Under a moon spell: Shark attacks related to lunar phases
New research from LSU and the University of Florida suggests that more shark attacks occur during fuller phases of the moon. While the exact cause remains unclear, the researchers found that more shark attacks than average occur during periods of higher lunar illumination and fewer attacks than average occur during periods of lower illumination. Many […]
Researchers lay groundwork for potential dog-allergy vaccine
There have been many research efforts describing the nature and progression of dog allergies, but there have been very few applied studies that use this information to try to cure people of dog allergies entirely by artificially inducing immune tolerance. But researchers have now for the first time identified candidates for those parts of the […]
Soils in old-growth treetops can store more carbon than soils under our feet
New research reveals a previously underappreciated way old-growth forests have been recycling and storing carbon: treetop soils. Branches in forest canopies can hold caches of soil that may store substantially more carbon than soils on the ground beneath them, and scientists are just beginning to understand how much carbon canopy soils — which exist on […]
New type of earthquake discovered
A Canadian-German research team have documented a new type of earthquake in an injection environment in British Columbia, Canada. Unlike conventional earthquakes of the same magnitude, they are slower and last longer. The events are a new type of induced earthquake that have been triggered by hydraulic fracturing, a method used in western Canada for […]
Researchers crack the synthetic code of rare molecules sought after in drug development
A research team at Lund University in Sweden has succeeded in producing two molecules that are otherwise only formed by microorganisms from extremely contaminated wastewater in an abandoned mine in South Korea. The method, which took four years to develop, could pave the way for new types of drugs. The study is published in Journal […]
Nasal problem plagued long-nosed crocodile relatives
Research published in the journal Anatomical Record finds that humans have more in common with endangered crocodiles than we think — namely, a deviated septum. Gharials are some of the rarest crocodylians on Earth and members of a group of animals that once roamed the planet with the dinosaurs. Native to India, gharials resemble American […]
Ubiquitous food additive alters human microbiota and intestinal environment
New clinical research indicates that a widely used food additive, carboxymethylcellulose, alters the intestinal environment of healthy persons, perturbing levels of beneficial bacteria and nutrients. These findings, published in Gastroenterology, demonstrate the need for further study of the long-term impacts of this food additive on health. The research was led by a collaborative team of […]
Telehealth-delivered diet and exercise program eased knee pain and triggered weight loss: Participants report no longer needing medication or surgery with one man shedding 39kgs
New research investigating the benefits of telehealth-delivered exercise and diet programs has found 80 per cent of participants experienced improvement in pain and an average of 10 per cent in loss of body weight, with one man shedding 39 kilograms. More than 400 individuals with knee osteoarthritis participated in the Better Knee, Better Me trial, […]
Only alcohol — not caffeine, diet or lack of sleep — might trigger heart rhythm condition
New research from UC San Francisco that tested possible triggers of a common heart condition, including caffeine, sleep deprivation and sleeping on the left side, found that only alcohol use was consistently associated with more episodes of the heart arrhythmia. The authors conclude that people might be able to reduce their risk of atrial fibrillation […]
Warmer soil stores less carbon
Global warming will cause the world’s soil to release carbon, new research shows. Scientists used data on more than 9,000 soil samples from around the world, and found that carbon storage “declines strongly” as average temperatures increase. This is an example of a “positive feedback,” where global warming causes more carbon to be released into […]