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Producing clean water in an emergency
Disasters such as floods, tsunamis, and earthquakes often result in the spread of diseases like gastroenteritis, giardiasis and even cholera because of an immediate shortage of clean drinking water. Now, chemistry researchers at McGill Universi…
Beyond tender loving care: ‘TLCs’ promise health and happiness
WASHINGTON — Lifestyle changes — such as getting more exercise, time in nature, or helping others — can be as effective as drugs or counseling to treat an array of mental illnesses, according to a new paper published by the American Psychologica…
Paper archives reveal pollution’s history
Some of the history preserved in old tomes and newspapers may be hiding in between the lines of print. A Weizmann Institute scientist has found that the paper in such collections contains a record of atmospheric conditions at the time the trees that…
Explosive- and drug-sniffing dog performance is affected by their handlers’ beliefs
Drug- and explosives-sniffing dog/handler teams’ performance is affected by human handlers’ beliefs, possibly in response to subtle, unintentional handler cues, a study by researchers at UC Davis has found.
The study, published in the January issu…
Dating sheds new light on dawn of the dinosaurs
Careful dating of new dinosaur fossils and volcanic ash around them by researchers from UC Davis and UC Berkeley casts doubt on the idea that dinosaurs appeared and opportunistically replaced other animals. Instead — at least in one South American …
Newly discovered group of algae live in both fresh water and ocean
A team of biologists has discovered an entirely new group of algae living in a variety of marine and freshwater environments. This group of algae, which the researchers dubbed “rappemonads,” have DNA that is distinctly different from that of ot…
Big city life may make residents lean toward green, study says
EAST LANSING, Mich. — The downsides of China’s explosive urbanization — like pollution and greenhouse gas emissions — now are joined by an upside: Better environmental citizens.
It’s the first time scientists have weighed employment …
Globally sustainable fisheries possible with co-management
The bulk of the world’s fisheries–including the kind of small-scale, often non-industrialized fisheries that millions of people depend on for food–could be sustained using community-based co-management. This is the conclusion of a study report…
Paper mulches evaluated for commercial vegetable production
LEXINGTON, KY — Polyethylene mulches, used widely in commercial vegetable production to improve crop yields and produce quality, have distinct disadvantages. Disposal options are limited, and plastic mulches often end up in landfills, being …
UCSF team develops ‘logic gates’ to program bacteria as computers
A team of UCSF researchers has engineered E. coli with the key molecular circuitry that will enable genetic engineers to program cells to communicate and perform computations.
The work builds into cells the same logic gates found in electronic…
Fleshing out the life histories of dead whales
Dead whales that sink down to the seafloor provide a feast for deep-sea animals that can last for years. Previous research suggested that such “whale falls” were homes for unique animals that lived nowhere else. However, after sinking five whale…