The environmental fate of microplastics has been difficult to trace. A research group used carbon isotope labeling to follow the fate of polyethylene in the food chain. To the researchers surprise, plastic carbon was transformed into beneficial fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6, by the microbes originating from humic lakes.

Television programs featuring healthy foods can be a key ingredient in leading children to make healthier food choices now and into adulthood. A new study found kids who watched a child-oriented cooking show featuring healthy food were 2.7 times more likely to make a healthy food choice than those who watched a different episode of the same show featuring unhealthy food.

Could bile acids -- the fat-dissolving juices churned out by the liver and gallbladder -- also play a role in immunity and inflammation? The answer appears to be yes, according to two separate studies.

Researchers are on the brink of commercializing the world's most efficient lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery, which could outperform current market leaders by more than four times.

Some compounds found in many personal care products displace natural fat-like molecules in skin cells, which may explain how they cause an allergic skin rash.

Freestanding clusters of twenty gold atoms take the shape of a pyramid, researchers discovered. This is in contrast with most elements, which organize themselves by forming shells around one central atom.

A 2017 report of the discovery of a particular kind of Majorana fermion -- the chiral Majorana fermion, referred to as the 'angel particle' -- is likely a false alarm, according to new research.

A first-of-its-kind study on molecular interactions by biomedical engineers will make it easier and more efficient for scientists to develop new medicines and other therapies for diseases such as cancer, HIV, and autoimmune diseases.

A new study with over 3,700 people in India associates air pollution with a higher risk to develop osteoporosis.

Researchers applied tools from network science to identify how anatomical connections in the brain develop to support neural activity underlying executive function.

Territorial conflicts can turn violent in humans and chimpanzees, two extremely territorial species. An international team of researchers has studied the effects of territoriality on female reproductive success in wild Western chimpanzees and found that high neighbor pressure at times when females typically reproduce can lead to reproductive delays with longer intervals between births. Having many...

A new study finds that the pleasure center of the brain and the brain's biological clock are linked, and that high-calorie foods -- which bring pleasure -- disrupt normal feeding schedules, resulting in overconsumption.

In testing solar panels, the sun's intensity, the spectral composition and the angle of light are important factors in understanding why certain panels are successful and others degrade more quickly. To address the knowledge gap in degradation mechanisms for various photovoltaic types, researchers performed tests over five years in which they collected weather data and panel performance...

Researchers have developed a quantum chemistry simulation benchmark to evaluate the performance of quantum devices and guide the development of applications for future quantum computers.

A new radiotracer can effectively image fibroblast activation after a heart attack, identifying a window of time during which cardiac fibrosis can be prevented and the disease course altered.