The 1972 Clean Water Act protects the "waters of the United States" but does not precisely define which streams and wetlands this phrase covers, leaving it to presidential administrations, regulators, and courts to decide. As a result, the exact coverage of Clean Water Act rules is difficult to estimate. New research led by a team at the University of California, Berkeley, used machine learning to more accurately predict which waterways are protected by the Act. The analysis found that a 2020 Trump administration rule removed Clean Water Act ...

The invasion of non-native species can sometimes lead to large and unexpected ecosystem shifts, as Douglas Kamaru and colleagues demonstrate in a unique, careful study that traces the links between big-headed ants, acacia trees, elephants, lions, zebras, and buffalo at a Kenyan conservancy. The invasive big-headed ant species disrupted a mutualism between native ants and the region’s thorny acacia trees, in which the native ants protected the trees from grazers in exchange for a place to live. Through a combination of observations, experimental plots, and animal tracking at Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Kamaru et al. followed the ecosystem chain reaction prompted by this disruption. ...

New measurements of total gaseous organic carbon concentrations in the air over the Athabasca oil sands in Canada suggest that traditional methods of estimating this pollution can severely underestimate emissions, according to an analysis by Megan He and colleagues. Using aircraft-based measurements, He et al. conclude that the total gaseous organic carbon emissions from oil sands operations exceed industry-reported values by 1900% to over 6300% across the studied facilities. “Measured facility-wide emissions represented approximately 1% of extracted petroleum, resulting in total organic ...

The U.S. Clean Water Act is a critically important part of federal water quality regulation, but the act does not define the exact waters that fall under its jurisdiction. Now, Simon Greenhill and colleagues have developed a machine learning model that helps to clarify which waters are protected from pollution under the United States’ Clean Water Act, and how recent rule changes affect protection. The model demonstrates that the waters protected under the act differ substantially depending on whether the act’s regulations follow a 2006 U.S. Supreme Court ruling or a 2020 White House rule. Under the 2006 Rapanos Supreme Court ruling, the model suggests that the Clean ...

Observations of gamma rays, emitted by relativistic jets in a microquasar system, demonstrate the acceleration of electrons by a shock front, reports a new study. The microquasar SS 433 is a binary system made up of a compact object, probably a black hole, and a supergiant star. The black hole pulls material off the star and ejects plasma jets, which move at close to the speed of light. The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is an array of five telescopes in Namibia that observe gamma rays. The H.E.S.S. ...

The science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke selected his own seven wonders of the world in a BBC television series in 1997. The only astronomical object he included was SS 433. It had attracted attention already in the late 1970s due to its X-ray emission and was later discovered to be at the center of a gas nebula that is dubbed the manatee nebula due to its unique shape resembling these aquatic mammals. SS 433 is a binary star system in which a black hole, with a mass approximately ten times that of the Sun, and a star, with a similar mass but occupying a much larger volume, orbit each other with ...

Leading scientists are today calling for an urgent step change in global governance to save the future of worldwide cities and the planet at large. Cities are growing at an unprecedented rate, putting overwhelming pressures on exploited land, scarce resources, and fragile ecosystems. The bold proposals, led by experts from the Universities of Bristol, Oxford and Yale, are set out in a Science journal article, proposing a new global advisory system to address the alarming impacts of urban expansion. This system would fulfil a similar function as the Intergovernmental ...

For the first time, scientists have engineered an enzyme that can break stubborn man-made bonds between silicon and carbon that exist in widely used chemicals known as siloxanes, or silicones. The discovery is a first step toward rendering the chemicals, which can linger in the environment, biodegradable. "Nature is an amazing chemist, and her repertoire now includes breaking bonds in siloxanes previously thought to evade attack by living organisms," says Frances Arnold, the Linus Pauling Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at Caltech and winner of the 2018 Nobel ...

