A compound found in African wormwood -- a plant used medicinally for thousands of years to treat many types of illness -- could be effective against tuberculosis, according to a new study.
Storms, floods, landslides associated with intimate partner violence against women two years later
Climate change-related landslides, storms and floods are associated with intimate partner violence against women two years after the event, according to a new study.
Environmental quality of life benefits women worldwide
Global evidence has revealed that women's environmental quality of life is key to their overall quality of life and health, according to a new study.
Spinning out a new biomaterials startup is harder than you think
Spider silk, long prized for its strength and elasticity, has created something of a furor in the biomanufacturing world as businesses look for ways to cheaply scale up production for silks, which can be used in everything from tactical gear to sutures and textiles. However, a comprehensive study shows that...
Study links hurricanes to higher death rates long after storms pass
U.S. tropical cyclones, including hurricanes, indirectly cause thousands of deaths for nearly 15 years after a storm. Researchers estimate an average U.S. tropical cyclone indirectly causes 7,000 to 11,000 excess deaths. All told, they estimate tropical storms since 1930 have contributed to between 3.6 million and 5.2 million deaths in...
Bottlenose dolphins ‘smile’ at each other while playing
Dolphins are extremely playful, but little is known about how they -- and other marine mammals -- communicate during playtime. New research shows that bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncates) use the 'open mouth' facial expression -- analogous to a smile -- to communicate during social play. The dolphins almost always use...
Neuroscience breakthrough: Research team has mapped the entire brain of an adult fruit fly for the first time
Scientists have made an enormous step toward understanding the human brain by building a neuron-by-neuron and synapse-by-synapse roadmap -- scientifically speaking, a 'connectome' -- through the brain of an adult fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster). Previous researchers have mapped the brain of a C. elegans worm, with its 302 neurons, and...
Research provides new insights into role of mechanical forces in gene expression
The genome inside each of our cells is modelled by tension and torsion -- due in part to the activity of proteins that compact, loop, wrap and untwist DNA -- but scientists know little about how those forces affect the transcription of genes. Transcription of a gene begins when RNAP...
Research in 4 continents links outdoor air pollution to differences in children’s brains
A research team systematically analyzed 40 empirical studies, the majority of which had found that outdoor air pollution is associated with differences in children's brains. These differences include volumes of white matter, which is associated with cognitive function, connections throughout the brain and even early markers for Alzheimer's.
Airborne plastic chemical levels shock researchers
A new study documents how Southern Californians are chronically being exposed to toxic airborne chemicals called plasticizers, including one that's been banned from children's items and beauty products.