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Current methods to recycle plastics often use expensive catalysts, harsh conditions and produce toxic byproducts. New process converts PET plastic into monomer building blocks, which can be recycled into new PET products or upcycled into higher value materials. In experiments, method recovered 94% of monomers from PET in just four hours, without harmful byproducts.
Early signs of GI disease risk in dogs (link is external)
Researchers have discovered signs that can be used to identify dogs with a high risk of gastrointestinal disease -- which causes more than 10% of all new visits to a veterinarian -- before they develop symptoms.
Clothes dryers and the bottom line: Switching to air drying can save hundreds (link is external)
By replacing clothes dyers with line drying, households in the U.S. could save upwards of $2,100 and avoid 3 tons of carbon dioxide emissions over the lifetime of a dryer. The exact impacts, however, depend on what kind of dryer you have and where you live, new research shows.
Death by feral cat: DNA shows cats to be culprits in killing of native animals (link is external)
Feral cats have long been suspects in killing native species reintroduced into Australian conservation areas. DNA testing of the carcasses puts felines firmly in the frame.
Genetic mutations linked to toxin exposure found in firefighters' brain tumors (link is external)
In a study comparing the glioma tumors of firefighters and non-fighters, researchers found a mutational signature tied to exposure to haloalkanes, which are used in flame retardants, fire extinguishers, and pesticides.
Compound found in common herbs inspires potential anti-inflammatory drug for Alzheimer's disease (link is external)
The herb rosemary has long been linked with memory: 'There's rosemary, that's for remembrance,' says Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet. So it is fitting that researchers would study a compound found in rosemary and sage -- carnosic acid -- for its impact on Alzheimer's disease. In the disease, which is the leading cause of dementia and the sixth leading cause of death in the US, inflammation is one component that often leads to cognitive decline. Carnosic acid is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound that works by activating enzymes that make up the body's natural defense system. While pure carnosic acid is too unstable to be used as a drug, scientists have now synthesized a stable form, diAcCA. This compound is fully converted to carnosic acid in the gut before being absorbed into the bloodstream.
Cold temperatures may trigger shapeshifting proteins (link is external)
Researchers suggest that many metamorphic proteins have an 'underlying temperature dependence.' If confirmed, this would mean that temperature -- and cold temperature in particular -- plays a fundamental role in setting off shapeshifting in metamorphic proteins.
Growing consumption of the American eel may lead to it being critically endangered like its European counterpart (link is external)
To investigate the prevalence and consumption of endangered eels, a research team examined 327 individual eel products purchased across 86 retailers throughout Singapore. The team discovered prevalence of the Anguilla rostrata, commonly known as the American eel, in the sample. While not critically endangered like the European eel, the American eel is also considered an endangered species. The findings suggested a possible shift in trade and consumption of eel to the American eel. Given these findings, the research team called for specific attention to the American eel, with increased enforcement and monitoring needed as proactive steps necessary to avoid the same dramatic population declines that have been documented in other eel species like the European eel.
Common approaches for assessing business impact on biodiversity are powerful, but often insufficient for strategy design (link is external)
A study has determined that the widely used tools available to businesses for assessing their biodiversity impacts depend on broad assumptions and can have large uncertainties that are poorly understood or communicated. If used appropriately, they can be powerful tools to help guide effective action to address biodiversity loss -- but if not, they can lead to misguided effort and can be insufficient for robust biodiversity strategy design.
Evolution of plant network: 600 million years of stress (link is external)
Without plants on land, humans could not live on Earth. From mosses to ferns to grasses to trees, plants are our food, fodder and timber. All this diversity emerged from an algal ancestor that conquered land long ago. The success of land plants is surprising because it is a challenging habitat. On land, rapid shifts in environmental conditions lead to stress, and plants have developed an elaborate molecular machinery for sensing and responding. Now, a research team has compared algae and plants that span 600 million years of independent evolution and pinpointed a shared stress response network using advanced bioinformatic methods.
Discovery: The great whale pee funnel moves vital nutrients (link is external)
Scientists have discovered that whales move nutrients thousands of miles -- in their urine -- from as far as Alaska to Hawaii. These tons of nitrogen support the health of tropical ecosystems and fish, where nitrogen can be limited. They call this movement of nutrients a 'conveyor belt' or 'the great whale pee funnel.' In some places, like Hawaii, the input of nutrients from whales is bigger than from local sources. It's critical to tropical ocean health, therefore, to protect and restore whales.
AI tool to make genetic research more comprehensive (link is external)
Researchers have developed PhyloFrame, a machine-learning tool that uses artificial intelligence to account for ancestral diversity in genetic data.
Are volcanoes behind the oxygen we breathe? (link is external)
It is widely believed that Earth's atmosphere has been rich in oxygen for about 2.5 billion years due to a relatively rapid increase in microorganisms capable of performing photosynthesis. Researchers provide a mechanism to explain precursor oxygenation events, or 'whiffs,' which may have opened the door for this to occur. Their findings suggest volcanic activity altered conditions enough to accelerate oxygenation, and the whiffs are an indication of this taking place.
Humans have a long way to go in understanding a dog's emotions (link is external)
New research has revealed that people often do not perceive the true meaning of their pet's emotions and can misread their dog. The reasons for this are many and include a human misunderstanding of dog expressions due to a bias towards projecting human emotions onto our pets.
Tuberculosis relies on protective genes during airborne transmission (link is external)
Scientists discovered genes in the tuberculosis bacterium that becomes essential for the pathogen's survival when it's exposed to air through coughing. These genes could be targets for new therapies that simultaneously treat infection and prevent transmission.
Cryo-electron microscopy reveals hidden mechanics of DNA replication, sheds new light on cancer target (link is external)
Researchers shed new light on G-quadruplexes, a type of secondary DNA structure that has attracted attention as a potential therapeutic target in cancer.
Intranasal herpes infection may produce neurobehavioral symptoms (link is external)
A study finds that herpes infection through the nose can lead to anxiety, motor impairment and cognitive issues. The research shows that by exploiting a cellular enzyme, the virus can produce behavioral symptoms. The finding emphasizes the need for prevention and treatment of a virus carried by billions of people worldwide.
Is red wine a healthier choice than white wine? Uncorking the cancer risks (link is external)
Researchers have conducted a study that scours 'the vast and often contradictory literature on the carcinogenicity of red and white wine' to assess whether this assumption holds up, and to compare the cancer risks associated with wine type.
Climate change will reduce the number of satellites that can safely orbit in space (link is external)
Aerospace engineers found that greenhouse gas emissions are changing the environment of near-Earth space in ways that, over time, will reduce the number of satellites that can safely operate there.
A longer, sleeker super predator: Megalodon's true form (link is external)
The megalodon has long been imagined as an enormous great white shark, but new research suggests that perception is all wrong. The study finds the prehistoric hunter had a much longer body -- closer in shape to a lemon shark or even a large whale.
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