Science & Technology
Better medical record-keeping needed to fight antibiotic overuse
A lack of detailed record-keeping in clinics and emergency departments may be getting in the way of reducing the inappropriate use of antibiotics, a pair of new studies suggests. In one of the studies, about 10% of children and 35% of adults who got an…
Global life expectancy to increase by nearly 5 years by 2050 despite geopolitical, metabolic, and environmental threats
The latest findings forecast that global life expectancy will increase by 4.9 years in males and 4.2 years in females between 2022 and 2050. Increases are expected to be largest in countries where life expectancy is lower, contributing to a convergence…
Modern plant enzyme partners with surprisingly ancient protein
Scientists have discovered that a protein responsible for the synthesis of a key plant material evolved much earlier than suspected. This new research explored the origin and evolution of the biochemical machinery that builds lignin, a structural compo…
Clinicians report success with first test of drug in a patient with life-threatening blood clotting disorder
A recombinant form of human ADAMTS13 approved for a different condition helped to save the life of a young mother with immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Ion irradiation offers promise for 2D material probing
Two-dimensional materials such as graphene promise to form the basis of incredibly small and fast technologies, but this requires a detailed understanding of their electronic properties. New research demonstrates that fast electronic processes can be p…
Scientists develop new geochemical ‘fingerprint’ to trace contaminants in fertilizer
An international team of scientists has revealed high levels of toxic metals in global phosphate fertilizers using a isotopic variants of the element strontium as a tracer to uncover metals in soil, groundwater and possibly the food chain.
Physicists propose path to faster, more flexible robots
Physicists revealed a microscopic phenomenon that could greatly improve the performance of soft devices, such as agile flexible robots or microscopic capsules for drug delivery.
Repeat COVID-19 vaccinations elicit antibodies that neutralize variants, other viruses
A study has found that repeat vaccination with updated versions of the COVID-19 vaccine promotes the development of antibodies that neutralize a wide range of variants of the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as related coronaviruses.
Scale matters in determining vulnerability of freshwater fish to climate changes
A team explored the influence the spatial extent of research — the geographical coverage of data collected — has on evaluating the sensitivity of different fish species to climate change.