Earth
Scientists have made a new discovery that challenges previous understanding of the relationship between the polar Southern Ocean, next to Antarctica, and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Their findings show that, contrary to existing assumptions, biological processes far out at sea are the most important factors determining how the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide. The results are published this week (28 August 2019) in the journal Science Advances.
The impact of a changing climate on the severity of flooding has been demonstrated in the largest-scale study of its kind - with parts of northern Britain seeing the largest increase in Europe.
A multinational research team, which looked at river flow data from thousands of locations over a 50-year period, found that flood events are becoming increasingly severe in north-western Europe, including the UK, but decreasing in severity in southern and Eastern Europe.
BRAZZAVILLE, REPUBLIC OF CONGO (August 28, 2019) - Human Ebola epidemics, like the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, are known to start from a contact with wildlife infected with Ebola virus. In the early 2000s a series of such outbreaks in Central Africa began from different infected animal sources.
Baltimore, Md., August 28, 2019 - Lung transplantation can prolong the lives of patients with end-stage lung disease, but the median survival rate after lung transplant is less than six years, which has improved only slightly in recent decades. To see what might help lung transplant recipients live longer, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) developed a novel epidemiological analysis of lung transplant data in the United States focused on regimens that prevent the body's immune system from attacking the transplanted lung.
Bottom Line: Estimated total cigarette consumption in England fell by almost one-quarter between 2011 and 2018 in a study comparing survey and sales data. That estimated decline is equal to about 1.4 billion cigarettes per year. Cigarette smoking is a leading risk factor for illness and death worldwide. Limitations of the study include data that may have overestimated or underestimated cigarette consumption, and the study focused only on cigarettes and not other tobacco products or nicotine alternatives such as electronic cigarettes.
Researchers have described a new mechanism which induces the self-killing of cancer cells by perturbing ion homeostasis. A research team from the Department of Biochemical Engineering has developed helical polypeptide potassium ionophores that lead to the onset of programmed cell death. The ionophores increase the active oxygen concentration to stress endoplasmic reticulum to the point of cellular death.
A gene newly associated with the migratory patterns of golden-winged and blue-winged warblers could lend insight into the longstanding question of how birds migrate across such long distances.
WASHINGTON - Climate change is increasing the number of days of extreme heat and decreasing the number of days of extreme cold in Europe, posing a risk for residents in the coming decades, according to a new study.
When Friederike Gründger and her team cracked open the long, heavy cylinders of black sediment drawn from the ocean floor, they were surprised to find pockets of yellowish-green slime buried within two of the samples. The average person may not consider the appearance of such unseemly goo as a cause for celebration, but the biologists knew that this slime, otherwise known as biofilm, was a highly unusual find in this particular location, and could even play a role in terms of climate change.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Physically active women who have foresworn bedtime snacks should feel no fear cracking open the cupboards after sundown for a protein-rich treat, according to new Florida State University-led research.
In a study of women weight lifters, nutrition scientists at FSU showed that protein consumption before bed compared to protein consumption during the day does not disturb overnight belly fat metabolism or whole-body fat burn.
How do you follow a predator so elusive that its nickname is "shadow cat"?
To track secretive jaguars in the forested mountains of Belize, the University of Cincinnati turned to geology and poop.
Brooke Crowley, a UC associate professor of geology and anthropology, can trace the wanderings of animals using isotopes of strontium found in their bones or the bones of animals they have eaten. This method works even with long-dead animals such as ancient mammoths.
When we the found fresh water leaking from the seabed, we were very surprised,' explains scientist and marine geologist Wei-Li Hong at the Geological Survey of Norway (NGU).
A remote-controlled vehicle, deployed from research vessel G.O. Sars, collected and measured the water during an expedition in 2017. The leakage likely originated from a large pocket of fresh water, otherwise known as an aquifer, hidden beneath the sediment of the seabed.
Remnants of the last Ice Age
A literature review by a team at the VA Portland Health Care System and Oregon Health & Science University found evidence that biofeedback can be a helpful treatment for several conditions.
Studies show that biofeedback can reduce headache pain, improve both urinary and fecal incontinence, and aid in stroke recovery.
Scientists from Russia and the United States studied the composition of the deep layers of permafrost in Eastern Siberia to better understand the hazards of permafrost thawing to our planet and its inhabitants. Their findings suggest that the release of organic matter from permafrost will intensify the greenhouse effect. The results of their study were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.
Scientists have shown exactly how mutations in two different genes coordinate to drive the development of malignant lung tumors, according to a new report in the open-access journal eLife.
The study in novel genetically engineered mice looked at the characteristics of lung tumors from when they are invisibly small to when they are larger and potentially deadly. The results shed new light on the mechanisms of tumor progression and will help researchers currently developing drugs for lung tumors.