What makes the little old ant think he can disrupt the life of an African lion? Researchers say it’s more than just high hopes. In a study published today in the journal Science, a team of scientists reports that a tiny and seemingly innocuous invasive ant species is changing tree cover in an East African wildlife area, making it harder for lions, the world’s most iconic predator, to hunt its preferred prey, zebra. “These tiny invaders are cryptically pulling on the ties that bind an African ecosystem together, determining who is eaten and ...

The spread of West Nile virus in Europe is strongly linked to agricultural activities, urbanization, and bird migration, according to a modelling study published January 25, 2024 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Lu Lu from the University of Edinburgh, UK, and collaborators belonging to a large European collaborative consortium under the VEO (Versatile Emerging infectious disease Observatory) project. West Nile virus outbreaks have occurred in birds (the natural hosts and reservoirs for the virus), livestock, and ...

The intricate dance of nature often unfolds in mysterious ways, hidden from the naked eye. At the heart of this enigmatic tango lies a vital partnership: the symbiosis between plants and a type of fungi known as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. New groundbreaking research, recently published in the journal Science, delves into this partnership, revealing key insights that deepen our understanding of plant-AM fungi interactions and could lead to advances in sustainable agriculture. AM fungi live within plant root cells, forming a unique alliance with ...

Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, a senior group leader at HHMI's Janelia Research Campus and head of Janelia’s 4D Cellular Physiology research area, has been awarded the 2023 Dickson Prize in Science from Carnegie Mellon University for her pioneering work in live-cell imaging and organelle dynamics. The Dickson Prize in Science recognizes substantial achievements or sustained progress in the fields of the natural sciences, engineering, computer science, or mathematics. It has been awarded annually since 1970. Lippincott-Schwartz was recognized for her decades of work in cell biology, including the development of groundbreaking ...

A new study has found that children growing up in low-income families have fewer opportunities to make friends and to socially integrate at school. Researchers from the University of Zurich and the University of Stockholm examined  data from over 200 school classes in Sweden and reached this conclusion. Having friends at school is important for adolescents’ development and it shapes their social skills later in life. Teenagers who feel well integrated in their school class have better mental health and higher grades – which has a knock-on effect on their later careers. A study led by the University of Zurich set out to examine whether parental income influences ...

Surgeons and scientists at UCLA Health will present data on the latest basic science, translational and health services research that has the potential to improve patient care at the 19th annual Academic Surgical (ASC) Congress in Washington, D.C., Feb. 6 to 8.  The annual meeting, which is the joint meeting of the Association for Academic Surgery and the Society of University Surgeons, will feature nearly 80 abstracts from UCLA investigators that highlight topics in subspecialties ranging from oncology, trauma surgery to cardiothoracic surgery.  Dr. Timothy Donahue, chief of surgical oncology and professor of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine, is the current ...

Diagnosis of sepsis in children has been improved based on new research findings. An international research team co-led by the Luregn Schlapbach from the University and the University Children’s Hospital Zurich harnessed artificial intelligence to analyze data from over 3.5 million children suffering from this life-threatening disease. Sepsis is a life-threatening infection that can lead to organ failure. Every year, around 3 million children worldwide die of the disease. Of those who survive a sepsis infection, every third child suffers long-term consequences, sometimes severe. Until now, there were no evidence-based criteria for diagnosing sepsis ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue Innovates Office of Technology Commercialization has issued a worldwide, exclusive license for a short-stature corn inbred called D16 to Romney-based Ag Alumni Seed. The license is limited to popcorn and doesn’t apply to dent corn, field corn or sweet corn. Traditional breeding techniques Ag Alumni Seed has supported multiple research projects at Purdue University with both financial and in-kind contributions—such as the use of land, equipment and facilities. Jay Hulbert, the company’s president and CEO, said development of D16 began with research that Guri Johal conducted at the company’s ...

The American College of Cardiology’s Cardiovascular Summit (CV Summit) will take place on February 1-3 in Washington, DC. Bringing together all members of the CV team, the educational event highlights best practices for creating a more efficient, effective and equitable health care system. As health care systems continue to evolve, CV teams must be equipped to address these emerging trends and changes in operations, economics and the workforce. This year’s CV Summit will feature an array of educational sessions for clinicians, administrators and executives that encompass a multitude of practice models. Participants will learn how ...

