For The Better

Researchers have found that the extinction at the end of the Permian period coincided with a sudden spike and subsequent drop in the ocean’s oxygen content.

The rise and fall of sea levels influence the likelihood of volcanic eruptions on the Greek island of Santorini, new research has discovered. Analyzing the timings of eruptions over hundreds of thousands of years, the researchers found that a 40 meter …

Clinicians frequently order preoperative urinalyses for patients scheduled to undergo many common procedures. A new study finds that nearly nine out of 10 of preoperative urinalyses are unnecessary. Overuse of low-value screening test wastes money, can…

Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression is often just as effective as traditional CBT. This is clear from an international study. However, some online treatments have components that can potentially be harmful.

Researchers thought 30 years ago that they just introduced some Glanville fritillary butterfly larvae on a small island in the Åland islands, Finland. Little did they know that within the butterfly larvae there nested two other insect species and a bac…

Researchers document how the technique quickly produces arrays of highly active, carefully tuned nanoparticles with remarkably uniform properties that can be compared and tested for use as catalysts, far more quickly than traditional wet lab methods.

Glaciers and ice caps in two archipelagos in the Russian Arctic are losing enough meltwater to fill nearly five million Olympic-size swimming pools each year, research shows.

A research team has analyzed the three-dimensional structure of a protein that suppresses the development of colorectal polyposis, MUTYH, at the atomic level and clarified the repair mechanism for DNA mispairings. Since mutations in the MUTYH gene caus…

A common farm weed could make a ‘greener’ jet fuel with fewer production-related environmental impacts than other biofuels, a new study indicates.

Six weeks of physical exercise led to changes in the epigenetic information of skeletal muscle cells in young men. These changes took place in areas of the genome that have been linked to disease. Scientists say their research shows how exercise remode…

A new study points to a strong ‘edge effect’ in marine protected areas (MPAs), sharply reducing by 60 percent the fish population living up to 1 – 1.5 km within the MPA. This significantly diminishes the effectiveness of the MPA. Most of the damage ste…

Not every gene that’s essential in tuberculosis is also vulnerable to attack. A new study ranks essential genes by vulnerability, allowing researchers to better prioritize future drug targets.

The adsorption of ions from the electrolyte at an electrode surface is a ubiquitous process, of use for both existing and emerging electrochemical energy technologies. But what happens when these ions penetrate very small spaces? To address this questi…

Scientists have demonstrated a high-performing thermoelectric material in a practical form that can be used in device development. The material — purified tin selenide in polycrystalline form — outperforms the single-crystal form in converting heat t…

The rise of oxygen levels early in Earth’s history paved the way for the spectacular diversity of animal life. But for decades, scientists have struggled to explain the factors that controlled this gradual and stepwise process, which unfolded over near…