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Categories: Biology: Microbiology, Geoscience: Environmental Issues

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As our climate changes and soil salinity increases in many agricultural areas, finding crops that can thrive in these challenging conditions is crucial. Cultivated tomatoes, while delicious, often struggle in salty soils. Their wild cousins, however, have evolved to survive in diverse and often harsh environments. A recent study delved into the genetic treasure trove of wild tomatoes to uncover secrets of salt tolerance that could be used to develop resilient crop varieties.

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A new study that tracks how many asthma-related emergency room visits result from pollen in metropolitan areas highlights the importance of knowing local plants and the need for developing science-based pollen forecasts.

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A new study shows that frozen land in Alaska is eroding faster than it can be replaced due to climate change.

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A viral defense mechanism can be used to accelerate the creation of female stem cell lines in mice. The findings can boost efforts in medical research, drug testing, and regenerative therapies, particularly for women and individuals with two X chromosomes.

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Affective sensitivity to air pollution (ASAP) describes the extent to which affect, or mood, fluctuates in accordance with daily changes in air pollution, which can vary between individuals, according to a new study.

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New York City subway commuters who are economically disadvantaged or belong to racial minority groups have the highest exposure to fine particulate matter during their commutes, according to a new study.

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In a new survey study, Dutch employees who worked from home tended to report higher levels of productivity and less burnout if they were more satisfied with their home office setup. The study also linked more air ventilation in the home office to higher self-reported productivity.

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Researchers developed a way to fingerprint organofluorine compounds -- sometimes called 'forever chemicals' --which could help authorities trace them to their source when they end up in aquifers, waterways or soil.

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In nematodes and humans, mitochondrial stress in the nervous system initiates a whole-body response that is most pronounced in the gut. A recent study showed that in nematodes, the odor of a pathogen triggers the nervous system to broadcast this response to the rest of the organism, prepping mitochondria in intestinal cells to fight a bacterial infection. Humans, too, may be able to sense pathogenic odors that prepare the gut for an infection.

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Mammoths, the massive pre-historic ice age cousins of the modern-day elephant, have always been understood to have inhabited parts of British Columbia, but the question of when has always been a bit woolly. Now, a new study has given scientists the clearest picture yet when the giant mammals roamed Vancouver Island.

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Cocaine binds to a specific transporter in the brain that is responsible for regulating dopamine levels. Researchers have studied and described the process, producing new knowledge that may bring us a step closer to designing a drug for cocaine abuse.

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Modern commercial aircraft flying at high altitudes create longer-lived planet-warming contrails than older aircraft, a new study has found.

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Researchers have turned concrete from a demolished school building and carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air into new blocks strong enough to build a house with. The process involved grinding the old concrete into powder, reacting it with CO2 from the air, pressurizing it in layers in a mold and finally heating it to form the new block. Instead of making buildings from new concrete only, this technique could offer a way to recycle old materials while also trapping carbon dioxide in the process. The blocks could theoretically be remade again and again, through the same process.

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The composition of gut bacteria of Thoroughbred racehorses at one-month-old can predict their future athletic performance, according to a new study. Foals with lower bacterial diversity at 28 days old also had a significantly increased risk of respiratory disease later in life.

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Pesticides and herbicides are critical to ensuring food security worldwide, but these substances can present a safety risk to people who unwittingly ingest them. Protecting human health, therefore, demands sensitive analytical methods to identify even trace levels of potentially harmful substances. Now, researchers have developed a high-tech imaging method to detect pesticide contamination at low levels, and its application on fruits reveals that current food safety practices may be insufficient.

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Estuaries in South Florida have experienced rapid warming over the past two decades, including a record-breaking marine heat wave in 2023, research shows. The findings paint a troubling picture for the marine life that calls Florida home. Possible causes include evaporation, water capacity and residence time (the amount of time water spends in an estuary). No single factor has been identified as dominant.

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Even though climate change is bringing more frequent and severe heat waves, there is no standard, global way to measure heat-wave severity, and existing indices have different thresholds for defining dangerous heat-stress conditions. Researchers report that five out of six existing heat-wave indices were unable to capture the severity and spatial distribution of recent lethal heat waves in India, Spain, and the USA. The sixth index -- the lethal heat-stress index -- was better able to identify dangerous heat-stress conditions, particularly in low-humidity regions.

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Scientists have answered one of the most puzzling questions in plate tectonics: how and why 'stable' parts of continents gradually rise to form some of the planet's greatest topographic features.

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Whether dangerous staphylococci survive in the nose depends on what other bacteria are present -- and how they obtain iron.

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Elephant conservation is a major priority in southern Africa, but habitat loss and urbanization mean the far-ranging pachyderms are increasingly restricted to protected areas like game reserves. The risk? Contained populations could become genetically isolated over time, making elephants more vulnerable to disease and environmental change.