Team reports on the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in the western Qinghai Lake basin

Team reports on the occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in the western Qinghai Lake basin

by KeAi Communications Co. Nitrate increased the diversity and abundances of microbial community in water ecosystem of the western Qinghai Lake basin, but has no effect on the distribution of ARGs. In contrast to microbiology, intI1 promoted the spread of ARGs in that water ecosystem. Credit: Chenxi Wu, et al. Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) have … Read more

Estimating coastal water depth from space via satellite-derived bathymetry

Estimating coastal water depth from space via satellite-derived bathymetry

The proposed satellite data-based model provided coastal depth estimations for three Korean coastal areas with unique characteristics: Cheonsuman (a), Hallim (b), and Samcheok (c). Credit: Journal of Applied Remote Sensing (2024). DOI: 10.1117/1.JRS.18.014522 Since ancient times, knowing the depth of coastal waters has been key to safe and successful navigation and to exploit the sea’s … Read more

How comparison options affect stock buys

How comparison options affect stock buys

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Should I invest my money with a small chance of big returns? Or is it better to pick investments that promise a series of modest returns? A psychologist from the University of Basel conducted a scientific experiment to study when people prefer certain types of investments. When a company first goes … Read more

Reviving England’s polluted rivers through incentivizing farmers and comprehensive monitoring

Reviving England’s polluted rivers through incentivizing farmers and comprehensive monitoring

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain At the close of 2023, Defra asked the British Ecological Society to bring together nearly 40 experts, to collate expert opinion on freshwater policy and set out a list of priorities for the biodiversity evidence program to focus on. Published today, the new report sets out priorities for restoring England’s polluted … Read more

Clarifying the megathrust earthquake mechanism

Clarifying the megathrust earthquake mechanism

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain There is a 70-80% chance that the Nankai Trough Megathrust Earthquake will occur in the next 30 years. It is predicted to cause more extensive damage than the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and fatalities may exceed 320,000. It is believed that this megathrust earthquake will occur when the strain energy … Read more

Research reveals new starting points for the rapid and targeted development of future drugs

Research reveals new starting points for the rapid and targeted development of future drugs

Bacteria are a source of molecular “assembly lines” that can be used and optimized for the production of new bioactive substances. Credit: MPI f. Terrestrial Microbiology / Chris Kettner Many important medicines, such as antibiotics and anticancer drugs, are derived from natural products of bacteria. The enzyme complexes that produce these active ingredients have a … Read more

Study suggests millions are at risk using high arsenic water for cooking

Study suggests millions are at risk using high arsenic water for cooking

Rice used for the experimental study. Credit: University of Sheffield The use of water contaminated with higher than recommended levels of arsenic could pose a serious health risk to millions, a new study from the University of Sheffield has found. New research from academics at the Institute for Sustainable Food at the University of Sheffield … Read more

How a balloon-borne experiment can do the job of the Hubble space telescope

How a balloon-borne experiment can do the job of the Hubble space telescope

SuperBIT waiting for launch while its giant helium balloon is inflated. Credit: Bill Rodman/NASA An astronomical telescope designed to complement the aging Hubble Space Telescope lifted off from New Zealand’s south island on April 16 2023. But as a sphere the size of a football stadium rose silently and slowly over the Tauhinukorokio mountains, calls … Read more

Gaia unravels the ancient threads of the Milky Way

Gaia unravels the ancient threads of the Milky Way

This image shows the location and distribution of Shakti (yellow) and Shiva (blue) stars throughout the Milky Way. The streams were discovered using ESA’s billion-star surveyor, Gaia. Gaia observations enabled the researchers to determine the content and composition of the individual stars, which in turn revealed more of their properties and showed their movements through … Read more

Climate change disrupts vital ecosystems in the Alps

Climate change disrupts vital ecosystems in the Alps

Snow Sampling in the Alps. Credit: Helen Snell. Reduced snow cover and shifting vegetation patterns in the Alps, both driven by climate change, are having major combined impacts on biodiversity and functioning of ecosystems in the high mountains, according to new research published today. Mountain ranges covering vast areas of the world are warming much … Read more