Researchers have identified key drivers of T cell development which promote resilience to influenza virus infection.
How one inflammatory disorder exacerbates another
People with severe gum disease are at a higher risk of other inflammatory conditions, such as heart disease and arthritis, and the reverse is true as well. New research unpacks the mechanism underlying this association, demonstrating in mice that a susceptibility to arthritis can be transmitted by a bone marrow...
Nanoplastic particles love company: Researchers analyze polyethylene degradation in environment
Polyethylene accounts for nearly one-third of the world's plastic waste. An interdisciplinary team has now investigated the progressive degradation of polyethylene in the environment for the first time. Although the degradation process leads to fragmentation into ever smaller particles, isolated nanoplastic particles are rarely found in the environment. The reason...
Green technology breakthrough: Hematite photocatalyst using sunlight energy simultaneously produces hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen production using sunlight energy (solar-water splitting) has gained much attention in the quest to move towards carbon-neutral technologies. If chemical products with applications in the health and food industries could be produced at the same time as hydrogen, this would help reduce the cost of solar-water splitting, as well...
UK wildlife watchers welcome ‘ecological refugees’
Wildlife watchers generally welcome species that have arrived in the UK due to climate change, new research suggests.
New cocoa processing method produces fruitier, more ‘flowery’ dark chocolate
Producing chocolate, one of the world's most beloved sweets, is a multistep process beginning with freshly harvested cocoa beans. People have been experimenting with chocolate-making for millennia, and even today, new methods are still being introduced. Now, researchers have found that an alternative processing step called 'moist incubation' results in...
COVID-19 lockdown measures affect air pollution from cities differently
Seizing on a natural experiment created by restricted travel, researchers combine a network model with air pollution data before and during outbreaks.
Meat substitutes: Environment does not motivate consumption
People who have a critical attitude toward factory farming or who pay attention to their health in everyday life are more likely to turn to meat substitutes. Concern for the environment, on the other hand, appears to play no role in this decision.
New molecule sets stage for nickel as a ‘greener’ photocatalyst, reveals key steps in reaction process
Novel system could lead to catalysts based on cheaper, more abundant nickel rather than more expensive precious metals.
Speed thrills but kills: Major highway in India of particular concern to reptiles and amphibians
The National Highway 715, which passes through the Kaziranga National Park in Northeast India, is notorious for its roadkill. With protected habitats on both sides of the road, many animals cross it on a daily basis to feed and breed.