Climate change impacts terrorist activity

Changing weather patterns induced by climate change are contributing to shifts in the location of terrorist activity, according to new research.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240403224905.htm

Are universities connected to local sustainability? A new study suggests yes...and no.

A new study finds that universities scoring strongly on measures of sustainability are associated with innovation and economic growth in their surrounding communities. However, the study did not find similar connections between university sustainability performance and environmental sustainability in their home communities.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240403130521.htm

Intelligent liquid

Researchers have developed a programmable meta-fluid with tunable springiness, optical properties, viscosity and even the ability to transition between a Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid. The first-of-its-kind meta-fluid uses a suspension of small, elastomer spheres -- between 50 to 500 microns -- that buckle under pressure, radically changing the characteristics of the fluid. The meta-fluid could be used in everything from hydraulic actuators to program robots, to intelligent shock absorbers that can dissipate energy depending on the intensity of the impact, to optical devices that can transition from clear to opaque.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240403130513.htm

Last chance to record archaic Greek language 'heading for extinction'

A new data crowdsourcing platform aims to preserve the sound of Romeyka, an endangered millennia-old variety of Greek. Experts consider the language to be a linguistic goldmine and a living bridge to the ancient world.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240402192601.htm

Increasing positive affect in adolescence could lead to improved health and well-being in adulthood

Adolescents with high positive affect may have improved physical and mental health as adults, according to a new study.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240402192555.htm

A new estimate of U.S. soil organic carbon to improve Earth system models

Emory environmentals scientist combined field-level data with machine-learning techniques to estimate soil organic carbon at the U.S. scale, another step toward providing more accurate baseline data to improve Earth system models for climate change.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240402192552.htm

These plants evolved in Florida millions of years ago: They may be gone in decades

Scrub mints are among the most endangered plants you've probably never heard of. More than half of the 24 species currently known to exist are considered threatened or endangered at the state or federal level. In a new study, researchers show there are likely more scrub mint species waiting to be scientifically described. And at least one species has been left without federal protection because of a technicality.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240402140406.htm

Golfers' risk from pesticides used on turfgrass is likely low

For many, spring heralds fresh air and exercise on the golf course. But do players risk exposure to unsafe levels of pesticides used to beautify and maintain a golf course's green grass? To find out, researchers asked volunteers to play 18 holes on a simulated course sprayed with common pesticides.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240401190426.htm

Engineers 'symphonize' cleaner ammonia production

Among the many chemicals we use every day, ammonia is one of the worst for the atmosphere. The nitrogen-based chemical used in fertilizer, dyes, explosives and many other products ranks second only to cement in terms of carbon emissions, due to the high temperatures and energy needed to manufacture it. But by improving on a well-known electrochemical reaction and orchestrating a 'symphony' of lithium, nitrogen and hydrogen atoms, engineers have developed a new ammonia production process that meets several green targets.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240401142536.htm

Are high-purity cathode materials truly necessary?

Researchers introduce a groundbreaking alternative to reduce secondary battery costs.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240401142530.htm

Chatbot outperformed physicians in clinical reasoning in head-to-head study

ChatGPT-4, an artificial intelligence program designed to understand and generate human-like text, outperformed internal medicine residents and attending physicians at two academic medical centers at processing medical data and demonstrating clinical reasoning.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240401142448.htm

Do sweeteners increase your appetite? New evidence from randomised controlled trial says no

Replacing sugar with artificial and natural sweeteners in foods does not make people hungrier -- and also helps to reduce blood sugar levels, a significant new study has found. The double blind randomized controlled trial found that consuming food containing sweeteners produced a similar reduction in appetite sensations and appetite-related hormone responses as sugary foods -- and provides some benefits such as lowering blood sugar, which may be particularly important in people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The use of sweeteners in place of sugar in foods can be controversial due to conflicting reports about their potential to increase appetite. Previous studies have been carried out but did not provide robust evidence. However, the researchers say their study, which meets the gold standard level of proof in scientific investigation, provides very strong evidence that sweeteners and sweetness enhancers do not negatively impact appetite and are beneficial for reducing sugar intake.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240328194638.htm

Is it the school, or the students?

School quality ratings significantly reflect the preparation of a school's students, not just the school's contribution to learning gains, according to new research.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240328162639.htm

Mechanism found to determine which memories last

Neuroscientists have established in recent decades the idea that some of each day's experiences are converted by the brain into permanent memories during sleep the same night. Now, a new study proposes a mechanism that determines which memories are tagged as important enough to linger in the brain until sleep makes them permanent.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240328162613.htm

Revolutionary biomimetic olfactory chips to enable advanced gas sensing and odor detection

A research team has addressed the long-standing challenge of creating artificial olfactory sensors with arrays of diverse high-performance gas sensors. Their newly developed biomimetic olfactory chips (BOC) are able to integrate nanotube sensor arrays on nanoporous substrates with up to 10,000 individually addressable gas sensors per chip, a configuration that is similar to how olfaction works for humans and other animals.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240328110552.htm

Reverse effects of trauma? Older brain cells linger unexpectedly before their death

Researchers report that mature oligodendrocytes -- the central nervous system cells critical for brain function -- cling to life following a fatal trauma for much, much longer than scientists knew. The findings suggest a new pathway for efforts to reverse or prevent the damage that aging and diseases such as multiple sclerosis cause to these important cells.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240328110254.htm

Long-period oscillations control the Sun's differential rotation

The interior of the Sun does not rotate at the same rate at all latitudes. The physical origin of this differential rotation is not fully understood. It turns out, long-period solar oscillations discovered in 2021 play a crucial role in controlling the Sun's rotational pattern. The long-period oscillations are analogous to the baroclinically unstable waves in Earth's atmosphere that shape the weather. In the Sun, these oscillations carry heat from the slightly hotter poles to the slightly cooler equator.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240327182542.htm

Artificial reef designed by MIT engineers could protect marine life, reduce storm damage

Engineers designed an 'architected' reef that can mimic the wave-buffering effects of natural reefs while providing pockets for marine life. The sustainable and cost-saving structure could dissipate more than 95 percent of incoming wave energy using a small fraction of the material normally needed.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240327165145.htm

Sweet success: Sugarcane's complex genetic code cracked

Scientists created a highly accurate reference genome for one of the most important modern crops and found a rare example of how genes confer disease resistance in plants. Exploring sugarcane's genetic code could help researchers develop more resilient and productive crops, with implications for both sugar production and biofuels.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240327124802.htm

The behavior of ant queens is shaped by their social environment

The queens in colonies of social insects, such as ants, bees, and wasps, are considered the veritable embodiment of specialization in the animal kingdom. The common perception is that the queen's only task is to lay eggs -- and that this attribute is an inherent trait, not influenced by external factors. In contrast, recent research has demonstrated that in certain ant colonies the social environment can play a crucial role in shaping the behavioral specialization of the queens.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240326170119.htm