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Bats are members of the order Chiroptera, which is the second-largest order of living mammals. The geographic distribution of these flying mammals is tremendous as well, ranging from the limit of trees in the Northern Hemisphere to the southern tips…

A newly identified coronavirus, provisionally termed 2019-nCoV (an acronym for 2019 novel coronavirus) and subsequently named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in central China in November 2019. The disease caused…

In response to the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic—which has dramatically affected the entire world, causing high morbidity, mortality, and massive social and economic disruption—and in addition to finding efficacious treatments for…

Using traditional welding methods, rocket engine nozzles and combustion chambers are some of the most difficult parts to fabricate, requiring up to a year to produce a single part. Now, however, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration…

Cosmochemists have discovered the oldest solid material known to exist on Earth. The material, stardust, consists of silicon carbide grains measuring around one micrometer in size. The grains date back approximately 7 billion years, or about 2.5…

There is a growing body of evidence that many of the thousands of prescription and over-the-counter medications ultimately make their way into water bodies and drinking-water supplies. Typical wastewater treatment plants may not be effective at…

Microplastics are raining down on national parks and other protected areas in the western United States at the rate of about 132 pieces of microplastic per square meter every day, according to a report in the journal Science (June 2020).…

Although asphalt (also known as bitumen) is a naturally occurring substance found in deposits within the earth, it is also a by-product of petroleum processing. Almost all the bitumen used for asphalt pavement and roofs comes from petroleum refining…

Many questions concerning the sustainable production of biofuels have emerged over recent years in terms of land and water use, pollution from fertilizer and pest-control chemicals, greenhouse-gas production, net energy production, and whether…

Scientists have suggested a possible connection between ancient Neandertals (Homo neanderthalensis) and the severity of disease in patients affected by COVID-19. In short, certain genes acquired from Neandertals during instances of interbreeding…

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 that emerged in central China in late 2019 and subsequently spread across the world in 2020 led to the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergence of a previously unknown pathogen—such as the novel coronavirus—that could affect…

If you think converting seawater to fuels that can power ships is a fantasy, think again. Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., have, in fact, accomplished this feat. In addition, the U.S. Navy has received a patent…

Using an artificial intelligence technique known as deep learning and high-resolution remote sensing, scientists have counted and mapped the location of trees in 11,000 satellite images covering more than 1.3 million square kilometers (500,000…

During the past decade, the automotive industry has converted more than 50 percent of its internal combustion engines from a traditional technology called port fuel injection (PFI) to a new technology called gasoline direct injection (GDI). The…

There has been substantial progress in the fight against certain drug-resistant organisms that cause serious, often fatal, diseases. However, two drug-resistant microbes—specifically, Candida auris (a fungal yeast) and Acinetobacter (a genus of…

Sickle cell disease, also termed sickle cell anemia, is a genetic disorder in which hypoxia, or oxygen deprivation, causes red blood cells (erythrocytes) to assume a rigid sickle shape, blocking blood flow within blood vessels. The disease results…

Fingerprint identification is a widely used forensic method for linking an individual to a crime scene. Investigators at a crime scene can find invisible (latent) fingerprints, which consist of natural skin oils, by "dusting" surfaces with carbon…

Mucus produced by the common garden snail (Helix aspersa) is green. The slime is not actually green in color but is “green” in terms of its environmentally friendly chemistry. It turns out that this snail’s mucus has chemical properties as a…

Heroin (C21H23NO5) is a white, crystalline powder synthesized from morphine, a natural alkaloid extracted from the seedpod of the Asian opium poppy plant, Papaver somniferum. It is a powerful opioid drug prepared by the addition of two acetyl groups…

A class of chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl compounds (PFAS) are particularly worrisome in the environment because they do not biodegrade. For this reason, scientists often refer to PFAS as “forever chemicals.” PFAS’s staying power…

The majority of toxic pollution in the United States could potentially be eliminated by requiring a small number of extreme polluters to release pollutants at levels in line with those of comparable industrial facilities, according to a recent study…

With a miniature version of the kind of television antennas that often adorned rooftops before the advent of satellite and cable TV, researchers have demonstrated the conversion of electrical signals into light beamed in a particular direction. This…

Naturally ventilating a house, such as by opening doors and windows, has long been considered an effective strategy for exhausting indoor air pollutants. However, according to researchers reporting in the journal Science Advances (February 2020),…

A new study has shown that dangerous hydrogen-burning flames can persist in unexpectedly narrow spaces and with very low fuel volumes. The findings highlight potential challenges involved in the safe storage and transport of hydrogen gas, which…

Famously durable, diamond is the hardest natural substance that occurs in any significant abundance on Earth. Yet according to a new study, on the nanoscale—a scale size of just billionths of a meter—diamond can, in fact, be bent and deformed. This…

