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Cassava breeding hasn't improved photosynthesis or yield potential![]() Urbana IL (SPX) May 14, 2018 Cassava is a staple in the diet of more than one billion people across 105 countries, yet this "orphaned crop" has received little attention compared to popular crops like corn and soybeans. While advances in breeding have helped cassava withstand pests and diseases, cassava yields no more s than it did in 1963. Corn yields, by comparison, have more than doubled. University of Illinois researchers analyzed four African cultivars to find out how breeding has impacted photosynthesis--the process tha ... read more |
Beavers do good work cleaning waterExeter, UK (SPX) May 10, 2018 Beavers could help clean up polluted rivers and stem the loss of valuable soils from farms, new research shows. The study, undertaken by scientists at the University of Exeter using a captive beaver ... more
Engineered polymer membranes could be new option for water treatmentSouth Bend IN (SPX) May 07, 2018 The world's freshwater resources are in short supply. According to the United Nations, water scarcity affects an estimated 1.9 billion people and 2.1 billion people live with drinking water services ... more
Engineers upgrade ancient, sun-powered tech to purify waterBuffalo NY (SPX) May 04, 2018 The idea of using energy from the sun to evaporate and purify water is ancient. The Greek philosopher Aristotle reportedly described such a process more than 2,000 years ago. Now, researchers ... more
Researchers levitate water droplets to improve contaminant detectionWashington DC (SPX) May 04, 2018 In a new study, researchers showed that using sound waves to levitate droplets of water in midair can improve the detection of harmful heavy metal contaminants such as lead and mercury in water. Det ... more |
Philippines digs out from Typhoon Fung-wong as death toll climbs
Philippines digs out from Typhoon Fung-wong as death toll climbs to 18 Three Vietnam men survive 40 hours at sea after typhoon Typhoon Fung-wong floods Philippine towns, leaves 5 dead in its wake Typhoon Fung-wong leaves flooded Philippine towns in its wake Typhoon exposes centuries-old shipwreck off Vietnam port Weakening Typhoon Fung-wong exits Philippines after displacing 1.4 million Super Typhoon Fung-wong makes landfall in Philippines Over 1 million evacuate as deadly Super Typhoon Fung-wong nears Philippines Dam reservoir levels drop below 3% in Iran's second city: media |
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| Previous Issues | May 11 | May 10 | May 09 | May 08 | May 07 |
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Physics of a glacial 'slushy' reveal granular forces on a massive scaleAtlanta, GA (SPX) May 01, 2018 The laws for how granular materials flow apply even at the giant, geophysical scale of icebergs piling up in the ocean at the outlet of a glacier, scientists have shown. The Proceedings of the ... more
Fish farming can help relieve pressures on land resources, study showsWashington (UPI) Apr 30, 2018 As population growth accelerates in much of the world, demands for meat are putting added pressure on natural resources. New research suggests some of the pressure can be relieved by fish farming. ... more
EU to ban bee-killing pesticidesBrussels (AFP) April 27, 2018 EU countries voted on Friday for a near-total ban on insecticides blamed for killing off bee populations, in what campaigners called a "beacon of hope" for the winged insects. ... more
As water crisis bites, Venezuela governor outraged over empty poolCaracas (AFP) April 26, 2018 The chronic water shortage in Venezuela which has left millions struggling to cope sparked fresh headlines this week after a state governor expressed outrage that his swimming pool was empty. ... more
After Cape Town, Ivory Coast city feels the thirstBouake, Ivory Coast (AFP) April 26, 2018 Earlier this year, Cape Town grabbed the world's headlines as it careened towards a water armageddon. ... more |
![]() In southern Iraq, drought tightens its grip
Mediterranean fears bitter future for citrus cropsParis (AFP) April 25, 2018 Could we soon be forced to do without a glass of orange juice or a slice of grapefruit at breakfast? The answer is unfortunately yes. ... more |
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South Africa wine production drying up in water crisisParis (AFP) April 24, 2018 South Africa is set for a steep decline in wine production in 2018 as the country grapples with a water crisis ravaging Cape Town and surrounding areas, a Paris-based global organisation said Tuesday. ... more
