Scientists have identified practical fertilizer strategies that can help rice farmers in Myanmar boost their profits, protect the environment, and improve food security. Recent research, led by an international team including experts from the University of Melbourne and local partners, provides new recommendations for nitrogen fertilizer use, aiming for a balance between high yields and low environmental costs. Myanmar is one of Southeast Asia’s largest rice producers, yet struggles with low productivity, financial challenges, and food insecurity. Most local farmers rely on ...

The insightful Carbon Research Webinar, "Fossil-Free Graphite from Biomass for Greener Process Industries," is now available on-demand on YouTube! This insightful discussion with Prof. Weihong Yang of KTH Royal Institute of Technology took place on Monday, August 11, 2025. In case you couldn't join us live, you can now catch the full session on-demand, where Prof. Yang explores innovative strategies for replacing fossil-based materials with sustainable, bio-based graphite. He provides key insights into: Converting bioprecursors into fossil-free graphite. Its critical applications ...

As perovskite solar cells (PSCs) move toward commercialization, their extreme sensitivity to ambient moisture remains a major barrier to scalable, low-cost manufacturing. Now, researchers from Xidian University, led by Prof. Weidong Zhu and Prof. Chunfu Zhang, have developed a self-buffered molecular migration strategy that enables moisture-resistant, ambient-air crystallization of perovskite films—achieving record efficiencies without the need for strict humidity control. Why Self-Buffered Molecular Migration Matters Moisture Tolerance: A BABr shielding layer slows intermolecular ...

Professor Zhongkui Zhao of Dalian University of Technology, in collaboration with Professor Riguang Zhang of Taiyuan University of Technology, Researcher Yuefeng Liu of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Ting Zhang of Qingdao University, and Professor Chunshan Song  of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, constructed a single-atom Cu-N2O1 site with axial oxygen coordination on C3N4. Through the polar activation of the CH bond by the polar Cu-O bond, ...

New research led by UH Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) Marine Mammal Research Program (MMRP) has drastically increased our understanding of Hawaiian monk seal (Neomonachus schauinslandi) underwater sound production, revealing a vocal repertoire far more complex than previously described. Published today in Royal Society Open Science, the study analyzed thousands of hours of passive acoustic data and identified 25 distinct underwater vocalizations, a dramatic increase from the six calls previously known from seals in human care. The team also ...

Five minutes of training can significantly improve people's ability to identify fake faces created by artificial intelligence, new research shows. Scientists from the University of Reading, Greenwich, Leeds and Lincoln tested 664 participants' ability to distinguish between real human faces and faces generated by computer software called StyleGAN3. Without any training, super-recognisers (individuals who score significantly higher than average on face recognition tests) correctly identified ...

Shouting at seagulls makes them more likely to leave your food alone, research shows. University of Exeter researchers put a closed Tupperware box of chips on the ground to pique herring gulls’ interest. Once a gull approached, they played either a recording of a male voice shouting the words, “No, stay away, that’s my food”, the same voice speaking those words, or the ‘neutral’ birdsong of a robin.   They tested a total of 61 gulls across nine seaside towns in Cornwall and found that ...

UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 00:01 UK TIME ON WEDNESDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2025 Researchers at the University of Southampton have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can spot hard-to-see objects lodged in patients’ airways better than expert radiologists. In a study published in npj Digital Medicine, the AI model outperformed radiologists in checking CT scans for objects that don’t show up well on scans. These accidentally inhaled objects can cause coughing, choking, difficulty breathing and sometimes lead to more serious complications if not treated properly. The findings highlight how AI can support doctors in diagnosing complex and potentially life-threatening conditions. The ...

Researchers at the University of Southampton have identified a new subtype of lymphoma which could pave the way to improved and more targeted treatments for some blood cancer patients. The cancer scientists and biologists have also found that lymphoma cells of this new subtype carry a unique sugar that promotes the survival and growth of the cancer. Lymphoma is a type of blood cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. There are many different types of lymphoma, but this latest breakthrough is in a type called diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), which affects our B cells. When operating ...

A new study led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) reveals what drives investors to put their money behind business start-ups. Researchers analysed more than a thousand successful crowdfunding campaigns on the platform Seedrs. They found that setting a £90K “sweet spot” target, having around 19 team members, and using certain phrases including “health” and “organic” in campaign pitches all helped attract investors. Offering a high equity percentage in return for investment was also found to be crucial – with low equity ratios putting investors off. The researchers hope their work could help entrepreneurs fine-tune ...

Flinders University fossil experts have unearthed more clues about why kangaroos and wallabies have endured to become one of the continent’s most prolific marsupial groups. They have analysed the powerful limbs of Australia’s earliest ‘true’ kangaroo – the shared ancestor of modern-day kangaroos and wallabies. The palaeontologists focused on the limb bones of the extinct Dorcopsoides fossilis, found only in the rich Alcoota fossil field in the southern Northern Territory. Lead investigator Dr Isaac Kerr says these hardy hopping marsupials, which lived around 7 million years ago in a period called the Late Miocene, are ...

A team of researchers from Nanjing University and Nanjing Normal University has designed a new, affordable sensor to detect toxic perchlorate in water, paving the way for better environmental monitoring and healthier communities. The sensor, inspired by porphyrin molecules and costing less than two US dollars, offers rapid and highly accurate detection of perchlorate, a harmful pollutant that often escapes into rivers and drinking water through fireworks manufacturing and industrial operations. Perchlorate is a persistent pollutant known for its mobility, water solubility, and stability. While perchlorate can occur naturally, ...

Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) Program Leader Erik Nelson’s lab made an important discovery about the relationship between cholesterol and breast cancer progression with crucial implications for breast cancer therapeutics. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death for American women, and more than 90% of breast cancer deaths are caused by metastatic spread of the disease. While breast cancer therapies have improved significantly in recent years, scientists do not yet understand the totality of molecular mechanisms involved in breast cancer progression and treatment ...