Ground-level, or tropospheric ozone (O3), is a strong oxidizing agent that reacts with living tissue. Consequently, tropospheric ozone is considered an air pollutant and a respiratory irritant at low concentrations. At higher concentrations,…

Over thousands of years of study of the human body through dissection and, more recently, modern-day imaging techniques, scientists have observed and analyzed various glands—that is, structures or organs that produce and secrete a substance or…

During the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, most restaurants and other dining facilities were shut down to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. By July 2020, however, indoor dining once again became an option for many…

Since the start of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, doctors and epidemiologists have identified a number of underlying medical conditions that are significantly correlated with severe illness from COVID-19. One such notable…

As offices, schools, health clubs, restaurants, hotels, and other facilities gradually reopen after shutdowns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the public may confront yet another unmitigated health hazard: unsafe water from dormant or underused…

Over the course of history, smallpox has been among the most feared diseases of humankind. Caused by the variola virus (a DNA-containing member of the Poxviridae family) and spread by transfer through respiratory droplets during face-to-face…

Solar panels, also known as photovoltaic (PV) panels, convert sunlight to electricity and are thus often used for residential or large-scale power generation. Most PV panels presently in use have a life expectancy of 30 years. Because the bulk of…

Concrete is the most widely used construction material worldwide because of its versatility, strength, and durability. Applications range from roadways and dams to furniture and tiles. With proper manufacturing, reinforcement, and engineering…

Occurring in mammary glands and closely associated tissues, breast cancer is the most common cancer observed in women. For example, in the United States, approximately 1 in 8 women (about 12%) will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of…

A form of ultraviolet (UV) light holds promise as an innovative way to neutralize airborne SARS-CoV-2 particles and other viruses, potentially helping slow the COVID-19 pandemic that, to date, has caused over 1.3 million deaths globally. More…

Researchers from Drexel University in Pennsylvania, USA, have synthesized conductive and layered 2D materials known as MXenes (pronounced maxenes) using a water-free process. In doing so, scientists have opened up potential uses of MXenes as…

Poliomyelitis, more commonly called polio, is a devastating infectious disease of the central nervous system caused by the poliovirus (a type of enterovirus), which has three types in the wild (types 1, 2, and 3). Wild types 2 and 3 were declared…

Persistent changes in the Earth's climate that have been occurring primarily as a result of human-caused greenhouse-gas emissions since the mid-twentieth century have led to significant increases in infectious diseases in wildlife, both in terms of…

The Ebola virus comprises a group of pathogenic agents that cause severe and deadly hemorrhagic fevers in humans and other primates. During 2014 and 2015, an Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa—predominantly, the countries of Guinea, Liberia, and…

The United Nations has proclaimed 2019 the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT2019). The same year also marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev’s periodic table, containing…

On July 20, 1969, the bulkily space-suited figure of astronaut Neil Armstrong descended the ladder of Apollo 11’s lunar lander, planted his boot in the Moon's gray dust, and declared: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."…

Sea-level rise is caused by adding mass (water) and heat to the ocean. The Antarctic ice sheet represents a potentially large source of water. Knowing the speed and direction (velocity) at which the Antarctic ice sheet is flowing to the ocean is…

The cancer death rate in the United States has fallen by 27% since 1991. According to the American Cancer Society, which compiled the data over a 25-year period from 1991 to 2016, a total of 2.6 million fewer individuals have died from cancer in the…

Plastic is a ubiquitous and life-saving product, but it is also rapidly becoming a significant environmental problem. Globally, less than 10 percent of plastics are recycled, about 12 percent are incinerated, and the vast majority are disposed of in…

For the first time, scientists have observed two molecules meeting and reacting to form new molecules. A team of chemists used lasers to slow down interacting molecules to temperatures far colder than outer space, enabling the team to observe a…

A compound found in cranberries, called cranberry proanthocyanidin (cPAC), when used in combination with antibiotics, such as tetracycline, prevents resistance to antibiotics in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, according to researchers…

Sand is mined for many applications, but the largest use by far is for fine aggregate in concrete. Smaller quantities of sand are used for fracking, water treatment (filtration), metal casting, and making glass, silicon chips, and ceramics. Concrete…

Eastern equine encephalitis is a rare infectious viral disease that primarily affects humans and equines (horses, mules, donkeys, and zebras). It is caused by a mosquito-borne virus (arbovirus) that is native to the eastern half of the United…

A study published in the journal Atmospheric Environment (April 2019), comparing the differences in air pollution caused by automobiles powered by internal combustion (conventional) engines versus electric vehicles (EVs) powered by batteries,…

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid analgesic (pain reliever) that resembles morphine in its action. However, its drug potency is approximately 50 to 100 times more powerful than that of morphine, leading to high rates of both addiction and overdose…

