Red foxes feasting on Australian mammals

Scientists at Murdoch University's Harry Butler Institute (HBI) have discovered that red foxes are ravaging a larger range of Australian animals than previously realized, with 70% of fox diet samples turning up mammal remains.

Vaccines charge up natural immunity against SARS-CoV-2

According to new research, people who have had COVID enjoy strong immunity against the coronavirus for at least a year after they were initially infected. In analyzing antibodies present in the blood of COVID patients, Rockefeller scientists were able to track the evolution of these mutable molecules. They found that vaccination boosts the immunity these individuals naturally develop upon infection, so much that they are likely protected even from the emerging variants.

Enhanced autophagy could help treat diabetes

Enhancing autophagy—the cellular process that breaks down and removes unneeded components—in fat tissue could help treat diabetes, according to a Northwestern Medicine study published in Cell Reports.

Declassified Cold War code-breaking manual has lessons for solving 'impossible' puzzles

The United States National Security Agency—the country's premier signals intelligence organization—recently declassified a Cold War-era document about code-breaking.

Vaccine protects against more HPV variants than previously known

The human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cancer and many countries run national vaccination programs to minimize the risk. Studies involving researchers at German Cancer Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Tampere University now report on the longitudinal effect of common HPV vaccines. The results, which are published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases and Lancet Infectious Diseases, show lasting protection against more HPV variants than the vaccines were developed for.

Browning could make lakes less productive, affecting food webs and fish

As more dissolved organic matter enters lakes across the northeast United States, darkening the lakes in a phenomena called "browning," new research shows that these waters may be growing less productive and able to sustain less life. In a study published today in Limnology and Oceanography Letters, scientists found that, rather than enriching lakes with nutrients as had previously been assumed, water more heavily laden with dissolved organic matter blocks sunlight and limits plant growth.

Scientists identify protein that activates plant response to nitrogen deficiency

Nitrates are critical for the growth of plants, so plants have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to ensure sufficient nitrate uptake from their environments. In a new study published in the journal Nature Plants, researchers at Nagoya University, Japan, have identified a plant enzyme that is key to activating a nitrate uptake mechanism in response to nitrogen starvation. This finding explains how plants meet their needs in challenging environments, opening doors to improving agriculture in such environments.

Immunity after COVID-19 illness may last at least 1 year

Long-term data from northern Italy—an area hit hard during the early days of the pandemic—suggests that reinfection after recovery from COVID-19 infection is very rare, and immunity in former patients could be long-lasting.

Summer safety tips for the great outdoors

As you head into the great outdoors this summer, keep safety in mind, an expert says.

Many Americans confused about sunscreens

Many Americans are confused about the proper application of sunscreen and about its sun protection factor (SPF), the American Academy of Dermatology says.

The price is right: Modeling economic growth in a zero-emission society

Pollution from manufacturing is now widespread, affecting all regions in the world, with serious ecological, economic, and political consequences. Heightened public concern and scrutiny have led to numerous governments considering policies that aim to lower pollution and improve environmental qualities. Inter-governmental agreements such as the Paris Agreement and the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals all focus on lowering emissions of pollution. Specifically, they aim to achieve a "zero-emission society," which means that pollution is cleaned up as it is produced, while also reducing pollution (This idea of dealing with pollution is referred to as the "kindergarten rule.")

A deep dive into organic carbon distribution in hadal trenches

Hadal trenches are one of the ocean's most extreme and least studied regions. Hadal zones, which begin at depths of around 6,000 meters, were once thought to be "biological deserts," but over time they have been shown to be teeming with life. However, the distribution and source of organic carbon in hadal sediments are still not well understood.

Infection with human papillomavirus linked to higher risk of preterm birth

Women carrying human papillomavirus (HPV) run an elevated risk of preterm birth, a University of Gothenburg study shows. A connection can thus be seen between the virus itself and the risk for preterm birth that previously has been observed in pregnant women who have undergone treatment for abnormal cell changes due to HPV.

Turning tree bark and compost into aircraft wings and plastic bags

Trees, crops and even organic waste can be transformed into a bewildering array of plastics to use in products ranging from single-use bags to heavy-duty airplane wings.

Gender stereotypes still hold true for youth and types of political participation

Gender roles absorbed at an early age seem to have shaped today's youth regarding their involvement in politics, in line with traditional stereotypes, concludes a new study, conducted amongst adolescents and young adults aged between 15 and 30 in Italy, within the Horizon 2020 project, CATCH-EyoU: Processes in Youth's Construction of Active EU Citizenship.

New take on machine learning helps us 'scale up' phase transitions

Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have enhanced "super-resolution" machine learning techniques to study phase transitions. They identified key features of how large arrays of interacting particles behave at different temperatures by simulating tiny arrays before using a convolutional neural network to generate a good estimate of what a larger array would look like using correlation configurations. The massive saving in computational cost may realize unique ways of understanding how materials behave.

Palau records first coronavirus case but says no infection risk

The remote Pacific nation of Palau reported its first confirmed coronavirus case Monday, but authorities said it was historical and posed no transmission risk.

Sri Lanka questions burning cargo ship crew as ecological devastation assessed

Sri Lanka's criminal investigators began questioning the crew of a burning cargo ship Monday, as the Singapore-registered carrier smouldered for a 12th straight day in one of the island's worst-ever marine ecological disasters.

South Africa steps up virus curbs against third wave

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced Sunday that South Africa would re-impose stricter measures against COVID-19 fearing the whole country will soon face a third wave of the pandemic.

Louisiana coast still hurting from storms, bracing for more

Scores of people in coastal Louisiana are still living in campers on dirt mounds or next to cement slabs where their houses once stood. Unresolved insurance claims and a shortage of supply and labor are stymieing building efforts. And weather forecasters are warning of more possible devastation to come.

Climate talks resume online as pressure to act grows

For the first time since 2019 and following a flurry of net-zero pledges from the world's largest emitters, UN climate negotiations resume Monday in a virtual format just six months before the crunch COP26 summit.

Beer byproduct mixed with manure proves an excellent pesticide

The use of many chemical fumigants in agriculture have been demonstrated to be harmful to human health and the environment and therefore banned from use.

Young Arabic speakers offered kid-friendly route into scientific discovery

Arabic speakers worldwide can now access a library of kid-friendly scientific articles thanks to a newly launched educational resource. Penned by leading scientists and published in Arabic by scholarly publisher Frontiers, the online learning resource includes a collection of fascinating scientific articles designed to inspire the next generation of young scientists. Ranging from galactic astronomy to treating human diseases to environmental sciences, this is the first free resource of its kind to be available in Arabic.