New research has found a simple sit-stand routine at work significantly reduces lower back pain, offering a high-impact solution for employees in sedentary work environments.  While the Griffith University-led study focused on individuals with recent lower back pain, the recommended ratio of 30 minutes sitting followed by 15 minutes standing (30:15) could benefit all desk-based workers by improving focus, reducing stress, and encouraging regular movement patterns throughout the day.  In collaboration with co-authors ...

At 10 one-millionths of a meter wide, a single human cell is tiny. But something even smaller exerts an enormous influence on everything a cell does: proton concentration, or pH. On the microscopic level, pH-dependent structures regulate cell movement and division. Altered pH response can accelerate the development of cancers and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s. Researchers hope that pinpointing pH-sensitive structures in proteins would help them determine how proteins respond to pH changes in normal and diseased cells alike and, ultimately, to ...

As a mentor, Sindhu Jagadamma, associate professor of soil science at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, helps her students increase their self-confidence and push themselves to persevere through adversity, traits she learned to improve in herself as a young girl from a small town in India. Former mentees who worked with Jagadamma in the Sustainable Soil Management Lab nominated her for the Women in Science Mentoring Award, given by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America. She received the award at ...

CATONSVILLE, Md., Nov. 11, 2025 – A new peer-reviewed study in the INFORMS journal Decision Analysis finds that while generative AI (GenAI) can help define viable objectives for organizational and policy decision-making, the overall quality of those objectives falls short unless humans intervene. In the field of decision analysis, defining objectives is a foundational step. Before you can evaluate options, allocate resources or design policies, you need to identify what you’re trying to achieve. The research underscores that AI tools are valuable brainstorming partners, but sound decision analysis still requires a “human ...

CORVALLIS, Ore. – A long-term analysis shows that a major Oregon reservoir abruptly swapped one type of toxic algae for another midway through the 12-year study period, absent any obvious cause. The project provides a novel look at harmful algal blooms, or HABs, which pose multiple health risks to people and animals worldwide. Harmful algal blooms in lakes and reservoirs are explosions of cyanobacteria, often referred to as blue-green algae. Microscopic organisms ubiquitous in all types of water around the globe, cyanobacteria use sunlight to make their own food and in warm, nutrient-rich environments can quickly multiply, resulting in blooms that spread across ...

Forensic experts are inviting the public to put their trainer knowledge to the test – and contribute to an award-winning research project. Led by University of Staffordshire and West Yorkshire Police, When All is Tread and Done is exploring new forensic techniques to help identify criminals by their shoes. Project lead Professor Claire Gwinnett explained: “While CCTV, body-worn cameras and mobile footage is increasingly used in criminal investigations, suspects often cover their faces. “Shoes, however, can be a distinguishing feature in CCTV footage or images and that is what our research is ...

Principal Investigator Maryam Parsa, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), and co-Principal Investigator Giorgio Ascoli, Distinguished Professor of Bioengineering and Neuroscience, College of Science, received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for the project: “GAINS: Generalizable, Analog, Izhikevich-Based Neuromorphic Spintronics for Next-Generation Computing.” PI-Parsa is leading this collaborative project with two other co-PIs from University of Wisconsin–Madison (Prof. Akhilesh Jaiswal) and Northwestern University ...

Key Takeaways Cancer patients who frequently miss radiation appointments experience worse clinical outcomes than those who complete their recommended treatment. Transportation barriers, unrelated illnesses, and not wanting to continue with treatment are the most common reasons patients miss radiation appointments. Providing patients with structured and individualized support can reduce missed radiation therapy appointments by almost half, a national quality improvement project found. CHICAGO — A national quality improvement program led by the American College of Surgeons (ACS) found that transportation barriers and illness are among the top reasons cancer patients miss critical ...

A nanofiber air filter developed by the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (UChicago PME) could turn existing building ventilation into carbon-capture devices while cutting homeowners’ energy costs. In a paper recently published in Science Advances, researchers from the lab of UChicago PME Asst. Prof. Po-Chun Hsu developed a distributed carbon nanofiber direct air capture (DAC) filter that could potentially turn every home, office, school or other building into a small carbon-capture system working toward the global problem of airborne CO2. A ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Small-group discussions designed to help elementary students engage in conversations that promote critical analytic thinking, reasoning and deeper understanding of the content they read increased critical thinking over time for fourth- and fifth-grade students, according to a new study by a team that includes researchers from the Penn State College of Education. It’s the latest evidence in support of Quality Talk, the “deliberate approach to discussion that transforms student engagement” developed by P. Karen Murphy, associate dean for research and outreach in the Penn State College ...

For a long time, scientists assumed that newly established plants in Europe served less often as food or hosts for native animals and fungi, since they share no common evolutionary history with local fauna and could therefore spread particularly aggressively. According to Staude, the study confirms this initial phase. However, the study also showed that this changes over time: after a few centuries, many of these plants are increasingly used by plant parasites. Unlike pollinators, plant parasites are usually highly specialised in native plants – which makes the findings all the more surprising, according to Staude. “We also observe in this context that ...

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — While the exact causes of neurodegenerative brain diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia are still largely unknown, researchers have been able to identify a key characteristic in affected brains: reduced blood flow. Building upon this foundational understanding, a team at Penn State recently found that a rare neuron that is extremely vulnerable to anxiety-induced stress appears to be responsible for regulating blood flow and coordinating neural activity in mice.  The researchers found that eliminating type-one nNOS neurons — which make up less than 1% of the brain’s 80 billion neurons and die off when exposed to too much stress — resulted ...