Subterranean storage of hydrogen

Scientists are using computer simulations and laboratory experiments to see if depleted oil and natural gas reservoirs can be used for storing carbon-free hydrogen fuel. Hydrogen is an important clean fuel: It can be made by splitting water using solar or wind power, it can be used to generate electricity and power heavy industry, and it could be used to power fuel-cell-based vehicles. Additionally, hydrogen could be stored for months and used when energy needs outpace the supply delivered by renewable energy sources.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240409124002.htm

Humans converted at least 250,000 acres of estuaries to cities, farms in last 35 years

Worldwide over the past 35 years, dams and land reclamation activities converted 250,000 acres of estuary -- an area roughly 17 times the size of Manhattan -- to urban land or agricultural fields, with most land conversion and estuary loss in rapidly developing countries, a new study finds. The findings could help developing countries avoid problems faced by countries that have already lost or degraded their estuaries.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240409123956.htm

New technique lets scientists create resistance-free electron channels

A team has taken the first atomic-resolution images and demonstrated electrical control of a chiral interface state -- an exotic quantum phenomenon that could help researchers advance quantum computing and energy-efficient electronics.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240409123920.htm

Cognitive decline may be detected using network analysis, according to Concordia researchers

Researchers use network analysis to study whether it can reveal the subtle changes associated with subjective cognitive decline that cannot otherwise be detected through standard test analyses. By running a statistical analysis of data merged from two large Canadian data sets, the researchers were able to visualize the strength of relationships between the nodes among people who are classified as cognitively normal (CN), or who have diagnoses of subjective cognitive decline (SCD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer's disease (AD).

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240409123914.htm

Research could unlock more precise prognoses and targeted treatments for children with cancer

Researchers have identified new variations in neuroblastoma that could lead to a more accurate prognosis and better-targeted treatments for this devastating childhood cancer. A study reveals three new subgroups of the most common type of neuroblastoma, each with different genetic traits, expected outcomes, and distinguishing features that offer clues as to which treatments may be most effective.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240409123911.htm

A natural touch for coastal defense

Common 'hard' coastal defenses, like concrete sea walls, might struggle to keep up with increasing climate risks. A new study shows that combining them with nature-based solutions could, in some contexts, create defenses which are better able to adapt.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240409123903.htm

Are lab-grown brain tissues ethical? There is no no-brainer answer

Researchers offer insights into the ethical dilemmas and legal complexities surrounding brain organoids, especially those derived from human fetal tissue. Their findings advocate for thorough regulatory frameworks to ensure that scientific and medical progress in this field is conducted responsibly and ethically, with strong regulations supported by sound ethical and legal principles.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240408225709.htm

How climate change will impact food production and financial institutions

Researchers have developed a new method to predict the financial impacts climate change will have on agriculture, which can help support food security and financial stability for countries increasingly prone to climate catastrophes.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240408150513.htm

A pulse of innovation: AI at the service of heart research

Researchers unveiled BeatProfiler, a groundbreaking new tool -- a comprehensive software that automates the analysis of heart cell function from video data. It's the first system to integrate the analysis of different heart function indicators, such as contractility, calcium handling, and force output into one tool, speeding up the process significantly and reducing the chance for errors. BeatProfiler enabled the researchers to not only distinguish between different diseases and levels of their severity but also to rapidly and objectively test drugs that affect heart function.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240408150501.htm

Different means to the same end: How a worm protects its chromosomes

Researchers have discovered that a worm commonly used in the study of biology uses a set of proteins unlike those seen in other studied organisms to protect the ends of its DNA.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240408150446.htm

Deep parts of Great Barrier Reef 'insulated' from global warming -- for now

Some deeper areas of the Great Barrier Reef are insulated from harmful heatwaves -- but that protection will be lost if global warming continues, according to new research.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240408150441.htm

Inexplicable flying fox found in Hydra galaxy cluster

High sensitivity radio observations have discovered a cloud of magnetized plasma in the Hydra galaxy cluster. The odd location and shape of this plasma defy all conventional explanations. Dubbed the Flying Fox based on its silhouette, this plasma will remain a mystery until additional observations can provide more insight.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240408130801.htm

Disparities in sleep health and insomnia may begin at a young age

Children and teens from racial and ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected by persistent insomnia symptoms that begin in childhood and continue through young adulthood, according to a new study. This study is one of the first to look at how childhood insomnia symptoms evolve over the long-term and investigate how the trajectory of insomnia differs between racial and ethnic groups.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240408130630.htm

PFAS 'forever chemicals' above drinking water guidelines in global source water

PFAS (aka 'forever chemicals') are notoriously difficult to destroy. They've been linked to environmental and health issues, including some cancers, but a lot remains unknown about the true scale and potential impacts of the problem -- including how much is in our water supply. A new study assessed the levels of PFAS contamination in surface and ground water around the globe -- and found that much of our global source water exceeds PFAS safe drinking limits.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240408130619.htm

Climate change threatens Antarctic meteorites

Antarctica harbors a large concentration of meteorites imbuing the icy continent with an unparalleled wealth of information on our solar system. However, these precious meteorites are rapidly disappearing from the ice sheet surface due to global warming, according to a new study.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240408130613.htm

Unnecessary use of beta-blockers after a heart attack?

Half of all patients discharged from hospital after a heart attack are treated with beta-blockers unnecessarily, new study suggests.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240408130546.htm

Atlas of the human ovary with cell-level resolution is a step toward artificial ovary

A new 'atlas' of the human ovary provides insights that could lead to treatments restoring ovarian hormone production and the ability to have biologically related children, according to engineers.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240405231840.htm

Common loons threatened by declining water clarity

The Common Loon, an icon of the northern wilderness, is under threat from climate change due to reduced water clarity, according to a new study. The study followed up an earlier paper that showed substantial reproductive decline in the author's study area in northern Wisconsin.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240405231821.htm

Heat stress from ocean warming harms octopus vision

While climate change has led to an increase in the abundance of octopuses, heat stress from projected ocean warming could impair their vision and impact the survivability of the species.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240405130454.htm

Ocean floor a 'reservoir' of plastic pollution

New science has taken a deep dive into plastic waste, providing the first estimate of how much ends up on the sea floor.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/04/240404190801.htm