Peer Review Week 2022: Four reviewers share their views on trust and research integrity
Published 20 September, 2022
Study finds that gold may hold the secret to treating inflammatory bowel disease
Published 11 August, 2022
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KeAi joins forces with SSRN to post research online faster
Published 09 August, 2022
In support of open science, we at KeAi are delighted to announce 63 KeAi journals now offer their authors a free preprint posting service. This provides authors with the opportunity to register and disseminate their research earlier in the publication process and consequently increase the potential for earlier citations and collaboration.
Novel design for dual-atom catalyst could reduce the environmental impact of ammonia production
Published 09 August, 2022
The Haber-Bosch process is the only option currently available for industrial production of ammonia, but the elevated temperature and pressure it requires, leads to high energy use and CO2 emission rates. As a result, researchers have been seeking new energy-saving and eco-friendly methods for ammonia synthesis. The electrocatalytic reduction of dinitrogen, a colorless, odorless gas that makes up approximately 78% of the Earth's atmosphere, is proving a promising approach.
Wildlife photography DOES impact birds’ breeding behaviour – but not in the way you might expect
Published 01 August, 2022
According to Xiaocai Tan, an ornithologist and PhD candidate at Guangxi University in China, this focus on birds’ nests has worried scientists, who are concerned that the close proximity of humans to the nesting sites might negatively impact bird reproduction. However, in a study published in the KeAi journal Avian Research, she and her colleagues discovered that quite the opposite is true.
Study identifies regions on the SARS-CoV-2 genome linked to virus replication and transmission
Published 28 July, 2022
In a study, published in KeAi’s Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity, a team of researchers analysed 2.8 million of the sequenced SARS-CoV-2 genomes and used the results to compile a ‘mutations blacklist’ of virus weak spots, and a ‘whitelist’ of mutations that make SARS-CoV-2 more transmissible. In addition, the team has developed an online SARS-CoV-2 mutation and variant monitoring and pre-warning system (MVMPS).
Upgrade for popular free software tool that builds evolutionary trees for vascular plants
Published 13 July, 2022
In an article published in the KeAi journal Plant Diversity, Dr. Qian and his colleague present the new version of V.PhyloMaker - V.PhyloMaker2. This upgrade retains the botanical nomenclature of The Plant List, but also includes two new botanical nomenclatures: the Leipzig Catalogue of Vascular Plants database and the World Plants database.
Adolescent childbirth remains linked to poor outcomes for both mother and child in Cote d'Ivoire
Published 11 July, 2022
Researchers from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Cote d'Ivoire’s University of Abidjan-Yopougon, looked at three years’ worth of data from their maternity hospital. They compared the experiences of an adolescent group of 1,040 girls aged 10-19 years, with a 736-strong young adult group aged 20 to 24 years. Their results have now been published in the KeAi journal Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinical Medicine.
Study shows that getting pesticide reduction policies right is crucial for food security
Published 28 June, 2022
Researchers explored the agri-food and environmental implications of an agrochemical (pesticide) use reduction policy introduced in metropolitan Shanghai, East China. The policy aimed to reduce agrochemical use by 20% by 2020, relative to 2015. Official statistics show that Shanghai achieved that goal with a decline of just over 40% in pesticide use (from 4,415 to 2,644 tonnes). However, the planted area shrank by nearly 25% over the same period.
Study highlights undiscovered potential of bacterial compounds and genes linked to colon cancer-related toxin
Published 23 June, 2022
The last two decades have seen the development of sophisticated computational tools that explore the DNA of bacteria. These tools look for interesting metabolites that illicit a strong biological reaction. Their impact might be toxic, or it might be life enhancing; for example, informing the development of new antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs or bio-based insecticides for use in agriculture. Scientists have developed a novel computational approach for analysing the DNA sequences of thousands of bacteria.