The amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed to maximize the profitability of corn production in the Midwest has been increasing by about 1.2% per year for the past three decades, according to new Iowa State University research.
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Warming Brings Heavy Snowfall to Greenland, Replenishing Some Lost Ice
A single storm in 2022 dumped enough snow on Greenland to replace 8 percent of ice lost that year.
Breakthrough in clean energy: Palladium nanosheets pave way for affordable hydrogen
Hydrogen energy is widely recognized as a sustainable source for the future, but its large-scale production still relies on expensive and scarce platinum-based catalysts. In order to address this challenge, researchers have developed Bis(diimino)palladium coordination nanosheets (PdDI), a novel two-dimensional electrocatalyst that effectively facilitates the hydrogen evolution reactions while minimizing...
1,400 species found in guts of Asian hornets
A study of Asian hornets has found about 1,400 different species in their guts.
Study establishes ‘ball and chain’ mechanism inactivates key mammalian ion channel
A new study has unveiled a precise picture of how an ion channel found in most mammalian cells regulates its own function with a 'ball-and-chain' channel-plugging mechanism. The findings boost the understanding of ion channel biology and could lead to new drugs that target these channels to treat disorders such...
Heat from the sun affects seismic activity on Earth
Researchers explore the likelihood that Earth's climate, as affected by solar heat, plays a role in seismic activity. Using mathematical and computational methods, they analyzed earthquake data alongside solar activity records and surface temperatures on Earth and observed that when they included Earth surface temperatures into their model, the forecasting...
Who gets the lion’s share? Ecologists highlight disparities in global biodiversity conservation funding
The extensive loss of biodiversity represents one of the major crises of our time, threatening not only entire ecosystems but also our current and future livelihoods. As scientists realize the magnitude and scale of ongoing extinctions, it is vital to ascertain the resources available for conservation and whether funds are...
Quantum properties in atom-thick semiconductors offer new way to detect electrical signals in cells
For decades, scientists have relied on electrodes and dyes to track the electrical activity of living cells. Now, engineers have discovered that quantum materials just a single atom thick can do the job with high speed and resolution -- using only light.
A third of children worldwide forecast to be obese or overweight by 2050
Obesity rates are set to skyrocket, with one in six children and adolescents worldwide forecast to be obese by 2050, according to a new study. But with significant increases predicted within the next five years, the researchers stress urgent action now could turn the tide on the public health crisis.
Melting Antarctic ice sheets will slow Earth’s strongest ocean current
Melting ice sheets are slowing the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), the world's strongest ocean current, researchers have found. This melting has implications for global climate indicators, including sea level rise, ocean warming and viability of marine ecosystems. The researchers have shown the current slowing by around 20 per cent by...