Suicide Rates May Rise After Natural Disasters
Content warning: This article discusses suicide and potential risk factors of suicide. Natural disasters can continue to cause pain long after homes have been rebuilt and businesses reopened. According to a recent U.S.-based study, rates of suicide increase somewhat during the first 3 years postdisaster. “These are, in a sense, preventable deaths.” “These […]
Inversely designing new materials for natural gas separation
A new machine learning strategy searches for desirable materials properties rather than building blocks, which researchers hope will lead to better materials to help spark a green economy. Artificial intelligence enabled MOF inverse design. Graphic courtesy of Dr. Zhenpeng Yao, University of Toronto Natural gas and biogas are a potential source of methane (CH4) and […]
Boosting a natural cellular process could reduce damage, study suggests — ScienceDaily
An unfortunate truth about the use of mechanical ventilation to save the lives of patients in respiratory distress is that the pressure used to inflate the lungs is likely to cause further lung damage. In a new study, scientists identified a molecule that is produced by immune cells during mechanical ventilation to try to decrease […]
“Swiss Army knife” catalyst can make natural gas burn cleaner
The elements that make up the metal oxide nanoparticle catalyst. Credit: Zhennan Huang Reza Shahbazian-Yassar, professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at the University of Illinois Chicago. Shahbazian-Yassar and colleagues facilitated the development of a cutting edge “Swiss Army knife” catalyst made up of 10 different elements—each of which on its own has the ability […]
Magnets dim natural glow of human cells, may shed light on how animals migrate
Researchers in Japan have made the first observations of biological magnetoreception – live, unaltered cells responding to a magnetic field in real time. This discovery is a crucial step in understanding how animals from birds to butterflies navigate using Earth’s magnetic field and addressing the question of whether weak electromagnetic fields in our environment might […]
Top 10 Deadliest Natural Disasters in History
Every year, nearly 100,000 people perish in natural disasters — earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, tsunamis, floods, wildfires and droughts — while over 150 million are impacted by them, worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Violent natural disasters have been a fact of human life since the beginning of mankind, but the death counts of […]
Homes and Other Buildings Abound in Natural Hazard Hot Spots
Natural hazards routinely strike many parts of the United States—the West Coast has its earthquakes and the Midwest has its tornadoes, for instance. Researchers have now compared data sets of natural hazards and land use to show that more than half of the built structures in America—homes, commercial buildings, and more—are located in […]
EcoHealth Alliance Orchestrated Key Scientists’ Statement on “natural origin” of SARS-CoV-2 – Independent Science News
Emails obtained by U.S. Right to Know show that a statement in The Lancet authored by 27 prominent public health scientists condemning “conspiracy theories suggesting that COVID-19 does not have a natural origin” was organized by employees of EcoHealth Alliance, a non-profit group that has received millions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer funding to genetically manipulate coronaviruses with scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. […]
Technology and natural hazards clash to create ‘natech’ disasters
In August, a dry lightning storm over California sparked an intense wildfire that raged through communities in the Santa Cruz mountains. After the CZU Lightning Complex Fire was contained, local officials advised some residents returning to their homes to not use the drinking water. Benzene, a known carcinogen, had been detected in the water supply. […]
Vitamin C’s effectiveness against COVID may hinge on vitamin’s natural transporter levels
IMAGE: Drs. Sadanand Fulzele and Carlos Isales view more Credit: Kim Ratliff, Production Coordinator, Augusta University High doses of vitamin C under study for treating COVID-19 may benefit some populations, but investigators exploring its potential in aging say key factors in effectiveness include levels of the natural transporter needed to get the vitamin inside cells. Age, […]
