Previous studies have shown a connection between noisy road traffic and increased risk of hypertension. However, strong evidence was lacking, and it was unclear whether noise or air pollution played a bigger role. The new research shows that it is exposure to road traffic noise itself that can elevate hypertension risk. “We were a little …
Road noise makes your blood pressure rise — literally Read More »
Evolutionary biologists have long been interested in understanding the factors that contribute to the evolution and maintenance of multiple alternative life-history strategies (ALHS) within species that lead to adaptation and novel traits. A new study published in Science Advances has not only revealed that an ALHS in Colias butterflies has an ancient origin, but also …
Babies or beauty? Ancient origin of how female butterflies invest Read More »
Forever chemicals, formally known as PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a large group of substances that make certain products non-stick or stain-resistant. There are more than 4,700 PFAS in use, mostly in raingear, non-stick cookware, stain repellents and firefighting foam. Research links these chemicals to a wide range of health problems including hormonal disruption, cardiovascular …
New water treatment zaps ‘forever chemicals’ for good Read More »
An international team of physicists, chemists and biologists, led by the University of Cambridge, was able to study photosynthesis — the process by which plants, algae and some bacteria convert sunlight into energy — in live cells at an ultrafast timescale: a millionth of a millionth of a second. Despite the fact that it is …
Photosynthesis ‘hack’ could lead to new ways of generating renewable energy Read More »
Researchers from Aarhus University, in collaboration with Stockholm University and the United States Geological Survey, analyzed samples from the previously inaccessible region north of Greenland. The sediment samples were collected from the seabed in the Lincoln Sea, part of the “Last Ice Area.” They showed that the sea ice in this region melted away during …
But a study of baseline mercury emission estimates reported by 25 countries — many in developing African, South American and Asian nations — found that these estimates rarely provide enough information to tell whether changes in the rate from one year to the next were the result of actual change or data uncertainty. Key variables …
In the first large scale and comprehensive wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) study in the UK, scientists at the University of Bath, Bangor University and the UK Heath Security Agency analysed wastewater from 10 cities for both chemical and biological markers of health, including pesticides, pharmaceuticals and disease-causing viruses. They collected samples from each location at hourly …
Next epidemic could be spotted early in wastewater Read More »
In addition, oxygen-ion batteries can be produced without rare elements and are made of incombustible materials. A patent application for the new battery idea has already been filed together with cooperation partners from Spain. The oxygen-ion battery could be an excellent solution for large energy storage systems, for example to store electrical energy from renewable …
This means that animal welfare can now, for the first time, be properly considered alongside other impacts of farming to help identify which farming systems are best. This is vital for improving animal welfare in livestock production, at a time when demand for meat is rising globally and the way animals are farmed is changing …
New animal welfare scoring system could enable better-informed food and farming choices Read More »
Syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, is an important intermediate product in the manufacture of many chemical starter materials such as ammonia, methanol and synthetic hydrocarbon fuels. “Syngas is currently made almost exclusively using fossil raw materials,” says Prof. Roland Fischer from the Chair of Inorganic and Organometallic Chemistry. A yellow powder, developed …
Synthesis gas and battery power from sunlight energy Read More »