Moss capable of removing arsenic from drinking water discoveredStockholm, Sweden (SPX) Apr 22, 2018 A moss capable of removing arsenic from contaminated water has been discovered by researchers from Stockholm University. And it happens quickly - in just one hour, the arsenic level is so low that t ... more
California to 'whiplash' between drought, floods: studyParis (AFP) April 23, 2018 California will zigzag between droughts and floods which will become more intense and more frequent in the coming decades unless global emissions of planet-warming greenhouse gases are checked, researchers said Monday. ... more
Nuggets of contention: Chinese mine gold in CameroonLonga Mali, Cameroun (AFP) April 22, 2018 Killings, land grabs, corruption... tensions and violence are rising in eastern Cameroon as Chinese firms take advantage of a regulatory twilight zone to mine gold. ... more
How NASA and John Deere Helped Tractors Drive ThemselvesWashington DC (SPX) Apr 19, 2018 There has been a lot of talk lately of self-driving cars, but farmers have already been making good use of self-driving tractors for more than a decade-in part due to a partnership between John Deer ... more |
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NASA Spacecraft Discovers New Magnetic Process in Turbulent Space Greenbelt MD (SPX) May 10, 2018 Though close to home, the space immediately around Earth is full of hidden secrets and invisible processes. In a new discovery reported in the journal Nature, scientists working with NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale spacecraft - MMS - have uncovered a new type of magnetic event in our near-Earth environment by using an innovative technique to squeeze extra information out of the data.
Magn ... more |
Satellite row tests UK's post-Brexit security plans London (AFP) May 10, 2018
Britain outlined its proposals Wednesday for close security cooperation with the EU after Brexit, but these risk being undermined by the bloc's refusal to share sensitive data on the Galileo satellite project.
Prime Minister Theresa May has called for a deep trade and security relationship with Brussels after Britain leaves the European Union in March 2019, and hopes to have a deal agreed ... more |
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Meta-analysis provides facts on mixed-species forest stand productivity for science and practice Munich, Germany (SPX) May 10, 2018
Mixed forests are more productive than monocultures. This is true on all five continents, and particularly in regions with high precipitation. These findings from an international overview study, in which the Technical University of Munich (TUM) participated, are highly relevant for forest science and forest management on a global scale.
"We know of the many advantages of mixed forests," s ... more |
Solar powered sea slugs shed light on search for perpetual green energy New Brunswick NJ (SPX) May 04, 2018 In an amazing achievement akin to adding solar panels to your body, a Northeast sea slug sucks raw materials from algae to provide its lifetime supply of solar-powered energy, according to a study by Rutgers University-New Brunswick and other scientists.
"It's a remarkable feat because it's highly unusual for an animal to behave like a plant and survive solely on photosynthesis," said Deba ... more |
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Renewable Energy Jobs Reach 10.3 Million Worldwide in 2017 Abu Dhabi, UAE (SPX) May 10, 2018
The renewable energy industry created more than 500,000 new jobs globally in 2017, a 5.3 per cent increase from 2016, according to the latest figures released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). According to the fifth edition of Renewable Energy and Jobs - Annual Review, launched at IRENA's 15th Council in Abu Dhabi this week, the total number of people employed in the sector ( ... more |
German utility E.ON sees renewable sector growth Washington (UPI) May 8, 2018
In a market transitioning in a low-carbon way, German utility E.ON said Tuesday that its renewable energy segment saw earnings rise 7 percent.
Adjusted net income for the first quarter was up 38 percent from the same period last year to $862 million. Its renewables division saw earnings increase by about 7 percent to $203 million.
Across the board, the utility company said it add ... more |
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Two Polish miners killed, three missing after quake Warsaw (AFP) May 6, 2018
Two miners were killed and rescuers were struggling to locate three others after an earthquake hit a coal mine in the country's south, the mine's management company said Sunday.
The rescue workers managed to pull two miners up to the surface on Sunday but doctors there pronounced them dead, Daniel Ozon, the CEO of the Jastrzebie Coal Company (JSW) managing the mine, told reporters.
