feed info

35 articles from ScienceDaily

New active agent against parasites

Researchers have identified a chemical compound that may be suitable as an active agent against several different unicellular parasites. Among these are the pathogens that cause malaria and toxoplasmosis. The point of attack for this promising substance is the protein tubulin: It helps cells divide and therefore is essential for the multiplication of the parasites.

Putting honeybee hives on solar parks could boost the value of UK agriculture

The value of UK agriculture could be boosted by millions of pounds a year if thousands of honeybee hives were deployed on solar parks across the country, a new study reveals. However, scientists caution that the benefits of managing solar parks for wild pollinators over honeybees should be prioritized where appropriate and should be assessed on a site by site basis.

Solar energy can be cheap and reliable across China by 2060

How much will solar power really cost in China in the coming decades, including the challenges its inherent variability poses to the grid? Researchers have found that solar energy could provide 43.2% of China's electricity demands in 2060 at less than two-and-a-half U.S. cents per kilowatt-hour.

Long-term exposure to toxins in operating rooms could increase COPD risk

Disinfectants and surgical smoke -- the gaseous by-product produced by heat-generating surgical instruments -- are among the hazardous chemicals to which physicians, nurses, and other hospital staff are exposed in operating rooms (OR) during electrosurgery and laser procedures. Long-time exposure to these chemicals in the OR may significantly increase one's risk of developing chronic obstructive...

How marsh grass protects shorelines

Marsh plants can play a major role in mitigating coastal damage as sea levels rise and storm surges increase. A new study provides greater detail about how these protective benefits work under real-world conditions shaped by waves and currents.

A new treatment for glaucoma?

A new study in mice has identified new treatment targets for glaucoma, including preventing a severe pediatric form of glaucoma, as well as uncovering a possible new class of therapy for the most common form of glaucoma in adults.

So-called junk DNA plays critical role in mammalian development

Despite the prevalent view that some 98% of our genome is junk DNA, new research shows that one piece of junk DNA -- the promoter of a virus-based transposon -- plays a critical role in cell proliferation and timing of embryo implantation in mice. The group found virus-based promoters linked to genes involved in development in other mammals, including humans, suggesting that transposons have been...

For oxygen-deprived newborns, rewarming after cooling therapy can trigger seizures

Oxygen-deprived newborns who undergo cooling therapy to protect their brains are at an elevated risk of seizures and brain damage during the rewarming period, which could be a precursor of disability or death, a new study suggests. The finding could lead to better ways to protect these vulnerable patients during an often overlooked yet critical period of cooling -- or hypothermia -- therapy.

Four-legged swarm robots

Engineers have built multi-legged robots capable of maneuvering in challenging environments and accomplishing difficult tasks collectively, mimicking their natural-world counterparts.

How the brain navigates cities

A study suggests our brains are not optimized to calculate the shortest possible route when navigating on foot. Instead, pedestrians use vector-based navigation, choosing 'pointiest' paths that point most directly toward their destination, even if the routes are longer.

Fasting is required to see the full benefit of calorie restriction in mice

Over the last few decades, scientists have discovered that long-term calorie restriction provides a wealth of benefits in animals. Researchers have largely assumed that reduced food intake drove these benefits by reprogramming metabolism. But a new study finds that reduced calorie intake alone is not enough; fasting is essential for mice to derive full benefit.