The four main blood types (blood groups) found in humans are A, B, AB, and O. Two particular antigens (A and B) determine the specific blood type—A antigen is present in type A blood; B antigen is present in type B blood; both A and B antigens are…

Progress continues in the attempt to master nuclear fusion—the phenomenon that powers the stars, including our Sun—for energy production here on Earth. Recent research has identified a previously unknown kind of heat burst that causes…

Although international shipping is critical to global trade, cargo ships are a major source of air pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions. At present, atmospheric emissions from fuel oil-powered marine ships include sulfur oxides (SOx),…

Researchers at Duke University in North Carolina (United States) have developed a test for distinguishing lead isotopes found in coal fly ash from lead isotopes found in other lead-containing sources, such as paint. Fly ash is a fine particulate…

Researchers have produced carbon chips from waste plastic bags for use in making anodes for lithium-ion batteries, according to a report in ACS Omega (December 2018). For the most part, it is very difficult to break down (depolymerize) plastics into…

Macular degeneration is the most prevalent cause of vision impairment and loss among people aged 55 years and older. Also termed age-related macular degeneration (AMD), this serious eye condition damages the macula, which is the most sensitive part…

Marburg hemorrhagic fever (also referred to as Marburg virus disease) is a rare, exotic viral disease that affects both humans and nonhuman primates. The reservoir hosts of Marburg virus are African (or Egyptian) fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus),…

Measles is a highly infectious and communicable disease that is most often contracted in childhood. The infective particle is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus—specifically, a paramyxovirus belonging to the genus Morbillivirus. Infected individuals…

New research from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) predicts that the next decade will be a favorable period for human exploration due to lower risks of inclement "space weather"—a term that refers to radiation conditions…

Physicists have discovered a new state of matter described as a Cooper pair metal. Similar to an ordinary metal, this newfound state of matter conducts electricity with some resistance. However, the carriers of electric charge in this new state are…

Caused by the rod-shaped bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis and transmitted by airborne droplets from a diseased individual, tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease of humans (and other animals) that destroys body tissue. When M.…

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a protein that plays a central role in the regulation of bone mass. Also known as osteoclastogenesis inhibitory factor (OCIF), this naturally occurring protein [a soluble decoy receptor protein that belongs to the tumor…

Pesticides—including insecticides and herbicides—are chemical products used to control, reduce, or eliminate organisms that are harmful to cultivated plants. However, the use of pesticides on plants that provide foods for human consumption is often…

The bacteria that live in the gut (gastrointestinal tract) constitute a large part of an individual's microbiome (also known as microbiota). In general, gut bacteria, also referred to as the microbial flora of the gut, are harbored by normal,…

Influenza is a viral disease that affects numerous animals, including birds, pigs, horses, and humans. It also can affect dogs, and epidemiologists are increasingly concerned about the potential transmission of the influenza virus from these animals…

Psychedelic drugs, also termed hallucinogenic or psychotomimetic drugs, induce transient states of altered perception resembling or mimicking the symptoms of psychosis and are characterized by profound alterations in mood. Because psychedelic drugs…

Reusable sponge-like (foam) sorbent materials for cleaning up oil spills may soon become available, as a result of promising research from multiple groups. Oil spills damage ecosystems and habitats, harm and kill wildlife and plants, contaminate…

Plastic shopping bags are convenient to use because they are lightweight and inexpensive, and yet they are also a major source of plastic pollution. People worldwide use an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion single-use plastic bags each year.…

Statins comprise a group of drugs that are widely prescribed to combat high cholesterol. They suppress the production of cholesterol in the liver and interfere with the formation of plaques in the arteries of the body. As such, these…

Seawater desalination involves removing salts and minerals from water and discharging a higher-concentration solution, or brine, to the sea. The brine effluent may affect the water quality (for example, salinity) and organisms—particularly the…

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the predominant cannabinoid (chemical constituent) of the more than 100 cannabinoids found in the hemp variety of the plant Cannabis sativa. There are preliminary, yet unproven, claims that CBD may offer benefits for treating…

Those who fear contracting a water-borne illness caused by pollution at the shore or ingesting a killer amoeba (Naegleria fowleri) at a freshwater lake might instead opt to visit a swimming pool. After all, most pool water is hygienically treated.…

Researchers have developed polymeric materials that are able to kill multidrug-resistant bacteria without inducing drug resistance or toxic side effects, according to a report in Nature Communications (March 2018). The polymers, known as…

Antisense drugs are gene-based molecules that inhibit the synthesis of proteins (including proteins that cause specific diseases) by binding to the ribonucleic acids (RNAs) responsible for their formation. Specifically, these drugs are…

