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Cattle may seem like uniquely American animals, steeped in the lore of cowboys, cattle drives and sprawling ranches. But cattle didn’t exist on the American continents prior to the arrival of the Spanish, who brought livestock with them from Europe by way of the Canary Islands. In a new study,…
City life favors species that are adaptable and not too fussy about what they eat, among other characteristics. A worldwide consortium of scientists calls the resulting collection of traits an “Urban Trait Syndrome.” Their study includes data from 379 cities on 6 continents, with the largest data set coming from…
When it comes to college-aged adults who are glued to their smartphones, experts argue over whether texting while walking increases the risk of an accident. Some studies have shown that texting pedestrians are more likely to walk into oncoming traffic, while other studies suggest that young adults have mastered the…
We often believe computers are more efficient than humans. After all, computers can complete a complex math equation in a moment and can also recall the name of that one actor we keep forgetting. However, human brains can process complicated layers of information quickly, accurately, and with almost no energy…
Current efforts to protect and restore native biodiversity is being threatened by difficulties in identifying wild and domestic cats, and categorisation is likely to remain fraught for the foreseeable future, experts have warned. Efforts to restore the native wildcat (Felis sivestris) are ongoing in Britain and conservationists in New Zealand…
Cambridge scientists have shown that the hypothalamus, a key region of the brain involved in controlling appetite, is different in the brains of people who are overweight and people with obesity when compared to people who are a healthy weight. The researchers say their findings add further evidence to the…
A remarkable new fossil from China reveals for the first time that a group of reptiles were already using whale-like filter feeding 250 million years ago. New research by a team from China and the UK has shown details of the skull of an early marine reptile called Hupehsuchus that…
In what is believed to be a world first discovery, University of Otago researchers have found wheat gluten causes brain inflammation in mice. The research, led by Associate Professor Alex Tups, and published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology, may be of importance for human physiology. “Mice are an excellent model…
As an engineering plastic having high transparency and impact resistance, polycarbonate (PC) is employed in eyeglass lenses, camera lenses, DVDs, automobile headlights and bulletproof glass. The industrial production thereof is mainly performed by means of interfacial polymerization reacting highly reactive phosgene with alcohol at the interface of water and an…
Researchers invented a novel method to measure the permittivity of insulators 100 times more accurately than before. This technology is expected to contribute to the efficient development of sensitive radio receivers for radio telescopes as well as to the development of devices for the next generation communication networks, “Beyond 5G/6G.”…
Extreme events in Antarctica such as ocean heatwaves and ice loss will almost certainly become more common and more severe, researchers say. With drastic action now needed to limit global warming to the Paris Agreement target of 1.5°C, the scientists warn that recent extremes in Antarctica may be the tip…
The activity level of six bat species was significantly reduced at solar farm sites, researchers have observed. Their findings, published today in Journal of Applied Ecology, have the potential to impact and inform planning legislation and policy so that the benefits of solar power are reaped without impacting wildlife. Renewable…
University of Waterloo researchers have developed a new explainable artificial intelligence (AI) model to reduce bias and enhance trust and accuracy in machine learning-generated decision-making and knowledge organization. Traditional machine learning models often yield biased results, favouring groups with large populations or being influenced by unknown factors, and take extensive…
Russia’s war in the Ukraine has severe consequences not only for humans, it also has detrimental effects on populations of urban and semi-urban wildlife in the attacked cities and regions. Scientists from the Ukrainian Bat Rehabilitation Center recently examined the effects of war-related damages to buildings on urban populations of…
People with albinism often have poor vision. A new study from the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience reveals the underlying cause. In Europe, albinism occurs in 1 in 20,000 individuals. However, in some populations, it is much more common, affecting 1 in 1,000 people. People with albinism lack pigment and frequently…
It has been known for several years that the diagnosis “multiple sclerosis” conceals a whole range of different illnesses, each requiring customized treatment. Researchers at the University of Basel and the University Hospital of Basel have now described a possible new MS-like disease and explained how to diagnose it. Multiple…
Some HIV-1 carriers who have received an early antiretroviral treatment during several years are able to control the virus for a long term after treatment interruption. However, the mechanisms enabling this post-treatment control have not been fully elucidated. For the first time, teams of scientists from the Institut Pasteur, Inserm…
Overly active immune cells are often behind lung damage in diseases such as Covid-19. Researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have developed an RNA agent for a lung spray that slows the activity of these cells, known as macrophages. A new, sugar-based transport mechanism is especially effective in…
London CNN — Hundreds of people lined the streets to pay tribute to the late Irish singer Sinéad O’Connor on Tuesday, cheering, clapping and throwing flowers as her funeral cortege drove past her old house in Bray, County Wicklow, in Ireland. O’Connor’s coffin was covered in blue, white and pink…
Rome CNN — An Italian cheesemaker died on Sunday after being crushed by thousands of rounds of Grana Padano cheese in the aging room of his factory in Bergamo, northern Italy, local authorities said. Giacomo Chiapparini, 74, had entered the aging room to check the automatic robot used to clean…
If you’ve heard Italy is planning to bring in a language requirement and other limits on claiming Italian citizenship by descent, here’s a look at what’s actually happening and what it could mean for applicants. Source link
The Italian government said it planned to increase the number of taxi licences, particularly in major cities with severe shortages as no new licences have been issued since 2006. Source link
CNN — Two Russian missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk within 30 to 40 minutes of each other, killing seven people, including an emergency worker who was responding to the first strike, officials said Tuesday. The bombardment began at 7:15 p.m. local time on Monday (12.15 p.m. ET),…
Representatives from China, the U.S., and Saudi Arabia attend talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on August 6. Saudi Press Agency/Reuters Beijing on Monday praised ongoing talks aimed at finding a formula for peace in Ukraine, after a Chinese envoy attended a weekend summit in Saudi Arabia that was slammed by Russia as “doomed to fail.” China said…
Often referred to as the “powerhouses of the cell,” mitochondria are well known for their role as energy suppliers, but these organelles are also critical for maintaining our overall health.Mitochondrial stress is associated with aging and age-related diseases, including neurodegeneration, but there has been a limited understanding of the molecular…
Tumor cells are known to be fickle sleeper agents, often lying dormant in distant tissues for years before reactivating and forming metastasis. Numerous factors have been studied to understand why the activation occurs, from cells and molecules to other components in the so-called tissue microenvironment. Now, an interdisciplinary Cornell team…
Researchers with the University of Oklahoma’s Natural Products Discovery Group recently published findings that indicate a novel breakthrough treatment for fungal infections. Fungal infections are killing thousands of Americans each year, some with a morbidity rate of nearly 80%. To make matters worse, only a handful of antifungal treatments are…
The White House has announced plans to roll out voluntary labeling for internet-connected devices like thermostats and baby monitors that meet certain cybersecurity standards. A new survey of U.S. consumers shows that they are willing to pay a significant premium to tell which gadgets are safe from security attacks before…
Defects often limit the performance of devices such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The mechanisms by which defects annihilate charge carriers are well understood in materials that emit light at red or green wavelengths, but an explanation has been lacking for such loss in shorter-wavelength (blue or ultraviolet) emitters. Researchers in…
