Culture

Alien species are the main driver of recent extinctions in both animals and plants, according to a new study by UCL researchers.

They found that since 1500, alien species have been solely responsible for 126 extinctions, 13% of the total number studied.

Of 953 global extinctions, 300 happened in some part because of alien species, and of those 300, 42% had alien species alone listed as the cause of their demise.

It's time to strengthen support for the 28% of people who provide care for an ageing family member, friend or neighbour in Canada, argues an editorial in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

"Our ability to support informal caregiving remains one of Canada's most pressing health care and societal issues," says Dr. Nathan Stall, associate editor, CMAJ.

Using steroids during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery did not reduce the risk of acute kidney injury in people at increased risk of death, according to a study conducted in 18 countries published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.181644.

March 4, New Delhi: Living in districts with air pollution from intense crop residue burning (CRB) is a leading risk factor for acute respiratory infection (ARI), especially among children less than five years, in northern India. Additionally, CRB also leads to an estimated economic loss of over USD 30 billion annually. These are the key findings of a new study from researchers at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and partner institutes. The study estimates--for the first time--the health and economic costs of CRB in northern India.

Malaga, Spain - 3 March 2019: Heart attack patients taken directly to heart centres for lifesaving treatment have better long-term survival than those transferred from another hospital, reports a large observational study presented today at Acute Cardiovascular Care 20191 a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress. Directly admitted patients were older, suggesting that heart attacks in young adults, and particularly women, go unrecognised by paramedics and patients.

Malaga, Spain - 3 March 2019: Women call an ambulance for husbands, fathers and brothers with heart attack symptoms but not for themselves. "It's time for women take care of themselves too" is the main message of two studies from the Polish Registry of Acute Coronary Syndromes (PL-ACS) presented today at Acute Cardiovascular Care 20191,2 a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress.

Malaga, Spain - 2 March 2019: Don't ignore heart attack symptoms while travelling, keep emergency numbers at hand. That's the main message of a study presented today at Acute Cardiovascular Care 20191 a European Society of Cardiology (ESC) congress. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of natural death among people who are travelling, yet, so far, the long-term outlook for those who have a heart attack while on a trip is unknown.

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Chemical processes that are more efficient and less expensive may be coming to industries ranging from battery manufacturing to detergent production thanks to an Oregon State University researcher's work advancing metal oxides as catalysts.

The findings, by a collaboration that included scientists from the University of Delaware, were published in Nature Catalysis.

BALTIMORE, MD., March 1 -- Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have discovered a mechanism for how androgens -- male sex steroids -- sculpt brain development. The research, conducted by Margaret M. McCarthy, Ph.D., who Chairs the Department of Pharmacology, could ultimately help researchers understand behavioral development differences between males and females.

Cold Spring Harbor, NY -- The ability to comprehensively map the architecture of connections between neurons in primate brains has long proven elusive for scientists. But a new study, conducted in Japan with contributing neuroscientists from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), has resulted in a 3D reconstruction of a marmoset brain, as well as information about neuronal connectivity across the entire brain, that offers an unprecedented level of detail.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University researchers are advancing knowledge about how bacteria build their cell walls that could contribute to the search for new antibacterial drugs. They have created a new tool to observe living cells in real time under a microscope.

WASHINGTON, March 1, 2019 -- Whether you need a disguise to run from the law or are just trying to emulate *NSYNC-era frosted tips, you may need some chemical assistance to put the hue in your do. To understand how these "shade-y" changes happen, you have to dive back into the history of chemistry. In this week's Reactions episode, get ready to learn everything you're "dyeing" to know about artificial hair color: https://youtu.be/zeReQ1wlcis.

MINNEAPOLIS - Medical marijuana may bring relief to older people who have symptoms like pain, sleep disorders or anxiety due to chronic conditions including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, neuropathy, spinal cord damage and multiple sclerosis, according to a preliminary study released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 71st Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, May 4 to 10, 2019. The study not only found medical marijuana may be safe and effective, it also found that one-third of participants reduced their use of opioids.

What do tiny specks of silicon carbide stardust, found in meteorites and older than the solar system, have in common with pairs of aging stars prone to eruptions?

A collaboration between two Arizona State University scientists -- cosmochemist Maitrayee Bose and astrophysicist Sumner Starrfield, both of ASU's School of Earth and Space Exploration -- has uncovered the connection and pinpointed the kind of stellar outburst that produced the stardust grains.

Their study has just been published in The Astrophysical Journal.

Get a sneak peek into these new scientific papers, publishing on March 4,5, 2019 in the Ecological Society of America's journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.

Digging for ancient parasites in museum archives
Species origin is linked to extinction risk
Pollinator-friendly cities need to be human community-friendly, too
Is North America's "old growth" forest concept less important than we think?