Category: Global News

Across the globe, and particularly in Brazil, lies an embarrassment of riches that also stage a showdown as mitigating climate change and protecting biodiversity square off against growing food. In this week’s Science of the Total Environment, scientists from and once affiliated with Michigan State University’s Center for Systems Integration…

The rotating shoulders and extending elbows that allow humans to reach for a high shelf or toss a ball with friends may have first evolved as a natural braking system for our primate ancestors who simply needed to get out of trees without dying. Dartmouth researchers report in the journal…

In the United States, tens of millions of people live behind levees, but historically disadvantaged groups are more likely to live behind subpar levees and have fewer resources to maintain critical levee infrastructure, a new study reveals. The study is the first to quantify the national disparity of disadvantaged communities…

Researchers have discovered a new avenue of cell death in Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. A new study, led by scientists at Oregon Health & Science University and published online in the journal Annals of Neurology on Aug. 21, reveals for the first time that a form of cell death…

Plant-based alternatives such as tempeh and bean burgers provide protein-rich options for those who want to reduce their meat consumption. However, replicating meat’s flavors and aromas has proven challenging, with companies often relying on synthetic additives. A recent study in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry unveils a potential…

An essential protein that acts as a gatekeeper for calcium entering cells promotes the growth of oral cancer and generates pain, according to a new study published in Science Signaling led by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry. Targeting this protein — the ORAI1 calcium channel — could provide a…

A team of scientists from Ames National Laboratory developed a new machine learning model for discovering critical-element-free permanent magnet materials. The model predicts the Curie temperature of new material combinations. It is an important first step in using artificial intelligence to predict new permanent magnet materials. This model adds to…

Male fruit flies don’t usually like each other. Socially, they reject their fellow males and zero in on the females they discern via chemical receptors — or so scientists thought. New research from Cornell University biologists suggests the fruit fly’s visual system, not just chemical receptors, are deeply involved with…

If the region surrounding Chicago — North America’s largest freight hub — shifted just 30% of its current on-road heavy-duty vehicles to electric versions, it would substantially reduce pollution and save hundreds of lives per year, with the benefits largely concentrated in disadvantaged communities, according to a new Northwestern University-led…

Having more positive body image is strongly associated with better psychological wellbeing and life satisfaction, according to a new study led by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) in England. Published in the journal Body Image, the research is one of the largest studies ever conducted on the topic of body image,…

New research from Tulane University may shed light on how parasite strain diversity can impact Chagas disease progression and severity. Chagas, a lesser-known and studied tropical disease, is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi parasites, which are transmitted by kissing bugs. In the Americas, the disease affects 6 million people in 21…

Invasive alien species are animals that may pose a threat to biodiversity, but it’s time to deal with that threat in a more ethical way. ‘We need to take a humane, long-term view and learn to co-exist, as some species considered invasive are here to stay,’ argues Cebuan Bliss, an…

Indoor air pollution generated by cooking fuels such as charcoal and wood causes approximately four million premature deaths every year — a tragic statistic that Surrey’s Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) is aiming to address with its Kitchen Pollution Guidance. This comprehensive guidance is led by Professor Prashant…

Researchers at the Technion — Israel Institute of Technology have developed a coherent and controllable spin-optical laser based on a single atomic layer. This discovery is enabled by coherent spin-dependent interactions between a single atomic layer and a laterally confined photonic spin lattice, the latter of which supports high-Q spin-valley…

How do we learn to speak during childhood or how do we acquire knowledge about the world around us? Toddlers’ social interactions in their social and family environment and in schools help to explain this, but they are not the only factors involved. Natural logical thinking, which manifests itself from…

RNA molecules are real all-rounders. They transfer the genetic information from the DNA in the cell. They regulate the activity of genes. And some of them have a catalytic effect: just like enzymes, they enable biochemical reactions that would be difficult or impossible to occur on their own. These special…

Beyond-silicon technology demands ultra-high-performance field-effect transistors (FETs). Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) provide an ideal material platform, but the device performances such as contact resistance, on/off ratio, and mobility are often limited by the presence of interfacial residues caused by transfer procedures. We show an ideal residue-free transfer approach using polypropylene…

Large herbivores can protect local nature by eating and trampling on biodiversity-threatening invasive plant species. Where is the logic in that, you might object, because wouldn’t the large animals also eat and trample native plants? But this is not the case. Native plants have evolved such that they can withstand…

The conversion of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, to useful resources such as carbon monoxide, formic acid, and methanol and their byproducts is considered a promising route to mitigating global warming as well as generating economic value. One approach to CO2 conversion is through electrocatalytic reduction. This process…

Cancers, degenerative diseases: deregulation of our cells’ internal communication pathways is at the root of many conditions. Microtubules — microscopic protein filaments — play a crucial role in controlling these exchanges. However, their mechanisms remain poorly understood. A team from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has identified a new mechanism,…

A new international study led by Queen Mary University of London has shown mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) infections to be less severe among those who are vaccinated or had a previous infection in 2022, underlining the importance and effectiveness of vaccination. The research, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases,…

The school year has hardly begun and the first exams are already approaching. According to findings by researchers from the University of Basel, school children cope better with the stress if they get plenty of daily exercise. “Get some exercise!” It’s one suggestion adults frequently hear when they complain about…

Opposites don’t actually attract. That’s the takeaway from a sweeping CU Boulder analysis of more than 130 traits and including millions of couples over more than a century. “Our findings demonstrate that birds of a feather are indeed more likely to flock together,” said first author Tanya Horwitz, a doctoral…

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) provide our portable devices like tablets and mobiles — and increasingly also vehicles — with power. As the share of volatile renewable energy needing electricity storage increases, more and more LIBs are needed, lithium prices rise, resources dwindle, and the amount of depleted batteries that contain toxic…

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoTs) refers to a technology that combines wireless sensors, controllers, and mobile communication technologies to make every aspect of industrial production processes intelligent and efficient. Since IIoTs can involve several small battery-driven devices and sensors, there is a growing need to develop a robust network for…

Using a standardized assessment, researchers in the UK compared the performance of a commercially available artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm with human readers of screening mammograms. Results of their findings were published in Radiology, a journal of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Mammographic screening does not detect every breast…

Resistant starch is a nondigestible fiber that ferments in the large intestine, and consumption of it has previously been shown to have a positive effect on metabolism in animal studies. Now, a 4-month randomized controlled trial in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) indicates that daily intake of resistant…

Traveling to faraway places is a great way to seek out new experiences, but jet lag can be an unpleasant side effect. Adjusting to a new time zone is often accompanied by fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and a host of other problems that can turn an otherwise exciting adventure into a…

While conventional silicon-based solar cells have had an unmistakable impact on the buildout of renewable energy resources around the world, additional performance improvements have become increasingly difficult to make as the devices approach their practical efficiency limits. This constraint has prompted scientists to seek out new technologies that can be…

The US continues to face stark inequalities in preterm birth and mortality rates between mothers of differing socioeconomic status and race, finds a new report led by UCL researchers. The study, published in JAMA Paediatrics, examined data from the US National Centre for Health Statistics Birth Infant/Death Dataset, of over…