From Italy and the World

A study in more than 15,000 people has found that physical fitness is linked with a lower likelihood of developing atrial fibrillation and stroke. The research is presented at ESC Congress 2023. Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disorder, affecting more than 40 million people worldwide. It is…

CNN  —  Ukrainian forces appear to have stepped up their efforts to weaken Russian air superiority in the war by attacking bases that house supersonic warplanes deep inside Russian territory. Kyiv said it had carried out a drone strike on the Shaykovka Russian military air facility some 200 kilometers (130…

CNN  —  The burned bodies of 18 people were found as wildfires ripped through Greece on Tuesday and countries across Europe sweltered under yet another extreme heat wave. The dead, found near a village in northern Greece, may have been migrants, the fire brigade said Tuesday. Another person was killed…

A new powerful antibiotic, isolated from bacteria that could not be studied before, seems capable to combat harmful bacteria and even multi-resistant ‘superbugs’. Named Clovibactin, the antibiotic appears to kill bacteria in an unusual way, making it more difficult for bacteria to develop any resistance against it. Researchers from Utrecht…

A few years ago while on a fishing trip in the Florida Keys, biologist Lori Schweikert came face to face with an unusual quick-change act. She reeled in a pointy-snouted reef fish called a hogfish and threw it onboard. But later when she went to put it in a cooler…

The Venus flytrap can survive in the nutrient-poor swamps of North and South Carolina because it compensates for the lack of nitrogen, phosphate and minerals by catching and eating small animals. It hunts with snap traps that have sensory hairs on them. If an insect touches these hairs two times,…

According to data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, there were approximately 30,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles registered by 2022, representing a threefold increase compared to 2018. However, the country only has 135 hydrogen fueling stations. In order to enhance the accessibility of hydrogen-powered vehicles and establish hydrogen as a…

By increasing the diversity of indigenous plants in urban areas, researchers from the University of Melbourne have seen a seven times increase in the number of insect species in just three years, confirming the ecological benefits of urban greening projects. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society journal,…

Everyday symbols like &?!#@$ are highly memorable, according to new research. The new study led by the University of Waterloo aimed to investigate how well symbols are remembered compared to words with the same meaning. “Our work is ground-breaking as it highlights how humans remember graphic symbols and logos,” said…

‘Trimming’ the edge-states of a topological insulator yields a new class of material featuring unconventional ‘two way’ edge transport in a new theoretical study from Monash University, Australia. The new material, a topological crystalline insulator (TCI) forms a promising addition to the family of topological materials and significantly broadens the…

Australia’s iconic grass-trees — aka yaccas — are hardy, drought-tolerant, and strikingly beautiful. Now, new research has revealed another, far more important, feature: their ability to protect wildlife from deadly weather extremes. A study undertaken by the University of South Australia and Kangaroo Island Research Station shows that the yaccas’…

The diversity of family systems in prehistoric societies has always fascinated scientists. A groundbreaking study by Mainz anthropologists and an international team of archaeologists now provides new insights into the origins and genetic structure of prehistoric family communities. Researchers Jens Blöcher and Joachim Burger from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU)…

Currently housed at the National Museum of Denmark, the clay brick originates from the palace of Neo-Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II, in the ancient city of Kalhu. Known today as the North-West palace in Nimrud (modern-day northern Iraq), its construction began around 879 BCE. The brick has a cuneiform inscription (written…

Epoxy resins are tough and versatile polymers. In combination with glass or carbon fibers, they are used, for example, to manufacture components for aircraft, cars, trains, ships and wind turbines. Such epoxy-based fiber-reinforced polymers have excellent mechanical and thermal properties and are much lighter than metal. Their weakness: They are…

Household fruit and vegetable production, in allotments and gardens, could be key to a healthy and food-secure population, a new study from the University of Sheffield has found. The study followed household food-growers over the course of a year to assess their production, purchase, donation and waste of fruit and…

Efficient and cheap batteries that can also capture harmful emissions could be right around the corner, thanks to a new system that speeds up the development of catalysts for lithium-CO2 (Li-CO2) batteries. The technology has been developed by the University of Surrey, Imperial College London, and Peking University to address…

29, 30, 32… — these are not random numbers, but the efficiency of solar cells, measured by the percentage of incidental sunlight they convert into electrical power. The ellipsis at the end of the line is also not a coincidence, as the efficiency of tandem solar cells has already exceeded…

Birds native to the tropical Andes, many of which cannot be found anywhere else, are threatened by increasing agricultural development in the region. A new study details how the resulting habitat loss affects specific species and lays out possible ways to protect birds from human-driven disturbance. The researchers combined a…

Proteins consist of amino acids, which are linked to form long amino acid chains as specified by our genetic material. In our cells, these chains are not simply rolled up like strings of pearls, but fold into complex, three-dimensional structures. How a protein is folded decisively influences its function: It…

Train elementary school students how to be creative and you can help increase their resilience in the face of real-life problems, new research suggests. In a small study, researchers trained third, fourth and fifth graders to use literary techniques such as perspective shifting, counter-factual (what if) thinking and causal (why)…

A shipping container that can test passive cooling systems could help researchers and builders find carbon-free ways to keep people cool in extreme temperatures. Washington State University researchers created the 60 square-foot chamber to test passive systems that use wind towers along with water evaporation instead of electricity to cool…

Structural formulae show how chemical compounds are constructed, i.e., which atoms they consist of, how these are arranged spatially and how they are connected. Chemists can deduce from a structural formula, among other things, which molecules can react with each other and which cannot, how complex compounds can be synthesised…

Humans aren’t the only ones leaving town when city heat becomes unbearable. A study done on 336 cities in China concludes that heat-retaining buildings and paved surfaces are directly related to a loss in bird diversity. These findings from scientists at Zhejiang University and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology are…

Tidal flats, also known as mud flats, make up coastal wetlands that protect against destructive powers from the ocean such as waves, tsunamis and hurricanes. These guardians of the coastlines, however, are under threat due to natural and human events. Climate change including sea level rise and rapid urbanization have…

A team of University of Minnesota Medical School researchers successfully tested a new antifungal therapy to treat fungal meningitis. The trial results were published today in the peer-reviewed journal Clinical Infectious Diseases. The research team tested a new oral formulation of the antifungal medication amphotericin among people who had HIV…

Engineers in Australia have found a way of making stronger concrete with roasted used-coffee grounds, to give the drink-additive a “double shot” at life and reduce waste going to landfills. Lead author Dr Rajeev Roychand from RMIT University said the team developed a technique to make concrete 30% stronger by…

In the context of accelerating rates of global biodiversity loss, tracking changes in wildlife is instrumental to inform adaptive management strategies and conserve biodiversity. At the same time, the majority of emerging infectious diseases have their origins in wild animal populations. Thus, understanding which animal species are where is an…

Millions of people around the world experience some form of hearing loss, resulting in negative impacts to their health and quality of life. Treatments exist in the form of hearing aids and cochlear implants, but these assistive devices cannot replace the full functionality of human hearing and remain inaccessible for…

Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine CNN  —  For Dima, the silence away from the horrors can be harder to bear. A fireman in what is perhaps currently the worst-bombed town on earth – Orikhiv, right in the throes of Ukraine’s counteroffensive – Dima’s daily job involves pulling the living from the burning rubble…