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Mental health strained by disaster
A new study found that suicide rates increase during all types of disasters — including severe storms, floods, hurricanes and ice storms — with the largest overall increase occurring two years after a disaster. A team of researchers examined the impact of 281 natural disasters on suicide rates during a 12-year span and found overall…
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Atmospheric metal layers appear with surprising regularity
Twice a day, at dusk and just before dawn, a faint layer of sodium and other metals begins sinking down through the atmosphere, about 90 miles high above the city of Boulder, Colorado. The movement was captured by one of the world’s most sensitive ‘lidar’ instruments and the regularly appearing layers promise to help researchers…
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Explosive fossil fruit found buried beneath ancient Indian lava flows
Just before the closing scenes of the Cretaceous Period, India was a rogue subcontinent on a collision course with Asia. Before the two landmasses merged, however, India rafted over a ‘hot spot’ within the Earth’s crust, triggering one of the largest volcanic eruptions in Earth’s history, which likely contributed to the extinction of the dinosaurs.…
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Sustainable farming: Theres no one solution
Sustainable agriculture will not be achieved by one universal solution. A meta-analysis shows that the current focus on no-till farming does not achieve the desired results. A sustainable system of agriculture must be designed for local needs and in dialog with local farmers. In 2016, the United Nations developed 17 Sustainable Development Goals to build…
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Prime editing enables precise gene editing without collateral damage
The latest gene editing technology, prime editing, expands the ‘genetic toolbox’ for more precisely creating disease models and correcting genetic problems, scientists say. In only the second published study of prime editing’s use in a mouse model, Medical College of Georgia scientists report prime editing and traditional CRISPR both successfully shut down a gene involved…
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Thai dinosaur is a cousin of T. rex
Scientists have identified two new dinosaur species. They analyzed fossil finds that were already discovered 30 years ago in Thailand. Both species are distant relatives of T. rex, but with a somewhat more primitive structure. They were efficient predators. Three decades ago a Thai museum employee discovered some fossilized bones during excavations. He handed them…
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Tiger shark migrations altered by climate change
A new study has revealed that the locations and timing of tiger shark movement in the western North Atlantic Ocean have changed from rising ocean temperatures. These climate-driven changes have subsequently shifted tiger shark movements outside of protected areas, rendering the sharks more vulnerable to commercial fishing. The movements of tiger sharks, (Galeocerdo cuvier) the…
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Lakes are changing worldwide: Human activities to blame
Worldwide, lake temperatures are rising and seasonal ice cover is shorter and thiner. This effects lake ecosystems, drinking water supply and fishing. International research now shows that these global changes in lake temperature and ice cover are not due to natural climate variability. They can only be explained by massive greenhouse gas emissions since the…
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Rapid test identifies antibody effectiveness against COVID-19 variants
A new test could measure patient immunity against multiple COVID-19 variants such as Omicron and Delta at once and inform which synthetic monoclonal antibody to use for treatments. This test could potentially tell doctors how protected a patient is from new variants and those currently circulating in a community or, conversely, which monoclonal antibodies to…
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New biosensors shine a light on CRISPR gene editing
Detecting the activity of CRISPR gene editing tools in organisms with the naked eye and an ultraviolet flashlight is now possible using new technology. Scientists demonstrated these real-time detection tools in plants and anticipate their use in animals, bacteria and fungi with diverse applications for biotechnology, biosecurity, bioenergy and agriculture. The team described the successful…