Earth

Countries in the tropics are among the largest global exporters of key agricultural commodities such as oil palm, rice, soybean, sugarcane and cassava. They also represent the main source of new land for agriculture at the expense of forests. While international trade may generate economic benefits to the exporting countries, a recent study by researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) revealed that benefits from trade are unable to compensate for the loss of forests and ecosystems in those countries.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (March 22, 2016) -- More and more physicians are becoming parents during their medical residency training. While most residency programs offer support for resident physicians during pregnancy, no formal ways to support parenting residents exist beyond the immediate birth of their children. Following a recent study of conflicts with work and family life, a University of Missouri School of Medicine researcher suggests that supportive residency training programs are needed to assist physicians who are managing demanding work and personal lives.

Exposure to a substitute chemical often used to replace bisphenol A in plastics can encourage the formation of fat cells, according to a new study published in Endocrinology.

The replacement chemical, bisphenol S, has a slightly different chemical structure than bisphenol A (BPA), a known endocrine disruptor. As of 2014, nearly 100 epidemiological studies have been published tying BPA to health problems, according to the Introductory Guide to Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals, published by the Society and IPEN, a global network that supports sound chemicals management.

The effectiveness of e-cigarettes as a smoking substitute will likely rely on whether they can consistently provide the amount of nicotine a smoker needs to resist the desire to return to traditional cigarettes.

A recent study that evaluated a new method for measuring nicotine delivery from e-cigarettes found that 'first-generation' e-cigarettes, which use 'cartomizers', deliver nicotine less consistently than later-generation e-cigarettes, which use 'atomizers' that vaporize liquid contained in a refillable tank.

Washington, D.C., March 22, 2016 -- Printing has come a long way since the days of Johannes Gutenberg. Now, researchers have developed a new method that uses plasma to print nanomaterials onto a 3-D object or flexible surface, such as paper or cloth. The technique could make it easier and cheaper to build devices like wearable chemical and biological sensors, flexible memory devices and batteries, and integrated circuits.

WASHINGTON, March 22, 2016 -- For 1 to 2 percent of the global population, eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich could be potentially fatal. What makes peanut allergies so lethal, and why is the number of peanut-allergy sufferers on the rise? This week on Reactions, Andrew Maynard from Risk Bites explains what causes peanut allergies and why we need to rethink how we prevent them. Check it out here: https://youtu.be/Ge4I5DqLhhs.