197 articles from WEDNESDAY 4.9.2019

Amazon's 'tallest tree' safe from fires, say scientists

Intrepid Brazilian and British scientists say they have located the Amazon's tallest tree in northern Brazil, untouched by a spate of wildfires that have raged in the rainforest for weeks. The scientists say they located an unusually large specimen of the giant Dinizia Excelsa species -- measuring 88 meters (288-feet) with a circumference of 5.50 meters -- in a sanctuary of other Dinizia trees....

Potential vaccine treats and prevents deadly streptococcal toxic shock

A new vaccine has the potential to treat and prevent toxic shock caused by invasive streptococcal disease, which kills more than 160,000 people every year. When ISD occurs, some strains can make more toxins than others and cause streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). Now that antibodies have been generated, the next step would be to make monoclonal antibodies that could be suitable for a human...

Squirrels listen to birds' chitchat to gauge if trouble's afoot – study

Animals not only tune in to alarm cries or ‘all-clear’ signals from other speciesSquirrels eavesdrop on the chatter of songbirds to work out whether the appearance of a predator is cause for alarm, researchers have found.Animals including squirrels have previously been found to tune in to cries of alarm from other creatures, while some take note of “all-clear” signals from another species...

After bronze and iron, welcome to the plastic age, say scientists

Plastic pollution has entered the fossil record, research showsPlastic pollution is being deposited into the fossil record, research has found, with contamination increasing exponentially since 1945.Scientists suggest the plastic layers could be used to mark the start of the Anthropocene, the proposed geological epoch in which human activities have come to dominate the planet. They say after the...

Mathematical model provides new support for environmental taxes

A new mathematical model provides support for environmental taxation, such as carbon taxes, as an effective strategy to promote environmentally friendly practices without slowing economic growth. Xinghua Fan and colleagues at Jiangsu University, China, publish their model and findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on September 4, 2019.

Solutions to urban heat differ between tropical and drier climes

In summer heat, cities may swelter more than nearby suburbs and rural areas. And while the size of this urban heat island effect varies widely among the world's cities, heat island intensity can largely be explained by a city's population and precipitation level, researchers have reported. The analysis suggests that cooling cities by planting more vegetation may be more effective in drier regions...

New mathematical model can improve radiation therapy of brain tumors

Researchers have developed a new model to optimize radiation therapy and significantly increase the number of tumor cells killed during treatment. The new mathematical model can use information about where the majority of the cells in a tumor are located allowing for radiation treatment to be administered to the densest area.

Future of LEDs Gets Boost from Verification of Localization States in InGaN Quantum Wells

LEDs made of indium gallium nitride provide better luminescence efficiency than many of the other materials used to create blue and green LEDs, but a big challenge of working with InGaN is its known dislocation density defects that make it difficult to understand its emission properties. Researchers report an InGaN LED structure with high luminescence efficiency and what is believed to be the...

Why transporters really matter for cell factories

Scientists discover the secret behind some protein transporters' superiority. One transporter, MAE1, can export organic acids out of yeast spending close-to-zero energy. Organic acids are utilized as building blocks for plastic and rubber, and the finding could become important in industrial biotech.

Earthquake study casts doubt on early warnings but hints at improved forecasting

A recent study investigated around 100,000 localized seismic events to search for patterns in the data. Scientists discovered that earthquakes of differing magnitudes have more in common than was previously thought. This suggests development of early warning systems may be more difficult than hoped. But conversely, similarities between some events indicate that predictable characteristics may aid...

Earthquake study casts doubt on early warnings but hints at improved forecasting

A recent study has investigated around 100,000 localized seismic events to search for patterns in the data. University of Tokyo Professor Satoshi Ide discovered that earthquakes of differing magnitudes have more in common than was previously thought. This suggests development of early warning systems may be more difficult than hoped. But conversely, similarities between some events indicate that...

How 'information gerrymandering' influences voters

Many voters today seem to live in partisan bubbles, where they receive only partial information about how others feel regarding political issues. Now, an experiment developed in part by MIT researchers sheds light on how this phenomenon influences people when they vote.

Solutions to urban heat differ between tropical and drier climes

In summer heat, cities may swelter more than nearby suburbs and rural areas. And while the size of this urban heat island effect varies widely among the world's cities, heat island intensity can largely be explained by a city's population and precipitation level, researchers reported in a paper published Sept. 4 in the journal Nature.