150 articles from WEDNESDAY 15.3.2023

Killing dingoes is the only way to protect livestock, right? Nope

Since European colonization, farmers have often viewed dingoes as the enemy, waging war against them to protect their livestock. Farmers felt they had no option but to eradicate dingoes using traps, shooting, poisoned baits (such as 1080) and building a 5,600km long dingo fence, the world's longest.

No shortage of tax breaks in New Mexico's drought

Trickle-down economics may have more than one meaning in New Mexico. The traditional definition explains that benefits and relief for the wealthy will eventually benefit everyone else. In new UNM Water Resources research, however, the trickle-down economics of irrigation, may be running out of water to drip–literally. The paper is published in the Natural Resources Journal.

In Brazil, the future of environmental sustainability needs a strong ally: Collectors of recyclable materials

When Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in for his third term as president of Brazil on January 1, 2023, he invited a diverse group to accompany him as he ascended the ramp to his offices. Among them, two symbolized the giant step that the country was taking toward a more promising ecological future: Chief Raoni Metuktire, a 90-year-old indigenous leader who dedicated his life to the defense of...

Largest catalog of exploding stars now available

Celestial phenomena that change with time such as exploding stars, mysterious objects that suddenly brighten and variable stars are a new frontier in astronomical research, with telescopes that can rapidly survey the sky revealing thousands of these objects.

Remains of a modern glacier found near Mars' equator implies water ice possibly present at low latitudes on Mars even today

Scientists revealed the discovery of a relict glacier near Mars' equator. Located in Eastern Noctis Labyrinthus at coordinates 7° 33' S, 93° 14' W, this finding is significant as it implies the presence of surface water ice on Mars in recent times, even near the equator. This discovery raises the possibility that ice may still exist at shallow depths in the area, which could have significant...

Mild fever helps clear infections faster, new study suggests

It may be better to let a mild fever run its course instead of automatically reaching for medication, new University of Alberta research suggests. Researchers found that untreated moderate fever helped fish clear their bodies of infection rapidly, controlled inflammation and repaired damaged tissue. Moderate fever is self-resolving, meaning that the body can both induce it and shut it down...

Minimizing electric vehicles' impact on the grid

Some projections show that widespread adoption of electric vehicles might require costly new power plants to meet peak loads in the evening. A new study shows that placing EV charging stations strategic ways and setting up systems to initiate charging at delayed times could lessen or eliminate the need for new power plants.

Filling a niche: Neural stem cells help maintain their microenvironment

Researchers shed light on the neural stem and progenitor cell (NSPC) microenvironment during development. Neurosphere formation from embryonic mouse forebrain NSPCs was significantly increased under low oxygen conditions, and VEGF-A was identified as a factor released by NSPCs to contribute to this effect. This study demonstrates that NSPCs appear to maintain their own niche and population under...

Filming proteins in motion

Proteins are the heavy-lifters of biochemistry. These beefy molecules act as building blocks, receptors, processors, couriers and catalysts. Naturally, scientists have devoted a lot of research to understanding and manipulating proteins.