Soil harbors a vast reservoir of antimicrobial agents. In fact, approximately 80% of all clinically implemented antibiotics are derived from soil-dwelling bacteria. However, many bacteria have evolved methods to evade the effects of various…

The Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis), also known as the bush tick, is a troublesome parasitic species and is an important vector of disease agents. (Note that vectors are capable of biologically transferring a pathogen from one…

In an application of green chemistry, researchers reported in the journal Biomaterials (April 2018) the caffeine-catalyzed synthesis of a new class of polymer gels for drug delivery and other biomedical applications. These caffeine-catalyzed gels…

Neonicotinoid insecticides are the most used insecticide worldwide and have been linked to the decline of pollinator insects. In 2018, the European Union banned the outdoor use of three neonicotinoid insecticides: clothianidin, imidacloprid, and…

Handheld electronic devices with plastic casings, such as cell phones, may be exposing users to toxic organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants that leach out of these products. Researchers from the University of Toronto reported in Environment…

In the journal Science (September 2018), researchers reported a method for making a coating that reflects sunlight and radiates heat. The coating can be used to cool buildings and reduce air-conditioning use, keeping surfaces painted with the…

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic infectious disease of humans (as well as animals) primarily involving the lungs. It is caused by the tubercle bacillus Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is transmitted by pathogenic airborne droplets. Approximately 5–10%…

The Mississippi River has undergone extensive river engineering for flood control, with its 3500-mile Mississippi River and Tributaries levee (artificial-embankment) system. However, researchers reported in Nature (April 2018) that disconnecting the…

CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing is a modern technique that targets specific stretches of genetic code and allows editing of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) at designated locations. It has been at the forefront of genetic research, providing scientists with the…

On February 6, 2018, the Falcon Heavy rocket passed its first launch test, lifting off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a bright pillar of fire. Built by the California-based, private aerospace company SpaceX, the Falcon Heavy is the…

The influenza virus may be easier to transmit than previously thought, according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (January 2018). It turns out that sneezing and coughing are not required to pass on the influenza…

The World Health Organization (WHO) is planning to recognize gaming disorder as a mental health disease in 2018. The 11th revision of the WHO's International Classification of Diseases (ICD), which is a major worldwide reference for epidemiological,…

The prevalence of diseases caused by ticks, mosquitoes, and fleas that feed on the blood of humans has increased dramatically. Over a 13-year span (the years 2004 through 2016), the incidence of tick-, mosquito-, and flea-borne diseases in humans…

Neonicotinoids (also termed neonics) comprise a class of insecticides and pesticides that chemically resemble nicotine. They are the most widely used insecticides in the world and are deployed by plant and crop farmers because these chemical…

A new single-dose antiviral drug can shorten the duration of the flu in teens and adults by about a day, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine (September 2018). The drug, baloxavir marboxil (Xofluza™; baloxavir),…

Mammals possess a certain gene, termed PON1, which encodes a protein enzyme (paraoxonase) that is used to process the cholesterol lipids and fatty acids found in food. This gene evolved millions of years ago and is functionally active in terrestrial…

Humans' contributions to global warming through burning fossil fuels and other actions (for example, detrimental land-use practices) have resulted in sharp increases in the levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). These rising levels of CO2 also…

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that impairs the way that a person relates to and communicates with other people. In addition, autism is characterized by restricted, repetitive, or…

Mathematics is often referred to as the language of nature. A new study further makes this case by demonstrating that the distribution of prime numbers bears a striking similarity to the positions of atoms in materials known as quasicrystals. The…

As the demand for carbon fiber has grown, so has the waste stream of scrap and end-of-life composite materials. For a material to be considered sustainable, its environmental impact needs to be considered through its entire life cycle, including…

Regeneration is the regrowth and replacement of living tissues or organs that have been lost or severely injured through mishaps or disease. The goal of regenerative medicine with regard to humans is to restore the structure and function of any…

To better understand the nutritional effects (health benefits), chemical composition, growing conditions, and shelf life of microgreens, a team of researchers reviewed the science behind them in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry…

Researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology, Republic of Korea, reported in the journal Nature Communications an alloy design concept that could broaden the use of magnesium (Mg) alloys in engineering applications requiring…

For more than 10 years, natural-gas-fired power plants have been touted as “cleaner” electrical power generators, producing half the carbon dioxide (CO2), one-third of the nitrogen oxides (NOX), and negligible sulfur oxides (SOX) compared to…

Fueled by the demand for inexpensive garments with vibrant colors, Asia is leading the world in textile manufacturing. However, this textile manufacturing boom is having a significant environmental impact on the region. According to the World Bank,…

It is estimated that 1 gram of soil can be inhabited by up to 109 microorganisms and approximately 60,000 bacterial species. Moreover, soil harbors a vast reservoir of antimicrobial agents, and soil-dwelling bacteria have played a key role in the…