Climate change-related extreme weather, such as massive flooding and prolonged drought, often result in dangerous outbreaks of diarrheal diseases particularly in less developed countries, where diarrheal diseases is the third leading cause of death among young children. Now a study offers a way to predict the risk of such deadly...
‘Well-man’ thrown from castle identified from 800-year-old Norse saga
A passage in the Norse Sverris Saga, the 800-year-old story of King Sverre Sigurdsson, describes a military raid that occurred in AD 1197, during which a body was thrown into a well at Sverresborg Castle, outside Trondheim in central Norway, likely as an attempt to poison the main water source...
Millions in the U.S. may rely on groundwater contaminated with PFAS for drinking water supplies
Approximately 71 to 95 million people in the Lower 48 states -- more than 20% of the country's population -- may rely on groundwater that contains detectable concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS, for their drinking water supplies.
Human actions likely cause insect color change
New Zealand's native stoneflies have changed colour in response to human-driven environmental changes, new research shows. The study provides arguably the world's most clear-cut case of animal evolution in response to change made by humans.
An individual’s reward-seeking strategy reflects responses to nicotine
Individualistic reward-seeking strategies predict responses to nicotine among mice living in a micro-society, according to a new study.
Evaluating the link between chemicals and declining insect populations
Employing a library of more than 1,000 chemicals, scientists investigated how agrochemicals affect insect populations. The scientists found that exposure to non-fatal amounts of 57 percent of the chemicals altered behavior in fruit fly larvae, while higher levels compromised long-term survival after acute exposure. These observations were worsened when the...
Beneficial gut microbe has surprising metabolic capabilities
Researchers discovered potentially far-reaching effects of a particular gut bacterium that was linked to better growth in Bangladeshi children receiving a therapeutic food designed to nurture healthy gut microbes. A strain of the bacterium harbored in the children's gut microbial communities possessed a previously unknown gene capable of producing and...
Maternal antibodies interfere with malaria vaccine responses
Maternal antibodies passed across the placenta can interfere with the response to the malaria vaccine, which would explain its lower efficacy in infants under five months of age, according to new research. The findings suggest that children younger than currently recommended by the WHO may benefit from the RTS,S and...
Marri trees a lifeline for many native bee species in biodiversity hotspot
New research has revealed Marri trees are critical to the survival of more than 80 species of native bee in Western Australia's South West region, which is one of the world's most biologically rich but threatened biodiversity hotspots.
Breathing deep: A metabolic secret of ethane-consuming archaea unraveled
Scientists characterize novel enzymes from deep-sea microbes with a key function in the ethane degradation process, revealing surprises in the metabolism of these organisms.