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279,036 articles from PhysOrg

To manage chronic wasting disease, some animals die so more can live

Things are moving quickly, and they need to. On March 13, the Government of British Columbia announced that it would be harvesting 25 deer in the Kootenays. This announcement came six weeks after chronic wasting disease (CWD)—a 100% fatal disease of cervids (deer, elk, moose, caribou)—was first detected in the province.

New method provides automated calculation of surface properties in crystals

Computer-based methods are becoming an increasingly powerful tool in the search for new materials for key technologies such as photovoltaics, batteries, and data transmission. Prof. Dr. Caterina Cocchi and Holger-Dietrich Saßnick from the University of Oldenburg in Germany have now developed a high-throughput automatized method to calculate the surface properties of crystalline materials starting...

More than half of Colorado River's water used to irrigate crops, assessment shows

Irrigation for agriculture uses more than half of the Colorado River's total annual water flow, reports a paper published in Communications Earth & Environment. This finding is part of a new comprehensive assessment of how the Colorado River's water is consumed—including both human usage and natural losses—and provides a more complete understanding of how the river's water is used along its...

New tomographic images shed light on the cessation of Indian continental subduction and ending the Himalayan orogeny

In a recent development in geology published in Science Bulletin, an international research team, including scientists from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Missouri, and Guilin University of Technology, has provided crucial insights into the dynamics of the India-Eurasia collision and the Himalayan orogeny.

Going 'back to the future' to forecast the fate of a dead Florida coral reef

Rising temperatures and disease outbreaks are decimating coral reefs throughout the tropics. Evidence suggests that higher latitude marine environments may provide crucial refuges for many at-risk, temperature-sensitive coral species. However, how coral populations expand into new areas and sustain themselves over time is constrained by the limited scope of modern observations.

Model suggests how ancient RNA may have gained self-cutting ability essential for life

Scientists have long pondered the beginnings of life on Earth. One theory is that RNA, which is ubiquitous across all domains of life, played a central role in early life. Similar to DNA, RNA possesses the ability to store genetic information. However, to initiate life's processes, early RNA must have also possessed the capability to self-replicate and catalyze biochemical reactions independently,...

How to enable insider social change agents to tackle social and environmental issues in organizations

Businesses play a crucial role in building a sustainable future, but it's the passionate individuals within these organizations who often lead the change. Known by many names— tempered radicals, social intrapreneurs, champions, reformers, advocates, activists, and more—these insider social change agents are the driving force behind efforts to tackle social and environmental issues.

Scientists confirm that methane-processing microbes produce a fossil record

Communities of microbes that live in ocean sediments can consume methane. In oxygen-deprived sediments these microbes form clusters, called aggregates, that can have deposits of silica on their surfaces. It is not clear if these silica deposits result from the activity of methane consuming aggregates, or if their formation is unrelated to biological processes.

Bifunctional catalyst enables high-performance batteries for sustainable energy storage

Zinc–nitrate batteries are a primary non-rechargeable energy storage system that utilizes the redox potential difference between zinc and nitrate ions to store and release electrical energy. A research team co-led by chemists from City University of Hong Kong (CityU) have developed a high-performance rechargeable zinc–nitrate/ethanol battery by introducing an innovative catalyst.

Scientists propose theoretical design strategy for room-temperature metal-organic multiferroics

A research group led by Prof. Li Xiangyang from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has theoretically predicted a series of multiferroic materials that can be applied in room-temperature environments by utilizing the d-p spin coupling combined with center-symmetry-breaking organic heterocycles in two-dimensional (2D) Cr-based metal-organic frameworks.

Team discovers fundamentally new way to detect radiation involving cheap ceramics

The radiation detectors used today for applications like inspecting cargo ships for smuggled nuclear materials are expensive and cannot operate in harsh environments, among other disadvantages. Now, MIT engineers have demonstrated a fundamentally new way to detect radiation that could allow much cheaper detectors and a plethora of new applications.