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Categories: Biology: Biotechnology, Geoscience: Environmental Issues

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Artificial intelligence (AI) has exploded in popularity as of late. But just like a human, it's hard to read an AI model's mind. Explainable AI (XAI) could help us do just that by providing justification for a model's decisions. And now, researchers are using XAI to scrutinize predictive AI models more closely, which could help make better antibiotics.

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A multidisciplinary team has developed an action plan to help patients with respiratory diseases mitigate the consequences of poor air quality from wildfires.

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As the world faces the challenges of mitigating climate change and providing resources for a growing population, there is increasing focus on developing circular economies for sustainable production. But to evaluate strategies and impacts, it is necessary to have reliable metrics. Researchers have now developed a Circularity Index that provides a comprehensive method to quantify circularity in bioeconomic systems. In a new paper, they outline the method and apply it to two case studies -- a corn/soybean farming operation and the entire U.S. food and agriculture system.

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Researchers report that deforestation during the last two decades induced a higher warming and cloud level rise than that caused by climate change, which threatens biodiversity and water supply in African montane forests.

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The avian influenza virus needs to mutate to cross the species barrier and to infect and replicate within mammalian cells. Scientists have now deciphered the structure of the avian influenza virus's polymerase when it interacts with a human protein essential for the virus to replicate within the cell. The structure of this replication complex provides important information about the mutations that avian influenza polymerase must undergo to adapt to mammals, including humans. These results can help scientists monitor the evolution and adaptability of bird flu strains, such as H5N1 or H7N9, towards infecting other species.

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The design of streets and layout of buildings have an impact on a city's resilience in the face of increasingly severe floods brought on by climate change. Researchers look at buildings and other urban structures as physicists consider elements in complex material systems. With this insight, the researchers have developed a new approach to urban flood modelling and found their results helpful in analyzing city-to-city variations in flood risk globally.

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The sea anemone Nematostella vectensis is potentially immortal. Using molecular genetic methods, developmental biologists have now identified possible candidates for multipotent stem cells in the sea anemone for the first time. These stem cells are regulated by evolutionary highly conserved genes.

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The preservation of organic carbon in marine sediments has long been a key question remaining unclear in understanding the long-term carbon cycling on Earth. Recently, scientists have gained new insights into the dynamic cycling of iron-bound organic carbon in subseafloor sediments.

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A new study found that Manuka honey could potentially be an alternative, natural option for breast cancer prevention and treatment -- particularly for estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer, the most common subtype of breast cancer that accounts for about 70-80% of all breast cancer cases.

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Previous scientific studies have indicated that North American dog lineages were replaced with European ones between 1492 and the present day. To better understand the timing of this replacement, researchers sequenced mitochondrial DNA from archaeological dogs. Their findings suggest a complex social history of dogs during the early colonial period.

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Researchers developed a new method known as flash-within-flash Joule heating (FWF) that could transform the synthesis of high-quality solid-state materials, offering a cleaner, faster and more sustainable manufacturing process.

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An international research team combined multidisciplinary methods to evaluate how nitrogen interventions could improve air quality and reduce nitrogen deposition. Their study found that interventions, such as improving fuel combustion conditions, increasing agricultural nitrogen use efficiency, and reducing food loss and waste, could significantly lower premature deaths attributed to air pollution, crop losses, and ecosystems risks.

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Hyperactivity, repetitive behavior, and language deficits all appeared in the mice, highlighting an unexpected role the cerebellum seems to play in autism.

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The study found that the Port Askaig Formation, composed of layers of rock up to 1.1 km thick, was likely laid down between 662 to 720 million years ago during the Sturtian glaciation -- the first of two global freezes thought to have triggered the development of complex, multicellular life.

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A new study assessed the feasibility of recovering phosphorus from municipal wastewater as an alternative sustainable source of this non-renewable mineral.

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Researchers have found a better method to recycle polyurethane foam from items like mattresses: They are not only able to break down PUR and separate the two main components -- they can do it in one go. This is great news for the budding industry that aims to chemically recover the original components of the material -- making their products cheaper and better.

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The Colorado River and its tributaries provide water for hydropower, irrigation and drinking water in seven U.S. states and Mexico. But since 2000, water managers have struggled to predict how much water will come from the snowpack. The problem lies with the lack of rainfall in the spring, according to new research.

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On May 11, a gorgeous aurora surprised stargazers across the southern United States. That same weekend, a tractor guided by GPS missed its mark. What do the visibility of the northern lights have in common with compromised farming equipment in the Midwest? A uniquely powerful geomagnetic storm, according to new research.

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If the U.S. became seafood independent, or meet its entire seafood needs through its own production, it could offer opportunities for improving dietary outcomes as well as individual and national food security, particularly against disruptions in global supply chains. Through analyzing 50 years of regional and national consumption and production data, from 1970-2021, researchers found that the U.S. could achieve seafood independence, although 'achieving greater seafood independence would require shifts in consumer behavior, investments in infrastructure and continual adaptation in the face of climate change.'

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Establishing Key Biodiversity Areas in the Southern Ocean will be vital for safeguarding the ecosystem from the impact of human activities, researchers say.