Aircraft noise is often a nuisance for people living near airports and in flight paths – and, in the worst case, a health hazard: from sleep disorders to cardiovascular diseases. According to a report by the European Environment Agency, around four million people in Europe were exposed to excessive levels of aircraft noise in 2017. New types of aircraft with a blended wing body (BWB), whose fuselage merges seamlessly into the wings – with less air resistance and lower fuel consumption – are seen as a beacon of hope to alleviate this burden. And with lower noise emissions towards the ground if the engines are mounted on top of the fuselage. Auralization in the lab Although ...

HOUSTON ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center’s Research Highlights showcases the latest breakthroughs in cancer care, research and prevention. These advances are made possible through seamless collaboration between MD Anderson’s world-leading clinicians and scientists, bringing discoveries from the lab to the clinic and back. Recent developments at MD Anderson include a combination treatment for KRAS G12C-mutant colorectal cancer; using liquid biopsies to classify small-cell lung cancer subtypes; an artificial intelligence model to improve non-small cell lung cancer classification; ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Working with mammalian retinal cells, neuroscientists at Johns Hopkins Medicine have shown that, unlike most light-sensing cells (photoreceptors) in the retina, one special type uses two different pathways at the same time to transmit electrical “vision” signals to the brain. The work also reveals that such photoreceptors, according to the researchers, may have ancient origins on the evolutionary scale. This and other findings, published Dec 18, in PNAS, “shed scientific as well as literal light” on a decades-long mystery ...

Speaking today at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, Gerontological Society of America members Jennifer Craft Morgan, PhD, FGSA, and Richard J. Mollot, JD, called on lawmakers to enact policies that enable greater state and national oversight of assisted living facilities, and that bolster the workforce and engagement of residents and care partners. Senators convened the hearing, titled “Assisted Living Facilities: Understanding Long-Term Care Options for Older Adults,” to examine challenges faced by assisted living facility residents. Committee Chair Bob Casey recently sent letters to the CEOs of three ...

Philadelphia, January 25, 2024 – The American College of Radiology® (ACR®), working in close collaboration with four other radiology societies from around the world, have issued a joint statement on the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in radiology. This groundbreaking joint statement is openly available in ACR’s Journal of the American College of Radiology, published by Elsevier. It explores the potential challenges and ethical and safety concerns related to integrating this new technology into radiology practice. “Developing, Purchasing, Implementing and Monitoring AI Tools ...

Las Vegas, NV (Jan. 25, 2024) — The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation® and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) are proud to host the annual Crohn’s & Colitis Congress®, taking place on Jan. 25-27, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Crohn’s & Colitis Congress convenes researchers, clinicians, and other professionals involved in the care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to share the latest research breakthroughs and treatment advancements in IBD. During this premier meeting, we’ll review the latest advancements in IBD care that aim to improve the lives of the millions of Americans living with Crohn’s disease ...

All animals need sleep. When humans or animals don’t get enough, it can lead to trouble paying attention, irritability, and other ill effects. And yet, researchers reporting in the journal Current Biology on January 25 have made the surprising discovery that a small Australian marsupial called an antechinus will sacrifice hours of sleep per night to make more time for sex during the mating season. The researchers say the multi-year study is the first to show direct evidence for this type of sleep restriction in any land-dwelling mammal. It’s a trade-off between sleep and reproduction that they say is likely driven by ...

What are the origins of wings and tails in birds? This is one of the key questions in the evolution of animals. It has long been accepted that their evolution began in feathered dinosaurs. Some of these dinosaurs had feathers on the tails and small wing-like feathers on their forelimbs (arms). These small wing-like structures called ‘proto-wings’ are composed of special feathers known as pennaceous feathers — the stiff feathers found in the wings and tails of birds. The ancient form of these feathers first emerged in dinosaurs during the Jurassic Period, and these dinosaurs, called ...