Climate science, earth systems and environmental research.
A reexamined glyptodont skull from Lagoa Santa, Brazil, has been proposed as a new species, Glyptotherium deuterophractum. The fossil had been assigned to other species for decades, but its combination of anatomical features distinguishes it from related glyptodonts.
In a mouse study, lead exposure from pregnancy through adulthood was linked to depression-like behavior, increased oxidative stress in the brain, and altered stress-hormone responses. Male and female mice showed different corticosterone patterns after stress.
A study of seafood from Brazil’s Sepetiba Bay found that mean arsenic levels in the muscle of four species exceeded regulatory reference values, while another reached the reference value. The results point to species-specific dietary concerns and the need for continued monitoring.
A cocktail of two bacteria-killing viruses reduced Staphylococcus aureus in laboratory tests and in UHT milk. It also fully blocked production of one staphylococcal toxin in an in vitro assay, though the study did not test the approach in commercial dairy production or people.
A study of two coral species found that ordinary digital photographs can provide a low-cost proxy for bleaching severity in controlled heat-stress tests. A simple comparison with a white reference patch predicted symbiont density and chlorophyll better than a standard PAM fluorometry measure in the experiment.
A study of 102 developing countries found that greater access to clean cooking fuels was associated with better health and nutrition, with larger gains in urban areas. In scenarios for sub-Saharan Africa, universal urban access could avert up to 377,000 infant deaths and save more than 11 million disability-adjusted life years.
A functionalized titanium disulfide membrane rejected up to 96.9% of several antibiotics in laboratory filtration tests. The membrane continued working through 30 filtration cycles and 15 days of continuous operation, although testing in real-world water and larger systems was not reported.
Researchers have introduced ABCDscores, an open-source R package for calculating most non-proprietary summary scores in the ABCD Study’s tabulated data. The tool is designed to make scoring more transparent, reproducible and customizable, although the abstract does not provide independent measurements of its accuracy or time savings.
Microplastics were detected throughout a Brazilian drinking-water reservoir, but they accumulated most heavily in downstream sediment. Researchers found low to moderate ecological risk in the water and very high risk in sediment, especially downstream.
Relocating green turtle nests affected hatching success and hatchling development in ways that were not explained by average incubation temperature alone. The findings suggest that leaving nests in place is preferable when possible, and that relocation sites should be assessed for more than their temperature.
Crystals from Kīlauea’s explosive eruption around 900 C.E. suggest its magma may have been stored for years without a last-minute injection of new magma. The result indicates that such mixing may not be necessary for an explosive eruption at the volcano.
An analysis of 54 climate models found 73 unusually large changes in ocean, sea-ice and atmospheric variables. The events, including winter Arctic sea-ice disappearance and a possible weakening of Atlantic overturning, were projected to occur earlier and at lower global warming than previous reviews assessed.
A study of illegal markets for ivory, pangolin scales and succulent plants suggests that scarcity can sometimes increase the appeal of wildlife products. The researchers say this can create feedback loops that accelerate species’ decline, limiting the effectiveness of enforcement focused only on supply.
A study of 34 public boreholes in Ghana found a 69% modeled dry-season probability of fluoride-related health-risk thresholds being exceeded for children. The researchers recommend confirmatory testing and site-specific responses at high-risk boreholes, while noting that the screening approach needs testing with larger, year-round datasets.
A life-cycle assessment modeled pumped-hydro storage alongside wind, grid and hydropower. Compared with a baseline without storage, the system reduced modeled greenhouse-gas emissions by 81%, while steel and cement production created environmental burdens.
