A new article summarizes research on plastic waste in marine and sedimentary environments.

Researchers have used real-time 3D animation to investigate motor impairments in children who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study found that when teaching or coaching new movements to an individual with autism, the teacher or coach needs to understand the individual with autism's specific motor learning characteristics.

Researchers have created an open-source online suite of computational models that will help scientists rapidly screen small molecules for their potential COVID-fighting properties.

An abnormal build up of carbohydrates -- sugars and starches -- in the kernels and leaves of a mutant line of corn can be traced to one misregulated gene, and that discovery offers clues about how the plant deals with stress.

Businesses sometimes align themselves with important values such as a clean environment, feminism, or racial justice, thinking it's a win-win: the value gets boosted along with the company's bottom line. But be careful, warns new research. Using these values primarily for self-interested purposes such as profit or reputation can ultimately undermine their special status and erode people's...

Scientists have developed a stable, anode-free sodium ion battery that is highly efficient, will be less expensive and is significantly smaller than a traditional lithium ion battery.

Scientists simulated the local risk of damaging or nuisance-level shaking caused by hydraulic fracturing across the Eagle Ford shale formation in Texas. The results could inform a new approach to managing human-caused earthquakes.

A study of a rare and common desert plant indicates solar development in the desert may impact rare species more. It also demonstrates the importance of taking the time to understand the ever-changing desert ecosystem before irrevocably changing it.

The importance of pollinators to ensure successful harvests and thus global food security is widely acknowledged. However, the specific pollinators for even major crops - such as cocoa - haven't yet been identified. Now an international research team has found that in fact ants and flies - but not ceratopogonid midges - appear to have a crucial role to play.

Scientists are beginning to understand why corals in the Gulf of Aqaba, along with their symbiotic algae and bacteria, resist higher temperatures particularly well.

An influenza vaccine that is made of nanoparticles and administered through the nose enhances the body's immune response to influenza virus infection and offers broad protection against different viral strains, according to new research.

A new study found overlooked tsunami hazards related to undersea, near-shore strike-slip faults, especially for coastal cities adjacent to faults that traverse inland bays. Several areas around the world may fall into this category, including the San Francisco Bay area, Izmit Bay in Turkey and the Gulf of Al-Aqaba in Egypt.

The idea that animals should avoid mating with relatives has been the starting point for hundreds of scientific studies performed among many species. But new research shows that there is little support for this assumption. The study provides a synthesis of 139 experimental studies in 88 species and 40 years of research, settling the debate about if and when animals should avoid inbreeding.

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals 40 different cell types in Stylophora pistillata, a reef-building stony coral native to the Indo-Pacific oceans. The calcium carbonate skeleton of stony coral colonies are the main habitat for a huge diversity of marine species. The study has detected the presence of specialized immune cells in corals or any cnidaria. The findings will aid present and future...

Emulating the human lung airway in vitro identified the SARS-CoV2-inhibiting effects of the antimalarial drug amodiaquine, which is now in COVID-19 clinical trials.

New work unravels a longstanding mystery about the relationship between form and function in the genetic material of a diverse group of algae called dinoflagellates. The findings have implications for understanding genomic organizational principles of all organisms.

Silicon-based fiber optics are currently the best structures for high-speed, long distance transmissions, but graphene -- an all-carbon, ultra-thin and adaptable material -- could improve performance even more.

A grass commonly used to fight soil erosion has been genetically modified to successfully remove toxic chemicals left in the ground from munitions that are dangerous to human health, new research shows.

A new Cornell University-led study examines how temperature affects fishing behavior and catches among inland fisher households in Cambodia, with important implications for understanding climate change.

A new study finds nearly 10,000 acres of lush seagrass vanished from Florida Bay over 20 years, leading to massive ecological changes in the region near the Florida Keys.

Biologists have significantly enhanced the tolerance of blue-green algae to high light levels -- with the aid of artificial evolution in the laboratory.

Flatfishes rapidly evolved into the most asymmetric vertebrates by changing multiple traits at once, according to a new study.

The Bornean subspecies of Rajah scops owl (Otus brookii brookii), documented in the wild for the first time since 1892, may be its own unique species and deserving of a conservation designation. Researchers reported the rediscovery and photographed this elusive subspecies in the mountainous forests of Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia.

Exposure to air pollution, even over the course of just a few weeks, can impede mental performance, according to a new study. However, these adverse effects were lessened in people taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin. The study is among the first to explore short-term air pollution exposures and the use of NSAIDs to mitigate their effects.