Science/Health

Home > Science/Health

Eastern Forests Shaped More by Native Americans' Burning than Climate Change

May 22, 2019 10:18 AM EDT

Native Americans' use of fire to manage vegetation in what is now the Eastern United States was more profound than previously believed, according to a Penn State researcher who determined that forest composition change in the region was caused more by land use than climate change

CBD Clinical Trial Results on Seizure Frequency in Dogs 'Encouraging'

May 22, 2019 09:59 AM EDT

Promising and exciting. Those are the words used by Dr. Stephanie McGrath to describe findings from a pilot study to assess the use of cannabidiol, or CBD, for dogs with epilepsy.

Changes in Subsistence Hunting Threaten Local Food Security

May 18, 2019 11:40 AM EDT

Scientists with the Universidad San Francisco de Quito and WCS Ecuador Program publishing in the journal Biotropica say that subsistence hunting in Neotropical rain forests - the mainstay of local people as a source of protein and a direct connection to these ecosystems - is in jeopardy from a variety of factors.

Intensive Silviculture Accelerates Atlantic Rainforest Biodiversity Regeneration

May 18, 2019 11:35 AM EDT

An experiment conducted in Brazil in an area of Atlantic Rainforest suggests that intensive silviculture, including the use of herbicide and substantial amounts of fertilizer, is a more effective approach to promoting the regeneration of tropical forest and biomass gain than the traditional method based on manual weeding and less fertilizer.

'Smart' Insulin Could Prevent Hypoglycemia During Diabetes Treatment

May 17, 2019 10:24 AM EDT

UCLA bioengineers and their colleagues have developed a new type of insulin that could help prevent hypoglycemia in people who use the drug to manage diabetes.

Galaxy Blazes with New stars Born From Close Encounter

May 17, 2019 10:19 AM EDT

The irregular galaxy NGC 4485 shows all the signs of having been involved in a hit-and-run accident with a bypassing galaxy. Rather than destroying the galaxy, the chance encounter is spawning a new generation of stars, and presumably planets.

When Biodegradable Plastic Isn't

May 16, 2019 11:35 AM EDT

The ubiquitous plastic bag is handy for transporting groceries and other items home from the store. However, this convenience takes a toll on the environment, with plastic debris littering land and waterways.

Small, Hardy Planets Most Likely to Survive Death of Their Stars

May 15, 2019 12:31 PM EDT

Small, hardy planets packed with dense elements have the best chance of avoiding being crushed and swallowed up when their host star dies, new research from the University of Warwick has found.

Iceland Volcano Eruption in 1783-84 Did Not Spawn Extreme Heat Wave

May 15, 2019 12:00 PM EDT

An enormous volcanic eruption on Iceland in 1783-84 did not cause an extreme summer heat wave in Europe. But, as Benjamin Franklin speculated, the eruption triggered an unusually cold winter, according to a Rutgers-led study.

The Moon is Quaking as It Shrinks

May 13, 2019 04:56 PM EDT

A 2010 analysis of imagery from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) found that the moon shriveled like a raisin as its interior cooled, leaving behind thousands of cliffs called thrust faults on the moon's surface.

Following DASH Diet can Reduce Heart Failure Risk in People Under 75

May 11, 2019 11:47 AM EDT

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - May 10, 2019 - A diet proved to have beneficial effects on high blood pressure also may reduce the risk of heart failure in people under age 75, according to a study led by researchers at Wake Forest School of Medicine, part of Wake Forest Baptist Health.

Dengue mosquito is Queensland's biggest threat for spreading Zika virus

May 11, 2019 10:45 AM EDT

Researchers at QUT and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute have found that the dengue fever mosquito common to north and central Queensland poses the greatest danger of spreading the Zika virus in Australia.

Clean Fuel Cells Could be Cheap Enough to Replace Gas Engines in Vehicles

May 08, 2019 10:54 AM EDT

Advancements in zero-emission fuel cells could make the technology cheap enough to replace traditional gasoline engines in vehicles, according to researchers at the University of Waterloo.

Are We Facing A Shortage Of Medical Lab Workers?

May 10, 2019 08:37 PM EDT

Medical laboratory personnel make up a small but essential portion of the number of workers within the health sector. Diagnostics can help to determine whether a patient is well enough to resume working or whether a patient is having an adverse reaction to medicine. Despite this fact, the field isn't a glamorous one, and few new workers are entering to take up the slack from those that are retiring or moving to other professions.

Banana Disease Boosted by Climate Change

May 06, 2019 01:40 PM EDT

Climate change has raised the risk of a fungal disease that ravages banana crops, new research shows. Black Sigatoka disease emerged from Asia in the late 20th Century and has recently completed its invasion of banana-growing areas in Latin America and the Caribbean.