MDPI Articles Cited in the News: February 2025
In February’s roundup of popular science cited in the news, we provide a range of articles published in MDPI’s Open Access journals, featuring the identification of a new species. We also explore potential explanations for mysterious ‘earthquake weather’ witnessed in Japan, see how microplastics could contribute to the development of early-onset colorectal cancer, and learn more about the region of the brain producing essential neurotransmitters.
Feature Paper Published in Fossil Studies: An Equus-Dominated Middle Pleistocene (Irvingtonian) Vertebrate Fauna from Northcentral Florida, USA
Cited by Popular Science: 500,000 years ago, a bunch of animals fell into a Florida sinkhole.
New findings published in the Open Access journal Fossil Studies describe the novel discovery of fossils unearthed from the Steinhatchee River, Florida. After extensive analysis of the fossils, the researchers found that the rocks dated back to the Irvingtonian age of palaeontology (between 1.8 million and 250,000 years ago).
The authors provide detailed analyses and descriptions of the deposits and explore the identification of a new vertebrate species of Equus (horses, donkeys, zebras) that existed at the time, giving researchers a greater understanding of the evolutionary patterns leading to present-day Equidae.
Perspective published in Cancers: Could Microplastics Be a Driver for Early Onset Colorectal Cancer?
Cited by TIME: The Race to Explain Why More Young Adults Are Getting Cancer
Microplastics (MPs) have quickly become a growing cause for concern, as research reveals their effects on not only the environment but also our health. A perspective piece published in the Open Access journal Cancers looks at how MPs could be linked to the development of early-onset colorectal cancer.
The study explores how MPs are produced, consumed, degraded and then contaminate water and food in an endless cycle. Following this, the authors dive into the metabolism of MPs and how they impact and disrupt different systems in the body such as the gut microbiome, and the endocrine system.
The review explores in detail how MPs contribute to carcinogenesis via different mechanisms, particularly via its disruption to the colonic mucus layer. The incidence of colorectal cancer cases is rising across the globe, and it’s important to understand why this is occurring. The authors conclude by addressing the current challenges and gaps in knowledge in the field of MP research, urging further research.
Review published in the International Journal of Molecular Science (IJMS): When the Locus Coeruleus Speaks Up in Sleep: Recent Insights, Emerging Perspectives
Cited by BBC Future: How the brain’s little blue dot regulates your sleep
The Locus Coeruleus (LC), otherwise known as the ‘blue spot’ is a region in the brain regulating numerous neuronal functions. The region is responsible for producing the essential neurotransmitter noradrenaline (NA), which mediates many different cellular processes and bodily functions. This includes being responsible for sleep and wakefulness.
In an article published in IJMS, authors explore the latest and up-to-date understandings of the LC, how it functions and what it does exactly.
Novel insights into animal and human studies are visited in the review, where LC activity is analysed to see exactly what it does during different stages of sleep, and how it regulates and affects our slumber. Furthermore, it also notes LC’s role in memory consolidation, a crucial process which occurs during sleep.
Lastly, the authors discuss how LC could be looked at from a pathology lens, and how understanding the function and impact of this specific region in greater depth could help the understanding of ageing, neurodegenerative and stress-related disorders.
Review published in Atmosphere: Earthquake Lights Observed in Japan – Possible Underlying Mechanisms
Cited by Popular Mechanics: Experts think this haunting ghost story could be the result of a strange geologic phenomenon
The strange phenomenon of Earthquake lights witnessed in Japan has been recorded numerous times in the previous literature. In a review published in the Open Access journal Atmosphere, researchers analyse these testimonies and attempt to decipher the cause of the mysterious lights from a scientific perspective.
Earthquake lights have been described by witnesses as glowing mountains, flames/sparks from underground, landslide lights, coloured clouds, fire pillars/balls on the sea, glowing tsunamis and red skies, amongst other descriptions. This ‘earthquake weather’ can be explained by complex physiochemical changes that occur in the atmosphere and geology of the lithosphere that contain certain gases.
In the review, the authors delve into the potential mechanisms behind each occurrence of the earthquake lights of each of the earthquakes that occurred in Japan. They also explain how the mechanisms match with descriptions from recorded testimonies, such as the detailed recount of the ‘glowing tsunamis’ caused by the 1896 and 1993 Japanese earthquakes.
