How fasting diets could harm future generations

Fasting diets could impact the health of future generations according to new research from the University of East Anglia (UEA).

Living with HIV during a global pandemic

The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has been profound for Delawareans living with HIV, according to a new report from the University of Delaware-based Disaster Research Center.

Fluorinated interphase bolsters water-based zinc battery

A research team in the University of Maryland (UMD) Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) has achieved another breakthrough in metallic zinc battery chemistry—after innovating a zinc-air battery cathode reported in Science earlier this year—this time specific to the anode.

Scientists catch exciting magnetic waves in action in the Sun's photosphere

Researchers have confirmed the existence of magnetic plasma waves, known as Alfvén waves, in the Sun's photosphere. The study, published in Nature Astronomy, provides new insights into these fascinating waves that were first discovered by the Nobel Prize winning scientist Hannes Alfvén in 1947.

Algorithm to improve aid response to victims in disaster zones

A University of Bath School of Management academic has developed an algorithm to help charities and aid organizations improve the way they help victims of storms, floods, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

Team unravels mysteries of carbon release in permafrost soils

Like detectives, Argonne scientists are studying clues from the release of carbon in thawing permafrost regions, piecing the clues together to create detailed maps to predict the impact of rising global temperatures on future greenhouse gas emissions.

The formation of the Amazon Basin influenced the distribution of manatees

All three species of manatee now present on Earth share a common ancestor from which they split some 6.5 million years ago, when a huge lake in Amazonia, then linked to the Caribbean, was cut off from the sea. The African manatee Trichechus senegalensis is not as genetically close to the West Indian manatee T. manatus as was thought, and adaptation to this complex environment by the Amazonian manatee T. inunguis has left at least one mark in its genetic code.

Research sheds more light on the nature of a complex planetary nebula

Astronomers have performed high-resolution observations of a complex planetary nebula known as NGC 1514. Results of the study provide essential information about morpho-kinematical structure and chemical composition of this nebula, which could help researchers to better understand its nature. The research was published May 4 on arXiv.org.

Renewable energy powers ahead in 2020: report

Renewable energy grew at its fastest rate in two decades, driven primarily by gains in China and wind power, the International Energy Agency said in a report Tuesday.

Novavax delays Covid vaccine authorization request

US biotech firm Novavax on Monday said it had delayed plans to seek authorization for its Covid vaccine candidate, a setback for developing countries hoping the injection would soon be available.

California expands drought emergency to large swath of state

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday expanded a drought emergency to a large swath of the nation's most populous state while seeking more than $6 billion in multiyear water spending as one of the warmest, driest springs on record threatens another severe wildfire season across the American West.

Pfizer COVID-19 shot expanded to US children as young as 12

U.S. regulators on Monday expanded the use of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to children as young as 12, offering a way to protect the nation's adolescents before they head back to school in the fall and paving the way for them to return to more normal activities.

1.4B but no more? China's population growth closer to zero

China's weak population growth is falling closer to zero as fewer couples have children, government data showed Tuesday, adding to strains on an aging society with a shrinking workforce.

Army of fake fans boosts China's messaging on Twitter

China's ruling Communist Party has opened a new front in its long, ambitious war to shape global public opinion: Western social media.

FBI names pipeline cyberattackers as company promises return

Hit by a cyberattack, the operator of a major U.S. fuel pipeline said Monday it hopes to have services mostly restored by the end of the week as the FBI and administration officials identified the culprits as a gang of criminal hackers.

Mediterranean turtles recovering at different rates

Numbers of two Mediterranean turtle species have risen in the last three decades—but in Cyprus the recoveries are happening at different rates, new research shows.

Turning virtual reality into an effective learning tool for classrooms

For Jaskirat Batra, the desire to pursue teaching was firmly cemented during childhood. Being a child of career educators, he was often immersed in the world of classrooms, chalkboards and textbooks. While deeply inspired by his parents, Batra's desire was always to go beyond conventional pedagogy. As a graduate student in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, he has established a unique style of teaching that might revolutionize how engineering courses are taught in classrooms.

Heart disease and obesity driven by liver function – new study

How susceptible we are to obesity and heart disease could be determined by our livers, a new study has revealed.

Cell reprogramming could aid spinal cord injury recovery

Cells called astrocytes normally support our neurons, and now scientists are working to reprogram the star-shaped cells into neurons that help reconnect the brain and body after a spinal cord injury.

CIA's misleading inoculation drive led to vaccine decline in Pakistan

A new paper in the Journal of the European Economic Association, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that distrust generated by a 2011 CIA-led vaccination campaign ruse designed to catch Osama Bin Laden resulted in a significant vaccination rate decline in Pakistan.

Graphene key for novel hardware security

As more private data is stored and shared digitally, researchers are exploring new ways to protect data against attacks from bad actors. Current silicon technology exploits microscopic differences between computing components to create secure keys, but artificial intelligence (AI) techniques can be used to predict these keys and gain access to data. Now, Penn State researchers have designed a way to make the encrypted keys harder to crack.

Rural school districts swifter to return to in-person instruction than urban districts

About 42% of rural school districts in the U.S. offered fully in-person instruction as of February, compared with only 17% for urban districts, according to a new RAND Corporation survey of school district leaders. The opposite pattern held for fully remote learning: 29% of urban districts offered fully remote instruction compared with 10% of rural districts and 18% of suburban districts.