One o ... more |
Former top Chinese Communist official jailed for life for bribery Beijing (AFP) May 8, 2018 A former Chinese Communist Party official who was once tipped as a potential successor to President Xi Jinping was sentenced to life in prison for bribery on Tuesday, the latest senior cadre to fall in Xi's sweeping anti-corruption crusade.
Sun Zhengcai, a former Politburo member and party chief of the southwestern mega-city of Chongqing, was found guilty of taking more than 170 million yuan ... more |
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Human-sounding Google Assistant sparks ethics questions San Francisco (AFP) May 10, 2018
The new Google digital assistant converses so naturally it may seem like a real person.
The unveiling of the natural-sounding robo-assistant by the tech giant this week wowed some observers, but left others fretting over the ethics of how the human-seeming software might be used.
Google chief Sundar Pichai played a recording of the Google Assistant independently calling a hair salon and ... more |
Toxic water fears in Pakistan region infamous for deformities Kot Assadullah, Pakistan (AFP) May 11, 2018 Basharat Ali was 15 when his legs began to falter, a condition doctors have blamed on polluted water in a Pakistani region infamous for the deformities that afflict many of its people.
Too weak to carry his own schoolbag, he was taken to hospital, where doctors said water laden with toxic levels of arsenic, fluoride, minerals and various metals was to blame.
"It was a big blow to me as I ... more |
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Earlier humans used dried fungi as tinder for fires during the Neolithic period Washington (UPI) Apr 26, 2018
Some 7,300 years ago in what's now Spain, humans collected and dried fungi for use as tinder to start fires. It's the earliest evidence of technological use of fungi, according to researchers at the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
Archaeologists discovered remains of the novel fire-starting material among the artifacts left behind by the people of la Draga, a Neolithic community loc ... more |
Australia hikes aid in Pacific as China pushes for influence Sydney (AFP) May 9, 2018
Australia is refocussing its foreign aid programmes in a move to win hearts and minds in the island nations of the Pacific, as an increasingly assertive China flexes its muscles in the region.
The country has pledged more than Aus$1.3 billion (US$970 million) - its largest ever aid commitment to the Pacific - to fund projects including an undersea communications cable to Papua New Guinea a ... more |
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Lightning strikes kill dozens across Bangladesh and India Dhaka (AFP) May 10, 2018 Dozens of Bangladeshis were killed in lightning strikes as pre-monsoon thunderstorms wreaked havoc across the South Asian country, an official said Thursday.
Farmers harvesting rice in open fields made up the majority of victims, Iftekharul Islam, a director at Bangladesh's disaster management department, told AFP.
"In the last 24 hours, 29 people have died from lightning in 12 districts ... more |
US tells German businesses to stop trade in Iran 'immediately' Berlin (AFP) May 8, 2018 German businesses should immediately halt their operations in Iran following President Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, the US ambassador to Germany said Tuesday.
"As @realDonaldTrump said, US sanctions will target critical sectors of Iran's economy.
"German companies doing business in Iran should wind down operations immediately," tweeted newly-appointed R ... more |
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Why does the corona sizzle at a million degrees Newark NJ (SPX) May 09, 2018
The Sun's corona, invisible to the human eye except when it appears briefly as a fiery halo of plasma during a solar eclipse, remains a puzzle even to scientists who study it closely. Located 1,300 miles from the star's surface, it is more than a hundred times hotter than lower layers much closer to the fusion reactor at the Sun's core.
A team of physicists, led by NJIT's Gregory Fleishman ... more |
Traumatised bears, wolves find solace at Greek sanctuary Nymfaio, Greece (AFP) May 8, 2018
Orphaned as an infant, three-year-old Patrick takes a wary view of visitors. He crouches low, licks his claws and starts humming - a bear's equivalent of thumb-sucking.
"It soothes him when he's stressed," says Melina Avgerinou, a caretaker at the Arcturos bear sanctuary in northern Greece.
Patrick's tale is typical of many bears that have found refuge in the Arcturos sanctuary at Nymf ... more |
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