worked on this, on and off, for more than 15 years with my students. Sometimes things went well and we made good progress, and then we'd hit snags and get hung up. There were several times I felt like we should throw in the towel on this project, but it seemed unique and interesting, so we kept trying different approaches.” —Danielle Hamill
5. Simulations say bio-inspired retinal implants should work
The quest to build a new retinal implant to repair vision loss, especially as people age, grew in possibility when complex computer modeling confirmed that the design in mind should work. The research, spearheaded by UO physicist Richard Taylor, seeks to capture a fractal-based design to stimulate retinal neurons that have quit working.
Quote: “What we’ve demonstrated is that using a fractal implant should allow us, in principle, to deliver 20/80 vision.” —Richard Taylor
6. Oregon's legalization quickly cut Washington border pot sales
UO economist Ben Hansen wondered if Oregon’s legalization of recreational marijuana affected retail sales in Washington state. Within three days of Oregon sales opening, sales in Washington counties across the Columbia River dropped 41 percent. He also found that most Washington’s sales were staying in Washington.
Quote: “Our study says that 93 percent of marijuana sold in Washington is probably staying there now. There’s probably not a lot you can do about the remaining share that is being diverted at this point. This is just the likely consequence of partial prohibition.” —Ben Hansen
7. Stars collide, and UO scientists help track another cosmic first
UO physicists were again on the front lines of capturing gravitational waves, with the latest detection involving two neutron stars. The collision lit up the monitors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory, where the UO has a large team of contributing scientists.
Quote: “I think we were all flabbergasted.” —Ray Frey
8. A UO lab digs into worms in the quest to lengthen human life
The UO’s Patrick Phillips had a leading role in the largest aging study ever done on an animal, in this case, roundworms, and in the process, he and his team found fundamental weaknesses in research protocols across labs but also zeroed in on prospective age-enhancing compounds that are worthy of continued research.
Quote: “What we find in this worm may or may not work in mice or humans. We’re looking at things that affect fundamental cellular processes that are conserved genetically across all animals.” —Patrick Phillips
9. UO study suggests new approach for curbing teen drug use
Is it possible to predict who will have problems with alcohol, marijuana and tobacco use when they reach young adulthood? Atika Khurana probed long-running data collection from a large population of youths and found that individuals who had working memory deficiencies at ages 10-12 were at most risk.
Quote: “We found that there is some effect that was carried through the early progression in drug use. It is a risk factor. But we also found that the underlying weakness in working memory and impulse control continues to pose a risk for later substance-use disorders.” —Atika Khurana
10. UO team unlocks mystery of zebrafish bone regeneration
If you are a zebrafish and you lose your tail fin, no worries. It will just grow back. Researchers in the UO biology lab of Kryn Stankunas were able to snap the clearest picture yet of how the fish do it. Such information, eventually, could lead to new therapies to improve the repair of broken bones.
Quote: “The mechanism — how the skin and bone cells dynamically move and interact using cell signaling — is elegant and unexpected, broadening the project’s impact on regenerative medicine.” —Kryn Stankunas