Five things you need to know about: the Delta variant

Since its emergence in March 2021, the Delta variant has rapidly become predominant across the European Union. More than 99% of newly reported cases are attributed to this variant, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which estimates the Delta variant to be twice as transmissible as the original strain. Through […]

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Net zero strategy sets sights on slashing UK industry’s emissions by 2035

Carbon capture and storage (CCS), nuclear power, hydrogen and greenhouse gas removal technologies all play a key part in the government’s long-awaited net zero strategy – but important questions over the speed and funding of the transition remain. The strategy – published just ahead of the Cop26 climate summit – places a greater emphasis on […]

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How diet affects tumors

In recent years, there has been some evidence that dietary interventions can help to slow the growth of tumors. A new study from MIT, which analyzed two different diets in mice, reveals how those diets affect cancer cells, and offers an explanation for why restricting calories may slow tumor growth. The study examined the effects […]

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Natural variation and the greenhouse effect on air

The evidence clearly shows the global mean temperature at the Earth’s surface is hotter by 1.1 degrees Celsius (1.9 degrees Fahrenheit) than it was during the dawn of the Industrial Age in the mid-1700s. Remember: Mean means average and during that 270 or so-year span, there have been temperature variations (up and down). Overall, however, […]

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Amount of information in visible universe quantified

Researchers have long suspected a connection between information and the physical universe, with various paradoxes and thought experiments used to explore how or why information could be encoded in physical matter. The digital age propelled this field of study, suggesting that solving these research questions could have tangible applications across multiple branches of physics and […]

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Bacteria, fungi interact far more often than previously thought

In a novel, broad assessment of bacterial-fungal interactions, researchers using unique bioinformatics found that fungi host a remarkable diversity of bacteria, making bacterial-fungal interactions far more common and diverse than previously known. “Until now, examples of bacterial-fungal interactions were pretty limited in number and diversity,” said Aaron Robinson, a biologist at Los Alamos National Laboratory […]

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UVA protection of most sunscreens only a quarter of touted SPF

Many sunscreens offer just a quarter of their stated SPF protection against ultraviolet A rays that increase the risk of skin cancer, a new Environmental Working Group study finds. For the study, EWG scientists tested 51 sunscreens with SPF between 15 and 110. “Most of the products we tested reduced UV radiation only by half of what […]

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Climate change affects animal behavior

Humans are shaping environments at an accelerating rate. Indeed, one of the most important current topics of research is the capacity of animals to adapt to human-induced environmental change and how that change affects the expression of animal traits. With the help of data collected on a little over one hundred animal species, researchers from […]

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Cat Bacteria Treats Mouse Skin Infection, May Help You and Your Pets As Well

Researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine used bacteria found on healthy cats to successfully treat a skin infection on mice. These bacteria may serve as the basis for new therapeutics against severe skin infections in humans, dogs and cats. The study, published in eLife  on October 19, 2021, was led by Richard L. […]

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